Variation and drivers of airflow patterns associated with olfactory concealment and habitat selection

Fogarty, Dillon T.; Elmore, R. Dwayne; Fuhlendorf, Samuel D.; Loss, Scott R.

doi:10.1002/ecy.2102

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Olfactory foraging is likely more profitable in landscapes where ducks nest at higher densities (Nams , Larivière and Messier , Ringelman ). As such, selecting nest sites with lateral concealment on the prairies may help dissipate scent more effectively and reduce the likelihood of nests being located by olfactory predators (Fogarty et al , , Shutler ). Boreal‐forest predators, e.g., black bear ( Ursus americanus ), Canada lynx ( Lynx canadensis ), and Mustela sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microhabitat nest‐site selection by ducks in the boreal forest

2019

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The boreal forest is one of the North America's most important breeding areas for ducks, but information about the nesting ecology of ducks in the region is limited. We collected microhabitat data related to vegetation structure and composition at 157 duck nests and paired random locations in Alberta's boreal forest region from 2016 to 2018. We identified fine-scale vegetation features selected by ducks for all nests, between nesting guilds, and among five species using conditional logistic regression. Ducks in the boreal forest selected nest sites with greater overhead and graminoid cover, but less forb cover than random sites. Characteristics of the nest sites of upland-and overwater-nesting guilds differed, with species nesting in upland habitat selecting nests that provided greater shrub cover and less lateral concealment and species nesting over water selecting nests with less shrub cover. We examined the characteristics of nest sites of American Wigeon (Mareca americana), Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors), Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris), and found differences among species that may facilitate species coexistence at a regional scale. Our results suggest that females of species nesting in upland habitat selected nest sites that optimized concealment from aerial predators while also allowing detection of and escape from terrestrial predators. Consequently, alteration in the composition and heterogeneity of vegetation and predator communities caused by climate change and industrial development in the boreal forest of Canada may affect the nest-site selection strategies of boreal ducks. RESUMEN.Selecci on del microh abitat de anidamiento de parte de patos en un bosque boreal El bosque boreal es uno de los lugares m as importantes para la reproducci on de patos en Norte Am erica, pero la informaci on que se tiene sobre la ecolog ıa de anidamiento de estos, en la regi on, es limitada. Recopilamos datos del microh abitat, relacionado con la composici on y estructura de la vegetaci on, de 157 nidos de patos y pareamos localidades al azar en la regi on de bosque boreal de Alberta, Canad a de 2016 a 2018. Identificamos atributos, a pequeña escala, del microh abitat de la vegetaci on seleccionada por los patos para anidar, entre gremios de nidos, y entre cinco especies, utilizando una regresi on log ıstica condicionada. En el bosque boreal, los patos seleccionaron lugares para anidar con mayor cantidad de cubertura superior de gram ıneas, pero con menos cubierta de herb aceas que lugares seleccionados al azar. Las caracter ısticas del lugar de anidamiento de gremios que anidaron en tierras altas y sobre el agua result o diferente, al de especies que anidaron en h abitat de tierras altas, y que seleccionaron para anidar lugares que proveyeron de mayor cobertura arbustiva y menos cubierta lateral y especies que anidaron sobre agua y que seleccionaron lugares con menor cobertura arbustiva. Examinamos las caracter ısticas del lugar de anidamiento de ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microhabitat nest‐site selection by ducks in the boreal forest

2019

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“…Edges have been reported as risky habitats for reptiles [31,52], but we noted intermediate levels of interactions in edges compared to other habitat types. Mesopredator interactions were lowest in grasslands, and dense ground vegetation in these habitats could have provided visual [38] and olfactory (via disruption of airflow, [25]) concealment. This is supported by our finding that mesopredators were less likely to interact with models as vegetation height surrounding them increased.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Additionally, the various sensory modalities used by foraging predators could differentially affect risk for juvenile turtles. For example, many birds [20,21] and rodents [22,23] are primarily visual foragers, whereas olfaction typically plays a large role in prey detection for meso-mammals [24,25]. Obtaining sufficient numbers of wild-born juveniles to investigate predator-prey relationships has proved to be very challenging due to their highly elusive behavior, which is common for many reptiles [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of Factors Affecting Predation Risk for Juvenile Turtles Using 3D Printed Models

