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The link between behavioural type and natal dispersal propensity reveals a dispersal syndrome in a large herbivore.

ABSTRACT: When individuals disperse, they modify the physical and social composition of their reproductive environment, potentially impacting their fitness. The choice an individual makes between dispersal and philopatry is thus critical, hence a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the decision to leave the natal area is crucial. We explored how combinations of behavioural (exploration, mobility, activity and stress response) and morphological (body mass) traits measured prior to dispersal were linked to the subsequent dispersal decision in 77 roe deer Capreolus capreolus fawns. Using an unusually detailed multi-trait approach, we identified two independent behavioural continuums related to dispersal. First, a continuum of energetic expenditure contrasted individuals of low mobility, low variability in head activity and low body temperature with those that displayed opposite traits. Second, a continuum of neophobia contrasted individuals that explored more prior to dispersal and were more tolerant of capture with those that displayed opposite traits. While accounting for possible confounding effects of condition-dependence (body mass), we showed that future dispersers were less neophobic and had higher energetic budgets than future philopatric individuals, providing strong support for a dispersal syndrome in this species.

SUBMITTER: Debeffe L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4123700 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The link between behavioural type and natal dispersal propensity reveals a dispersal syndrome in a large herbivore.

Debeffe L L Morellet N N Bonnot N N Gaillard J M JM Cargnelutti B B Verheyden-Tixier H H Vanpé C C Coulon A A Clobert J J Bon R R Hewison A J M AJ

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20140901 1790

When individuals disperse, they modify the physical and social composition of their reproductive environment, potentially impacting their fitness. The choice an individual makes between dispersal and philopatry is thus critical, hence a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the decision to leave the natal area is crucial. We explored how combinations of behavioural (exploration, mobility, activity and stress response) and morphological (body mass) traits measured prior to dispersal ...[more]

PMID: 25030983

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Project description:BackgroundNatal dispersal, the distance between site of birth and site of first breeding, has a fundamental role in population dynamics and species' responses to environmental changes. Population density is considered a key driver of natal dispersal. However, few studies have been able to examine densities at both the natal and the settlement site, which is critical for understanding the role of density in dispersal. Additionally, the role of density on natal dispersal remains poorly understood in long-lived and slowly reproducing species, due to their prolonged dispersal periods and often elusive nature. We studied the natal dispersal of the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in response to local breeder densities. We investigated the effects of the number of active territories around the natal site on (a) natal dispersal distance and (b) the difference between natal and settlement site breeder density. We were interested in whether eagles showed tendencies of conspecific attraction (positive density-dependence) or intraspecific competition (negative density-dependence) and how this related to settlement site breeder density.MethodsWe used a combination of long-term visual and genotypic identification to match individuals from their breeding site to their natal nest. We identified natal dispersal events for 355 individuals hatched between 1984 and 2015 in the Baltic Sea coast and Arctic areas of Finland. Of those, 251 were identified by their genotype.ResultsIndividuals born in high-density areas dispersed shorter distances than those born in low-density areas, but settled at lower density breeding sites in comparison to their natal site. Eagles born in low natal area densities dispersed farther but settled in higher density breeding sites compared to their natal site.ConclusionsWe show that eagles might be attracted by conspecifics (positive density-dependence) to identify high-quality habitats or find mates, but do not settle in the most densely populated areas. This indicates that natal dispersal is affected by an interplay of conspecific attraction and intraspecific competition, which has implications for population dynamics of white-tailed eagles, but also other top predators. Furthermore, our study demonstrates the value of long-term collection of both nestling and (non-invasive) adult DNA samples, and thereafter using genotype matching to identify individuals in long-lived and elusive species.

Project description:BackgroundIn highly seasonal environments, animals face critical decisions regarding time allocation, diet optimisation, and habitat use. In the Arctic, the short summers are crucial for replenishing body reserves, while low food availability and increased energetic demands characterise the long winters (9-10?months). Under such extreme seasonal variability, even small deviations from optimal time allocation can markedly impact individuals' condition, reproductive success and survival. We investigated which environmental conditions influenced daily, seasonal, and interannual variation in time allocation in high-arctic muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and evaluated whether results support qualitative predictions derived from upscaled optimal foraging theory.MethodsUsing hidden Markov models (HMMs), we inferred behavioural states (foraging, resting, relocating) from hourly positions of GPS-collared females tracked in northeast Greenland (28 muskox-years). To relate behavioural variation to environmental conditions, we considered a wide range of spatially and/or temporally explicit covariates in the HMMs.ResultsWhile we found little interannual variation, daily and seasonal time allocation varied markedly. Scheduling of daily activities was distinct throughout the year except for the period of continuous daylight. During summer, muskoxen spent about 69% of time foraging and 19% resting, without environmental constraints on foraging activity. During winter, time spent foraging decreased to 45%, whereas about 43% of time was spent resting, mediated by longer resting bouts than during summer.ConclusionsOur results clearly indicate that female muskoxen follow an energy intake maximisation strategy during the arctic summer. During winter, our results were not easily reconcilable with just one dominant foraging strategy. The overall reduction in activity likely reflects higher time requirements for rumination in response to the reduction of forage quality (supporting an energy intake maximisation strategy). However, deep snow and low temperatures were apparent constraints to winter foraging, hence also suggesting attempts to conserve energy (net energy maximisation strategy). Our approach provides new insights into the year-round behavioural strategies of the largest Arctic herbivore and outlines a practical example of how to approximate qualitative predictions of upscaled optimal foraging theory using multi-year GPS tracking data.

Project description:Anthropogenic mortality of wildlife is typically inferred from measures of the absolute decline in population numbers. However, increasing evidence suggests that indirect demographic effects including changes to the age, sex, and social structure of populations, as well as the behavior of survivors, can profoundly impact population health and viability. Specifically, anthropogenic mortality of wildlife (especially when unsustainable) and fragmentation of the spatial distribution of individuals (home-ranges) could disrupt natal dispersal mechanisms, with long-term consequences to genetic structure, by compromising outbreeding behavior and gene flow. We investigate this threat in African leopards (Panthera pardus pardus), a polygynous felid with male-biased natal dispersal. Using a combination of spatial (home-range) and genetic (21 polymorphic microsatellites) data from 142 adult leopards, we contrast the structure of two South African populations with markedly different histories of anthropogenically linked mortality. Home-range overlap, parentage assignment, and spatio-genetic autocorrelation together show that historical exploitation of leopards in a recovering protected area has disrupted and reduced subadult male dispersal, thereby facilitating opportunistic male natal philopatry, with sons establishing territories closer to their mothers and sisters. The resultant kin-clustering in males of this historically exploited population is comparable to that of females in a well-protected reserve and has ultimately led to localized inbreeding. Our findings demonstrate novel evidence directly linking unsustainable anthropogenic mortality to inbreeding through disrupted dispersal in a large, solitary felid and expose the genetic consequences underlying this behavioral change. We therefore emphasize the importance of managing and mitigating the effects of unsustainable exploitation on local populations and increasing habitat fragmentation between contiguous protected areas by promoting in situ recovery and providing corridors of suitable habitat that maintain genetic connectivity.

Dataset Information

The link between behavioural type and natal dispersal propensity reveals a dispersal syndrome in a large herbivore.

Publications

The link between behavioural type and natal dispersal propensity reveals a dispersal syndrome in a large herbivore.

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