Habitat mediates coevolved but not novel species interactions

Ongoing recovery of native predators has the potential to alter species interactions, with community and ecosystem wide implications. We estimated the co-occurrence of three species of conservation and management interest from a multi-species citizen science camera trap survey. We demonstrate fundamental differences in novel and coevolved predator–prey interactions that are mediated by habitat. Specifically, we demonstrate that anthropogenic habitat modification had no influence on the expansion of the recovering native pine marten in Ireland, nor does it affect the predator's suppressive influence on an invasive prey species, the grey squirrel. By contrast, the direction of the interaction between the pine marten and a native prey species, the red squirrel, is dependent on habitat. Pine martens had a positive influence on red squirrel occurrence at a landscape scale, especially in native broadleaf woodlands. However, in areas dominated by non-native conifer plantations, the pine marten reduced red squirrel occurrence. These findings suggest that following the recovery of a native predator, the benefits of competitive release are spatially structured and habitat-specific. The potential for past and future landscape modification to alter established interactions between predators and prey has global implications in the context of the ongoing recovery of predator populations in human-modified landscapes.

Antropogeniczne przekształcenie rzek na Ponidziu Pińczowskim

One of the three basic components of assessing ecological state is the determination of hydromorphological conditions occurring in river channels and valleys. In this paper an effort has been taken to check usefulness for such evaluations River Habitat Survey (RHS) – British research method, which is used in Poland for classification of ecological quality of surface waters from the view-point of their actual hydromorphological state. The possibilities of using this method in field teaching of geography students were checked. For this purpose, the RHS method was modified and adapted to the needs of field exercises. Research was conducted in Nida Riverside region, near Pińczów (świętokrzyskie voivodeship, Poland). Collected material makes it possible to calculate synthetic indicator HMS (Habitat Modification Score) which allow the hydromorphological state of a river to be presented in numerical form and assessing river modification by human activities. The research released advantages of the RHS in field teaching of students. The method can also be used in field exercises with secondary school students.

Blue and green food webs respond differently to elevation and land use

While aquatic (blue) and terrestrial (green) food webs are parts of the same landscape, it remains unclear whether they respond similarly to shared environmental gradients. We use empirical community data from hundreds of sites across Switzerland, and show that blue and green food webs have different structural and ecological properties along elevation as a temperature proxy, and among various land-use types. Specifically, in green food webs, their modular structure increases with elevation and the overlap of consumers' diet niche decreases, while the opposite pattern is observed in blue food webs. Such differences between blue and green food webs are particularly pronounced in farmland-dominated habitats, indicating that anthropogenic habitat modification moderates the climatic effects on food webs but differently in blue versus green systems. These findings indicate general structural differences between blue and green food webs and suggest their potential divergent future alterations through land use or climatic changes.

Factors Associated with a Malaria Outbreak at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge District, Zimbabwe, 2021: A Case-Control Study

Background: Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among forcibly displaced populations including refugees, approximately two-thirds of whom reside in malaria endemic regions. Data from the rapid disease notification system (RDNS) reports for Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe showed that despite implementation of malaria control initiatives, there was an increase in number of malaria cases above action thresholds at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge District during weeks 12-14. We investigated the malaria outbreak describing the outbreak by person, place and time, assessing malaria emergency preparedness and response and appropriateness of case management. We also determined the factors associated with contracting malaria to enable the formulation of appropriate interventions, establish control and prevent future malaria outbreaks among this vulnerable population.Methods: We conducted a 1:1 unmatched case control study involving 80 cases and 80 controls using interviewer-administered questionnaires at household level. Data was entered using Epi Data version 3.1 and analyzed using Epi InfoTM version 7.2.4 to generate medians, proportions, odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals.Results: Malaria cases were distributed throughout the 10 residential sections within Tongogara Refugee Camp, the majority being from section 7, 28/80 (35%). Despite constituting 11% of the total population, Mozambican nationals accounted for 36/80 (45%) cases. Males constituted 47/80 (59%) among cases versus controls 43/80 (54%), p=0.524. Median age for cases was also lower compared to controls; 15 years [Interquartile range (IQR), 9-26] versus 17 years (IQR, 10-30). Several natural and manmade potential vector breeding sites were observed around the camp. Risk factors associated with contracting malaria were engaging in outdoor activities at night [AOR 4.26 (95% CI, 1.43-12.68)], wearing clothes that do not cover the whole body [AOR=2.74 (95% CI 1.04-7.22) while sleeping in a refugee housing unit reduced the risk of contracting malaria [AOR=0.18 (CI, 0.06-0.55)]. Conclusions: The malaria outbreak at Tongogara Refugee Camp reemphasizes the role of behavioral factors in malaria transmission. We recommend intensified health education to address human behaviors that expose residents to malaria and habitat modification with larviciding to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

Quantitative photogrammetric methodology for measuring mammalian belly score in the painted dog

