The influence of spatiotemporal conditions and personality on survival in reintroductions–evolutionary implications

Abstract

Personality exists in non-human animals and can impact fitness. There is, however, a shortage of empirical studies in certain areas within the field, and fundamental evolutionary theory on personality remains largely untested. For example, little is known on how variation in personality is maintained over evolutionary time. Theory suggests that fluctuating selection pressures due to spatiotemporal variation in conditions, e.g. food availability, is a possible mechanism and a few studies have shown that the success of different personality types varies with spatiotemporal conditions. However, it remains unknown whether different mechanisms can maintain personality within a species. Here we use a reintroduction programme for the critically endangered European mink (Mustela lutreola) to test whether multiple personality trait domains (boldness, exploration and sociability) affected survival in two different years and islands. This was done through pre-release personality tests and post-release radio-tracking monitoring. Survival was positively correlated with boldness, whereas the relationship with exploration was either negative or positive depending on year/island. The results show a complex relationship between personality and survival and suggest that exploration can be maintained over evolutionary time via spatiotemporal variation in conditions. However, in contrast to exploration, boldness did not vary spatiotemporally and sociability had no impact on survival. This indicates that different personality trait domains might be maintained by different mechanisms. To date, personality has been studied primarily within behavioural sciences, but through empirical findings we highlight the importance of personality also in ecology and conservation biology.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00442-016-3740-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Out of sight, out of mind? Testing the effects of overwinter habitat alterations on breeding territories of a migratory endangered species

“…Some individuals may be more tolerant than others to OHA, and the effects of the latter may also depend on the degree to which the birds are accustomed to human activities around the nesting area. There is growing evidence for differences in personality in animals, affecting their response to cues such as human presence (Carere & Maestripieri, 2013;Haage et al, 2017). Likewise, nest site quality and environmental variability could affect the variability in Egyptian Vulture response to OHA.…”

An experimental approach to the formation of diet preferences and individual specialisation in European mink

“…Smith and Blumstein 2008) and has also been connected to feeding choices (Bergvall et al 2011). In the European mink, this is of interest, as the personality trait domains of boldness and exploration have been shown to impact survival of captive bred individuals after release into the wild (Haage et al 2017) and individuals that score high on personality trait domains generally form routines quickly, whilst low-scoring individuals adapts continually to changes in the conditions (Benus et al 1987;RodriguezPrieto et al 2010;Herborn et al 2014). After release, captive bred minks do adapt to novel natural prey items (Põdra et al 2012), and their ability to adapt has not been seen as a matter of concern.…”

“…Natural prey species were increasingly (1.5-3 times) captured, whereas atypical prey species declined fivefold over the same period (Põdra et al 2012). The survival of released individuals have been shown to depend on personality (Haage et al 2017), which could suggest that the time it takes for an individual to adjust to wild conditions and shift to a natural diet is affected by individual specialisation or learning time.…”

“…Furthermore, individual variation in the ability to adapt to novel food sources, including learning time, could also affect the probability that an individual fails or copes in the release environment (Põdra et al 2012). The level of behavioural plasticity in individuals has been linked to personality (Benus et al 1987;RodriguezPrieto et al 2010;Herborn et al 2014), which in turn can affect survival in translocations (Bremner-Harrison et al 2004;Haage et al 2017). Hence, individual differences in behavioural plasticity could be one mechanism explaining mortality patterns in translocations.…”

Effects of trap confinement on personality measurements in two terrestrial rodents

“…Over the past few decades, the acknowledgement that many species of animals display consistent individual differences in behavior, or personalities , has become widespread (1–4). Personalities are heritable (5), have consequences for fitness (6–9), and can limit the ability of individuals to exhibit behavioral plasticity (10) resulting in trade-offs where certain personality types perform well in some ecological contexts but not in others (11). Because individual personalities can determine the response of individuals to changing environments (12,13) and have important ecological implications (14–16), personality studies in wild populations will likely continue to increase as researchers strive to understand and predict the responses of individuals and populations to anthropogenic changes (17–20).…”