Space use and movement patterns of translocated bighorn sheep

Werdel, Ty J.; Jenks, Jonathan A.; Kanta, John T.; Lehman, Chadwick P.; Frink, Teresa J.

doi:10.1007/s42991-021-00107-4

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Berger‐Tal & Saltz (2014) suggested various movement metrics to describe post‐release behavioral modification (i.e., acclimation) in translocated animals, including release site fidelity and home range. While researchers increasingly use movement metrics to indicate acclimation (Flanagan et al ., 2016; Mertes et al ., 2019; Werdel et al ., 2021), few researchers have investigated changes in patterns of resource selection as translocated wildlife acclimate to their new landscapes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial acclimation of elk during population restoration to the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Pero

Palm

Chitwood

et al. 2023

Animal Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wildlife translocations are an important conservation tool but can be challenging for the animals. For translocations to be successful, animals must adjust to their release landscape. Investigating how animals acclimate to their release landscapes can improve post‐release monitoring and inform about the management needs of translocated populations. We investigated movements and resource selection dynamics of 106 elk (Cervus canadensis) during the first 6–8 years following their release to Missouri, USA in 2011–2013. We observed evidence of spatial acclimation as determined by cessation of changes in resource selection together with monthly range sizes and fidelity of individual elk. Females showed faster evidence of acclimation in their movements following release than males. Although range fidelity for both sexes stabilized within approximately seven months, range size stabilized within approximately three months for females and stabilization began within approximately 11 months for males. Selection for multiple resources by elk also largely stabilized within their first year following release. A simple refuge‐forage trade‐off alone did not explain acclimation in resource selection. Elk selected for high‐quality food plots across the temporal extent of restoration regardless of time since release, whereas their selection for cover resources during summer increased after elk acclimated. Together, spatial acclimation generally lagged behind physiological responses observed in this system, adding to the increasing evidence that translocated animals display acclimation patterns across trait‐specific time periods. Our approach demonstrates the utility of accounting for acclimation effects across multiple spatial response metrics for improving post‐release monitoring, evaluation, and management of restored wildlife populations.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial acclimation of elk during population restoration to the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Pero

Palm

Chitwood

et al. 2023

Animal Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…GPS collars collected a total of 169,591 GPS locations from the time of captures until September 2020, unless an individual died before the end of the study, if their collar malfunctioned, or the collar batteries died. We removed erroneous GPS locations and locations that could have been influenced by capture effects by removing locations collected in the first week after captures ( Werdel et al, 2021 ), locations collected with ≤ 2 satellites (251 locations), and locations with movement rates >20 km/h (2 locations) ( D’Eon & Delparte, 2005 ; Lewis et al, 2007 ; Frair et al, 2010 ). We considered the time range of an individual’s location data to be adequate for evaluating an individual’s migration cycle if an individual’s location data extended at least 30 days before their spring migration to at least 90 days after their fall migration when they occupied their winter range.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse migration patterns and seasonal habitat use of Stone’s sheep (Ovis dalli stonei)

