Dataset Information

The influence of habitat use on harvest vulnerability of cow elk (Cervus canadensis).

ABSTRACT: Pressure from hunting can alter the behavior and habitat selection of game species. During hunting periods, cervids such as elk (Cervus canadensis) typically select for areas further from roads and closer to tree cover, while altering the timing of their daily activities to avoid hunters. Our objective was to determine the habitat characteristics most influential in predicting harvest risk of elk. We captured 373 female elk between January 2015 and March 2017 in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and surrounding area of central Utah, USA. We determined habitat selection during the hunting season using a resource selection function (RSF) for 255 adult cow elk. Additionally, we used a generalized linear mixed model to evaluate risk of harvest based on habitat use within home ranges (3rd order selection) as well as the location of the home range on the landscape to evaluate vulnerability on a broader scale. Female elk selected for areas that reduced hunter access (rugged terrain, within tree cover, on private land). Age, elevation and distance to roads within a home range were most influential in predicting harvest risk (top model accounted for 36.2% of AIC weight). Elevation and distance to trees were most influential in predicting risk when evaluating the location of the home range (top model accounted for 42.1% of AIC weight). Vulnerability to harvest was associated with proximity to roads. Additionally, survival in our landscape decreased with age of femaleelk.

SUBMITTER: Sergeyev M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7682858 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The influence of habitat use on harvest vulnerability of cow elk (Cervus canadensis).

Sergeyev Maksim M McMillan Brock R BR Hersey Kent R KR Larsen Randy T RT

PloS one 20201123 11

Pressure from hunting can alter the behavior and habitat selection of game species. During hunting periods, cervids such as elk (Cervus canadensis) typically select for areas further from roads and closer to tree cover, while altering the timing of their daily activities to avoid hunters. Our objective was to determine the habitat characteristics most influential in predicting harvest risk of elk. We captured 373 female elk between January 2015 and March 2017 in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National ...[more]

PMID: 33227036

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Project description:Pododermatitis, also known as treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD), presents a significant challenge to elk (Cervus canadensis) populations in the northwestern USA, with Treponema spp. consistently implicated in the lesion development. However, identifying species-specific Treponema strains from these lesions is hindered by its culture recalcitrance and limited genomic information. This study utilized shotgun sequencing, in silico genome reconstruction, and comparative genomics as a culture-independent approach to identify metagenome-assembled Treponema genomes (MATGs) from skin scraping samples collected from captive elk experimentally challenged with TAHD. The genomic analysis revealed 10 new MATGs, with 6 representing novel genomospecies associated with pododermatitis in elk and 4 corresponding to previously identified species-Treponema pedis and Treponema phagedenis. Importantly, genomic signatures of novel genomospecies identified in this study were consistently detected in biopsy samples of free-ranging elk diagnosed with TAHD, indicating a potential etiologic association. Comparative metabolic profiling of the MATGs against other Treponema genomes showed a distinct metabolic profile, suggesting potential host adaptation or geographic uniqueness of these newly identified genomospecies. The discovery of novel Treponema genomospecies enhances our understanding of the pathogenesis of pododermatitis and lays the foundation for the development of improved molecular surveillance tools to monitor and manage the disease in free-ranging elk.IMPORTANCETreponema spp. play an important role in the development of pododermatitis in free-ranging elk; however, the species-specific detection of Treponema from pododermatitis lesions is challenging due to culture recalcitrance and limited genomic information. The study utilized shotgun sequencing and in silico genome reconstruction to identify novel Treponema genomospecies from elk with pododermatitis. The discovery of the novel Treponema species opens new avenues to develop molecular diagnostic and epidemiologic tools for the surveillance of pododermatitis in elk. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the genomic landscape of the Treponemataceae consortium while offering valuable insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of emerging pododermatitis in elk populations.

Project description:The recovery of carnivore populations in North American has consequences for trophic interactions and population dynamics of prey. In addition to direct effects on prey populations through killing, predators can influence prey behavior by imposing the risk of predation. The mechanisms through which patterns of space use by predators are linked to behavioral response by prey and nonconsumptive effects on prey population dynamics are poorly understood. Our goal was to characterize population- and individual-level patterns of resource selection by elk (Cervus canadensis) in response to risk of wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) and evaluate potential nonconsumptive effects of these behavioral patterns. We tested the hypothesis that individual elk risk-avoidance behavior during summer would result in exposure to lower-quality forage and reduced body fat and pregnancy rates. First, we evaluated individuals' second-order and third-order resource selection with a used-available sampling design. At the population level, we found evidence for a positive relationship between second- and third-order selection and forage, and an interaction between forage quality and mountain lion risk such that the relative probability of use at low mountain lion risk increased with forage quality but decreased at high risk at both orders of selection. We found no evidence of a population-level trade-off between forage quality and wolf risk. However, we found substantial among-individual heterogeneity in resource selection patterns such that population-level patterns were potentially misleading. We found no evidence that the diversity of individual resource selection patterns varied predictably with available resources, or that patterns of individual risk-related resource selection translated into biologically meaningful changes in body fat or pregnancy rates. Our work highlights the importance of evaluating individual responses to predation risk and predator hunting technique when assessing responses to predators and suggests nonconsumptive effects are not operating at a population scale in this system.

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Project description:BackgroundTrace minerals are important for animal health. Mineral deficiency or excess can negatively affect immune function, wound healing, and hoof health in domestic livestock, but normal concentrations and health impairment associated with mineral imbalances in wild animals are poorly understood. Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) is an emerging disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Selenium and copper levels identified in a small number of elk from areas where TAHD is established (i.e., southwestern Washington) suggested a mineral deficiency may have increased susceptibility to TAHD. Our objectives were to determine trace mineral concentrations using hair from elk originating in TAHD affected areas of Washington, California, Idaho, and Oregon and assess their associations with the occurrence of the disease.ResultsWe identified limited associations between TAHD occurrence and severity with hair mineral concentrations in 72 free-ranging elk, using Firth's logistic regression and multinomial regression models. We found consistent support for a priori hypotheses that selenium concentration, an important mineral for hoof health, is inversely associated with the occurrence of TAHD. Less consistent support was observed for effects of other minerals previously associated with hoof health (e.g., copper or zinc) or increased disease risk from potential toxicants.ConclusionTrace mineral analysis of hair is a non-invasive sampling technique that offers feasibility in storage and collection from live animals and carcasses. For some minerals, levels in hair correlate with visceral organs that are challenging to obtain. Our study using hair collected opportunistically from elk feet submitted for diagnostic investigations provides a modest reference of hair mineral levels in elk from the U.S. Pacific Northwest that may be useful in future determination of reference ranges. Although our results revealed high variability in mineral concentrations between elk, consistent relationship of possibly low selenium levels and TAHD suggest that further investigations are warranted.

Dataset Information

The influence of habitat use on harvest vulnerability of cow elk (Cervus canadensis).

Publications

The influence of habitat use on harvest vulnerability of cow elk (Cervus canadensis).

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