Journal of Wildlife Management最新文献

{"title":"Multiscale dietary analysis of brown bears in Hokkaido, Japan","authors":"Jun Matsubayashi,&nbsp;Kazuki Miura,&nbsp;Eisuke Yamamori,&nbsp;Yuki Arimoto,&nbsp;Chikage Yoshimizu,&nbsp;Ichiro Tayasu,&nbsp;Hifumi Tsuruga","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70047","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding regional dietary differences in wildlife has traditionally focused on regional-scale comparisons. However, integrating individual- and intra-individual-scale analyses offers a more nuanced approach. In this study, we conducted a multiscale dietary analysis using stable isotope analysis to investigate spatial dietary patterns in brown bears (<i>Ursus arctos</i>) across mainland Hokkaido, Japan, with a particular focus on the Shibecha region in eastern Hokkaido, where significant livestock depredation has recently occurred. We measured isotope ratios in bone collagen from bears harvested in mainland Hokkaido, compared regional-scale diets through a mixing model, and assessed individual-scale isotopic variations using geostatistical models. Additionally, we conducted a retrospective isotope analysis of a single bear (OSO18) responsible for large-scale livestock damage in the Shibecha region, using samples of its humerus and body hair. Our results revealed that brown bears in the Shibecha region rely more heavily on sika deer (<i>Cervus nippon</i>) than do bears elsewhere in mainland Hokkaido. A subsequent individual-scale analysis indicated that elevated <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values in the bears harvested from the Shibecha region were not strongly correlated with local deer density. Intra-individual analysis of OSO18 showed reliance on sika deer year-round, supplemented seasonally by anthropogenic dietary components such as dairy cattle and dent corn. Although the data were insufficient to provide a direct link between a highly carnivorous diet and the large-scale livestock predation by OSO18, it is possible that the increase in carnivorous bears in the Shibecha region represented a dietary shift caused by anthropogenic factors, such as mismanagement of sika deer carcasses left after harvest. Thus, investigations into how carnivory among brown bears may be affecting human–bear conflicts and what factors cause the high dependence of brown bears on sika deer are needed. This study demonstrates the utility of multiscale isotope analysis in elucidating regional dietary patterns and informing solutions to issues related to local wildlife management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A habitat suitability model to assess population status and management implications for beaver in Wisconsin","authors":"Stacie J. Robinson,&nbsp;David Ruid,&nbsp;Kim K. Wagner,&nbsp;Dennis A. Peloquin","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70030","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70030","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Beaver (<i>Castor canadensis</i>) act as ecosystem engineers shaping wetland ecology. Their potential to affect hydrology and habitat for numerous species makes beaver management crucial and often complex. To inform management strategies and evaluate management actions, it is important to understand the broad-scale distribution of the species and its habitat. We set out to develop a model that provides a metric of relative quality of beaver habitat and capacity for beaver across the varied ecosystems of Wisconsin, USA. Because beaver are tied to specific habitat characteristics (waterways and wetlands), habitat suitability models (HSMs) can be a powerful tool to describe the distribution of their habitat across the landscape. We applied an HSM framework to estimate the relative capacity of each natural waterway in Wisconsin to support beaver colonies. We found that beaver habitat quality varied widely across the state from areas of low-gradient streams with ample wetland vegetation in the north to areas where slope or lack of riparian vegetation limited capacity for beaver in the agricultural and unglaciated regions. We used this model to examine the potential impact of management actions in terms of the proportion of beaver habitat (weighted according to HSM scores) affected. This HSM model provides a tool to help wildlife managers understand beaver distributions, plan population management, and evaluate future management scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144300376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breeding latitude drives demographic rate variation in wood duck populations, informing banding strategies in eastern North America","authors":"Cole A. Howard,&nbsp;Allison C. Keever,&nbsp;Pamela R. Garrettson,&nbsp;Andrew C. Greenawalt,&nbsp;Heath M. Hagy,&nbsp;Bradley S. Cohen","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70045","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sustainable game management requires effective monitoring of population trends and demography at a biologically relevant scale. As a commonly harvested species that uses forested wetlands throughout their annual cycle, wood ducks (<i>Aix sponsa</i>) are challenging to monitor using traditional abundance methods; thus, banding is critical for assessing vital rates. We used capture-mark-recovery data of wood ducks banded during the pre-season period from 2000–2022 to evaluate spatial variation in demographic rates and used the results to provide updated monitoring recommendations. We fit a dead-recovery model with Brownie parameterization within a Bayesian framework at varying spatial scales to characterize demographic rate variability. We identified significant latitudinal gradients in wood duck demography within the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. Specifically, 3 latitudinal regions maximized inter-region variation and minimized intra-region variation in survival and harvest probabilities. Using simulations of varied band deployment across these latitudinal zones, we found that current deployment distribution was reasonably robust to latitudinal bias, but changing deployments in the future could lead to considerable bias in flyway-wide estimates of survival and harvest probability, which are used to set harvest