Tag: dispersal

Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Humans drive spatial variation in mortality risk for a threatened wolf population in a Canis hybrid zone

John Benson shares recent research, conducted alongside colleagues, which monitored the movement of eastern wolves in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada. Results suggest that eastern wolves and dispersing canids survive poorly outside of APP, primarily due to human-caused mortality. Thus, expanding the threatened population outside of APP is unlikely under current management conditions. The challenge of human-caused mortality for threatened, hybridizing wolves in Canada When large … Continue reading Humans drive spatial variation in mortality risk for a threatened wolf population in a Canis hybrid zone

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The Applied Ecologist community, Themed collections

Key Concepts in Ecology: Populations

This blog post on ‘Populations’ is part of the BES ‘Key Concepts in Ecology’ series, designed to help ecologists in learning the key topics in ecology! Take a look at the full series for a list of key topics you might typically find in an ecology textbook, each providing a quick introduction to the topic, and a list of suggested papers for students to refer … Continue reading Key Concepts in Ecology: Populations

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Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Practitioners, Video

Predicting dispersal and conflict risk for wolf recolonisation in Colorado

Mark Ditmer discusses his and colleagues’ new research which aims to predict wolf movement and potential conflict hotspots following the state of Colorado’s decision to reintroduce gray wolves. This data may be used to offer practical, actionable recommendations for decision-makers. Animal movement and conflict risk Species’ ranges are shifting – and accurately predicting the way species disperse in novel areas can greatly enhance conservation efforts. … Continue reading Predicting dispersal and conflict risk for wolf recolonisation in Colorado

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Coastal and marine, Human-wildlife interactions, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Combining seascape connectivity with cumulative impact assessment to support ecosystem‐based marine spatial planning

Cumulative impact assessment (CIA) is a simple yet promising approach to guide marine management interventions, but one not without limitations. Jonsson and colleagues report a novel method which combines CIA with seascape connectivity to account for remote effects of local environmental impact. Human activities are having a catostrphic impact on ocean biodiversity, meaning effective policies and management actions are needed to facilitate the sustainable use … Continue reading Combining seascape connectivity with cumulative impact assessment to support ecosystem‐based marine spatial planning

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Plant and soil ecology, Research summaries

Microclimate determines transplantation success

Associate Editor, Pieter De Frenne (Ghent University, Belgium) discusses assisted migration, climate change and the recent article by Brooker et al. Tiny niches and translocations: the challenge of identifying suitable recipient sites for small and immobile species. One of the key outstanding issues in applied ecology is to better inform land managers and policy makers how to adapt to climate change. Many species are currently shifting their … Continue reading Microclimate determines transplantation success

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Research summaries

Vaccinating badgers against TB does not change their behaviour

In this post, Rosie Woodroffe discusses her paper “Ranging behaviour of badgers Meles meles vaccinated with Bacillus Calmette Guerin”, published today in Journal of Applied Ecology. Badgergeddon! That’s how one of Britain’s national newspapers described the ongoing cull of badgers, intended to curb the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) to cattle. The culls are highly controversial. Farmers clamour for decisive action to control a disease … Continue reading Vaccinating badgers against TB does not change their behaviour

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Research summaries

A new look at an old problem: Measuring the importance of dispersal in human-impacted systems

In this post Angela Strecker discusses the recent paper ‘A fresh approach reveals how dispersal shapes metacommunity structure in a human-altered landscape‘, by Barbara Downes, Jill Lancaster, Alena Glaister and William Bovill. One of the largest challenges that ecologists face is understanding the importance of dispersal across patches in ecosystems.  In the process of dispersal, organisms move to different habitats, allowing them to potentially escape … Continue reading A new look at an old problem: Measuring the importance of dispersal in human-impacted systems

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Research summaries

Crucial for population management: new model solves old missing data problem and provides mortality estimates for male African lions

In this post Julia Barthold discusses the recent paper “Bayesian estimates of male and female African lion mortality for future use in population management” by her and co-authors A. J. Loveridge, D.W. Macdonald, C. Packer, and F. Colchero. The article is part of the BES cross-journal special feature “Demography Beyond the Population”. In 2013, I wanted to project the population dynamics of African lions. This … Continue reading Crucial for population management: new model solves old missing data problem and provides mortality estimates for male African lions

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Research summaries

Costs of passive dispersal in fragmented landscapes

In this post, Brittany Teller (@brittzinator) describes her recent paper with co- authors Adam Miller & Katriona Shea “Conservation of passively dispersed organisms in the context of habitat degradation and destruction“ Leaving the natal location (hereafter, “dispersal”) can be a critical part of many species’ life cycles. If dispersing individuals help establish new populations, this colonization can help keep connected metapopulations viable in the face of disturbances … Continue reading Costs of passive dispersal in fragmented landscapes

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Research summaries

Eyes in the sky see the secrets of the sea

This guest post is by Kylie L. Scales (@KylieScales) on her recent review paper “On the Front Line: frontal zones as priority at-sea conservation areas for mobile marine vertebrates.” The oceans may seem like Earth’s last remaining wilderness, but are in fact teeming with human activity as a result of intense and growing demand for marine resources. Consequently, large marine vertebrates such as seabirds, turtles, … Continue reading Eyes in the sky see the secrets of the sea

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