The use of “belly scoring” can offer a novel, non-invasive objective management tool to gauge food intake between individuals, groups, and populations, and thus, population fitness. As food availability is increasingly affected by predation, ecological competition, climate change, habitat modification, and other human activities, an accurate belly scoring tool can facilitate comparisons among wildlife populations, serving as an early warning indicator of threats to wildlife population health and potential population collapse. In social species, belly scores can also be a tool to understand social behavior and ranking. We developed and applied the first rigorous quantitative photogrammetric methodology to measure belly scores of wild painted dogs (Lycaon pictus). Our methodology involves: (1) Rigorous selection of photographs of the dorso/lateral profile of individuals at a right angle to the camera, (2) photogrammetrically measuring belly chord length and “belly drop” in pixels, (3) adjusting belly chord length as a departure from a standardized leg angle, and (4) converting pixel measurements to ratios to eliminate the need to introduce distance from the camera. To highlight a practical application, this belly score method was applied to 631 suitable photographs of 15 painted dog packs that included 186 individuals, all collected between 2004–2015 from allopatric painted dog populations in and around Hwange (n = 462) and Mana Pools National Parks (n = 169) in Zimbabwe. Variation in mean belly scores exhibited a cyclical pattern throughout the year, corresponding to biologically significant patterns to include denning demand and prey availability. Our results show significant differences between belly scores of the two different populations we assessed, thus highlighting food stress in the Hwange population. In the face of growing direct and indirect anthropogenic disturbances, this standardised methodology can provide a rapid, species-specific non-invasive management tool that can be applied across studies to rapidly detect emergent threats.

Sex-Biased Habitat Use by Phyllostomid Bats on Riparian Corridors in a Human Dominated Tropical Landscape

Some animal species exhibit sex-specific patterns as an adaptation to their habitats, however, adaptability to a human-dominated landscape is commonly explored without considering intraspecific sexual differences. Differences between males and females lead to a sexual segregation in habitat use. In southern Mexico, we explored sex-specific responses to landscape modification of six common species of phyllostomid bats: Artibeus jamaicensis, A. lituratus, Sturnira lilium, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, and Platyrrhinus helleri using riparian corridors within continuous forest and cattle pastures. Furthermore, we explored sex related responses to vegetation attributes (i.e., tree height and basal area) and seasonality (i.e., wet and dry seasons). Overall, capture rates were significantly skewed toward females and riparian corridors in pastures. Females of G. soricina exhibited a strong positive relationship with greater tree height and basal area. Seasonality was important for A. lituratus and S. lilium females, only. The results indicate a sexual driven response of bats to habitat modification. The high energetic demands of females associated to reproduction could lead to foraging into riparian corridors in pastures. The presence of large trees along riparian corridors in pastures may help maintaining a diverse and dynamic bat community in modified tropical landscapes.

Social learning and networks in Nestor parrots

<p>Social learning and network analyses are theorised to be of great utility in the context of behavioural conservation. For example, harnessing a species’ capacity for social learning may allow researchers to seed useful information into populations, while network analyses could provide a useful tool to monitor community stability, and predict pathways of pathogen transfer. Thus, an understanding of how individuals learn and the nature of the social networks within a population could enable the development of new behavioural based conservation interventions for species facing rapid environmental change, such as human-induced habitat modification. Parrots, the most threatened avian order worldwide, are notably underrepresented in the social learning and social network literature. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap by exploring social learning and networks using two endangered species of parrot; kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and kea (Nestor notabilis). The first study explores social learning of tool use in captive kea, using a trained kea demonstrator. The results from this experiment indicate that both social learning and play behaviour facilitated the uptake of tool use, and suggests that kea are highly sensitive to social information even when presented with complex tasks. The second study assesses whether wild kākā can socially learn novel string-pulling and food aversion behaviours from video playbacks of conspecific demonstrators. Although there was no evidence to indicate that kākā learn socially, these individuals also show no notable reaction to video playback of a familiar predator. Therefore, these results are likely due to difficulties in interpreting information on the screens, and not necessarily a reflection of their ability to perceive social information. In the final study, social network analysis (SNA) was performed to map social connectivity within wellington’s urban kākā population. SNA indicates that kākā form non-random social bonds, selectively associating with some individuals more than others, and also show high levels of dissimilarity in community composition at different feeding sites. Taken together, these results provide rare empirical evidence of social learning in a parrot species and suggest that even complicated seeded behaviours can quickly spread to other individuals. These findings may also be indicative of the difficulties in conducting video playback experiments in wild conditions, which is an area in need of future research. Overall, these findings contribute to the very limited body of research on social learning and networks in parrots, and provide information of potential value in the management of these species.</p>

Metapopulations with habitat modification

Across the tree of life, organisms modify their local environment, rendering it more or less hospitable for other species. Despite the ubiquity of these processes, simple models that can be used to develop intuitions about the consequences of widespread habitat modification are lacking. Here, we extend the classic Levins metapopulation model to a setting where each of n species can colonize patches connected by dispersal, and when patches are vacated via local extinction, they retain a “memory” of the previous occupant—modeling habitat modification. While this model can exhibit a wide range of dynamics, we draw several overarching conclusions about the effects of modification and memory. In particular, we find that any number of species may potentially coexist, provided that each is at a disadvantage when colonizing patches vacated by a conspecific. This notion is made precise through a quantitative stability condition, which provides a way to unify and formalize existing conceptual models. We also show that when patch memory facilitates coexistence, it generically induces a positive relationship between diversity and robustness (tolerance of disturbance). Our simple model provides a portable, tractable framework for studying systems where species modify and react to a shared landscape.