Tetzlaff

Estrada

DeGregorio

et al. 2020

Animals

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Simple Summary: Turtles are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups. High rates of juvenile predation may contribute to population declines for many species, but predator identities and factors contributing to predation risk for juveniles are largely unknown due to their highly secretive nature. Alternatives to studying live juveniles are needed. By monitoring three-dimensional printed models resembling juvenile box turtles (Terrapene carolina) with motion-triggered cameras in the Midwestern USA, we found raccoons (Procyon lotor) were the dominant predator that interacted with models, followed by rodents (Sciuridae). Mesopredator interactions with models were less likely in habitats with higher vegetative ground cover. However, availability of sensory cues (visual or olfactory) provided by models did not influence mesopredator interactions, suggesting they used multiple senses to detect models. Rodents interacted with models that were closer to woody structure, likely because they commonly utilize such small-scale habitat features. Rodents interacted with exposed models more than concealed models, reflecting their predominantly visual foraging behavior. Overall, our results suggest juvenile turtle habitat selection could affect predator-specific predation risk but behavioral differences between particular predators are also important determinants of risk. These findings have implications for management efforts aimed at reducing encounters between juvenile turtles and their major predators.Abstract: Although it is widely accepted that juvenile turtles experience high levels of predation, such events are rarely observed, providing limited evidence regarding predator identities and how juvenile habitat selection and availability of sensory cues to predators affects predation risk. We placed three-dimensional printed models resembling juvenile box turtles (Terrapene carolina) across habitats commonly utilized by the species at three sites within their geographical range and monitored models with motion-triggered cameras. To explore how the presence or absence of visual and olfactory cues affected predator interactions with models, we employed a factorial design where models were either exposed or concealed and either did or did not have juvenile box turtle scent applied on them. Predators interacted with 18% of models during field trials. Nearly all interactions were by mesopredators (57%) and rodents (37%). Mesopredators were more likely to attack models than rodents; most (76%) attacks occurred by raccoons (Procyon lotor). Interactions by mesopredators were more likely to occur in wetlands than edges, and greater in edges than grasslands. Mesopredators were less likely to interact with models as surrounding vegetation height increased. Rodents were more likely to interact with models that were closer to woody structure and interacted with exposed models more than concealed ones, but model exposure had no effect on interactions by mesopredators. Scent treatment appeared to have no influence on interactions by e...

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“…Lawrence, 2005), and therefore, we believe they would not explain variation in detection probability any further. However, we consider that measuring weather variables at the exact time and location of the search (as opposed to using daily averages), could provide additional insights on their effect on detection probability (Fogarty, Elmore, Fuhlendorf, & Loss, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting carcass detection at wind farms using dogs and human searchers

Valle

Cervantes

Arjona

2020

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. The use of detection dogs to effectively monitor bird and bat fatalities at wind farms is becoming increasingly popular. All studies to date agree that dogs outperform human searchers at finding bird and bat carcasses around wind turbines; however, it remains unclear how characteristics of the carcass and environmental conditions during the search may influence detection. 2. We investigate the effect of carcass size, vegetation characteristics and weather conditions on the probability of detecting a carcass, for both dogs and humans, using data from the monitoring program of a wind farm in Spain. 3. A generalized linear mixed model reveals a high performance of dogs (~80% detection rate), with no clear influence of any of the variables analysed. Humans, on the contrary, were markedly affected by the size of the carcass and to some extent, by the vegetation structure. Humans performed poorly at detecting small carcasses (~20% detection rate), more so in closed vegetation. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our results provide evidence that dogs perform with high success rates at detecting bird and bat carcasses of different sizes under a wide range of environmental conditions. Humans, by contrast, were very poor at detecting all but the largest carcasses in open areas. We find the use of detection dogs at wind farms to be a robust and cost-effective alternative to using human searchers, most notably, when the focus is on the monitoring of fatalities of small, rare or inconspicuous species in closed vegetation.

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Variation and drivers of airflow patterns associated with olfactory concealment and habitat selection

Cited by 16 publications

References 52 publications

Microhabitat nest‐site selection by ducks in the boreal forest

Microhabitat nest‐site selection by ducks in the boreal forest

Identification of Factors Affecting Predation Risk for Juvenile Turtles Using 3D Printed Models

Factors affecting carcass detection at wind farms using dogs and human searchers

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