Social organization of boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in response to decreasing annual snow depth

Jung, Thomas S.; Larter, Nicholas C.; Allaire, Danny G.

doi:10.1007/s13364-019-00420-x

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Foraging near familiar conspecifics reduce the costs of competition at cratering sites, which may be limited on the landscape or relatively small. We propose that while caribou generally have larger group sizes in winter [31,72], groups vary in size based on movement and habitat selection behaviour presumably to balance the trade-off between competition and information acquisition. Unfamiliar individuals spread out such that competition at foraging sites is limited, although group members with high familiarity appear to remain in close proximity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Solitary foraging is therefore most beneficial but foraging in close proximity to preferred conspecifics may be an exception. We propose that while caribou generally have larger group sizes in winter [31,66] groups may be sparsely distributed in space to reduce fine-scale competition at individual cratering sites. Groups may spread out such that competition at foraging sites is limited, but group members can retain visual contact.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the social environment on movement-integrated habitat selection

Webber

Prokopenko

Kingdon

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Movement links the distribution of habitats with the social environment of animals using those habitats; yet integrating movement, habitat selection, and socioecology remains an opportunity. Here, our objective was to disentangle the roles of habitat selection and social association as drivers of collective movement in a gregarious ungulate. To accomplish this objective, we (1) assessed whether socially familiar individuals form discrete social communities and whether social communities have high spatial, but not necessarily temporal, overlap and (2) modelled the relationship between collective movement and selection of foraging habitats using socially informed integrated step selection analysis. Based on assignment of individuals to social communities and home range overlap analyses, individuals assorted into discrete social communities and these communities had high spatial overlap. By unifying social network analysis with movement ecology, we identified state-dependent social association, where individuals were less cohesive when foraging, but were cohesive when moving collectively between foraging patches. Our study demonstrates that social behaviour and space use are inter-related based on spatial overlap of social communities and state-dependent habitat selection. Movement, habitat selection, and social behaviour are linked in theory. Here, we put these concepts into practice to demonstrate that movement is the glue connecting individual habitat selection to the social environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%