Enns,

Jex,

Boyce

2023

PeerJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We describe temporal and spatial patterns of seasonal space-use and migration by 16 GPS-collared Stone’s sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) from nine bands in the Cassiar Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada. Our objectives were to identify the timing of spring and fall migrations, characterize summer and winter ranges, map and describe migration routes and use of stopover sites, and document altitudinal change across seasons. Our last objective was to assess individual migration strategies based on patterns of geographic migration, altitudinal migration, or residency. Median start and end dates of the spring migration were 12 and 17 Jun (range: 20 May to 05 Aug), and of the fall migration were 30 Aug and 22 Sep (range: 21 Aug to 07 Jan). The median area of winter and summer ranges for geographic migrants were 630.8 ha and 2,829.0 ha, respectively, with a broad range from about 233.6 to 10,196.2 ha. Individuals showed high fidelity to winter ranges over the limited duration of the study. The winter and summer ranges of most individuals (n = 15) were at moderate to high elevations with a median summer elevation of 1,709 m (1,563–1,827 m) and 1,673 m (1,478–1,751 m) that varied <150 m between ranges. Almost all collared females (n = 14) exhibited changes in elevation use that coincide with abbreviated altitudinal migration. Specifically, these females descended to lower spring elevations from their winter range (Δ > 150 m), and then gradually moved up to higher-elevation summer ranges (Δ > 150 m). In the fall, they descended to lower elevations (Δ > 100 m) before returning to their higher winter ranges. The median distance travelled along geographic migration routes was 16.3 km (range: 7.6–47.4 km). During the spring migration, most geographic migrants (n = 8) used at least one stopover site (median = 1.5, range: 0–4), while almost all migrants (n = 11) used stopover sites more frequently in the fall (median = 2.5, range: 0–6). Of the 13 migratory individuals that had at least one other collared individual in their band, most migrated at about the same time, occupied the same summer and winter ranges, used similar migration routes and stopover sites, and exhibited the same migration strategy. We found collared females exhibited four different migration strategies which mostly varied across bands. Migration strategies included long-distance geographic migrants (n = 5), short-distance geographic migrants (n = 5), vacillating migrants (n = 2), and abbreviated altitudinal migrants (n = 4). Different migratory strategies occurred within one band where one collared individual migrated and two did not. We conclude that female Stone’s sheep in the Cassiar Mountains displayed a diverse assemblage of seasonal habitat use and migratory behaviors. By delineating seasonal ranges, migration routes and stopover sites, we identify potential areas of priority that can help inform land-use planning and preserve the native migrations of Stone’s sheep in the region.

show abstract

“…Movements, home range size and dispersal of translocated and untranslocated hares did not differ after they had settled within the first few days after release, nor did they differ in mortality or relocation rates, suggesting the impacts of accidental translocation of hares in returning the same number of coursed animals, as were captured, to a release site, may be limited. Other studies that GPS-radio tracked herbivores (for example, big horn sheep Ovis canadensis or caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou) have also demonstrated little lasting effects of translocation with comparable survival to controls and little dispersal from release sites [20,21].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Survival, movements, home range size and dispersal of hares after coursing and/or translocation

Reid

2023

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hare coursing is the pursuit of a hare by dogs for sport. In recent years in Ireland, between 2,900 to 3,700 hares have been caught from the wild (under Government license) and held in captivity for up to 8 weeks. Hares are given a head start and coursed in an enclosed arena by two muzzled greyhounds where the object is not to kill the hare, but judge the dogs on their ability to turn the hare which escapes under a partition through which the dogs cannot follow. Recent licence returns suggest over 99% of hares survive and are released back into the wild. This study aimed to assess survival and behaviour of coursed hares after their release sometimes into unfamiliar territory. Forty hares were tracked using GPS-radio collars for six months after release in a factorial experimental design to test the impact of coursing and translocation on survival, movements, home range size and dispersal. Coursed and uncoursed hares did not differ in observed mortality rates, movements, home range sizes or dispersal distances after release back into the wild though fewer coursed than uncoursed hares were relocated six months after release, due to a combination of collar strap failures and radio silence. Spatial behavior was similar between the cohorts once translocated hares, which moved further and had larger home range sizes during the first four days after release, had settled. Two hares released shortly before sunset were killed in road traffic collisions during their first night. Releasing hares during daylight, preferably as early as possible, may provide time for animals to settle before darkness. Suggestions are made for potential methodological improvements such as the use of cellular (mobile phone) or satellite communication technology mounted on stouter straps to reduce failures and improve relocation rates.

show abstract

Space use and movement patterns of translocated bighorn sheep

Cited by 7 publications

References 42 publications

Spatial acclimation of elk during population restoration to the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Spatial acclimation of elk during population restoration to the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Diverse migration patterns and seasonal habitat use of Stone’s sheep (Ovis dalli stonei)

Survival, movements, home range size and dispersal of hares after coursing and/or translocation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About