regulations. We recommend revised banding goals and annual estimation of survival and harvest probabilities by latitudinal region to optimize wood duck harvest management and account for changes in band distribution over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors associated with survival, recovery, and movements in the western Gulf Coast population of mottled ducks","authors":"Christopher P. Malachowski,&nbsp;William L. Kendall,&nbsp;Daniel P. Collins,&nbsp;Kevin J. Kraai,&nbsp;Jason Olszak,&nbsp;Larry A. Reynolds","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70038","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70038","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;The mottled duck (&lt;i&gt;Anas fulvigula&lt;/i&gt;) is nonmigratory and a priority species for regional conservation and management because of its limited range and declining population trajectory in the western Gulf Coast (WGC) of Louisiana and Texas, USA. We developed multistate dead-recovery models for banding and recovery data (1997–2020) to evaluate potential drivers of survival, recovery, and post-summer movements for the WGC population of mottled ducks in Louisiana and Texas. Annual survival was most strongly associated with sex and year, with females having lower survival (&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;math&gt;\u0000 &lt;semantics&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mover&gt;\u0000 &lt;mi&gt;S&lt;/mi&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;mo&gt;¯&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mover&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;/semantics&gt;&lt;/math&gt; ± &lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;math&gt;\u0000 &lt;semantics&gt;\u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;mover&gt;\u0000 &lt;mtext&gt;SE&lt;/mtext&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;mo&gt;¯&lt;/mo&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mover&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;/mrow&gt;\u0000 &lt;/semantics&gt;&lt;/math&gt; = 0.544 ± 0.114) than males (0.619 ± 0.062). Of the 32 environmental covariates tested, fall precipitation was the factor most strongly associated with survival. Conditional recovery probability (i.e., given mortality, the probability a bird had been shot by a hunter, retrieved, and had their band number reported) varied by sex, age, geographic state, and year, with juvenile males generally having highest conditional recovery (0.303 ± 0.072), followed by juvenile females (0.201 ± 0.100), adult males (0.156 ± 0.038), and adult females (0.095 ± 0.057). Estimates of harvest probabilities followed similar patterns as conditional recovery. Models containing effects of harvest regulations on conditional recovery were not competitive compared to models with general year effects; however, &lt;i&gt;post hoc&lt;/i&gt; analyses suggested conditional recovery and harvest probabilities for adult and juvenile females decreased with the daily bag limit reduction in Louisiana and, for juvenile females, implementation of the 5-day closure regulation in Texas. Post-summer movement was substantially higher in the direction of Texas to Louisiana, decreased with distance to the Louisiana–Texas border, was higher for males than females, and varied with winter precipitation. These results contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing demographic performance, harvest, and movement between states with differing harvest regulations and environmental pressures, which is important for mottled duck conservation planning. Wildlife managers can consider expanding banding effort throughout the full range of the WGC population and collecting and re","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70038","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Wildlife Society publications' commitment to reducing bias and increasing accountability in the peer-review process","authors":"Jacqueline L. Frair,&nbsp;Bret Collier,&nbsp;Steeve D. Côté,&nbsp;Allison Cox,&nbsp;Anna Knipps","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70044","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70044","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;We held an Associate Editor Community Forum (14 Mar 2025; 23 participants) to hear from Michael Willis, an expert on review models, about the evidence for and against DA reviews. Our AEs then suggested a range of actions TWS journals might take to overcome established biases in the peer review process, increase transparency and integrity, and help ensure that our publications remain a leading resource for wildlife conservation and management. Generally, we received engaged and insightful feedback, detected ambivalence towards wholesale changes in our peer review process, and made note of several recommendations for incremental changes that might achieve meaningful impact with relatively little time costs to our authors, reviewers, editors, and staff. To help gauge support for the various alternatives raised, including DA review, fully open review, and incremental actions, we conducted a poll of our AEs, Editors, and editorial staff (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 34 responses; ~46% response rate). We report on those survey results here.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When asked if TWS journals should move to DA review, the results were equivocal, with 38% of respondents remaining on the fence (neither agreeing nor disagreeing), 32% being in favor (somewhat or strongly agreeing), and 30% being against (somewhat or strongly disagreeing). We observed moderate support for a suggested incremental alternative—specifically for keeping author names and affiliations anonymous when sending invitations to potential reviewers (to potentially minimize positive association bias when choosing to review) but revealing author names after requests are accepted (to ensure no conflicts of interest)—with 62% in favor, 24% on the fence, and 15% against. In contrast, there was a clear desire not to move to a fully open review model (73% against, 9% in favor).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With respect to other proposed incremental changes, we observed support for Editors redacting or editing clearly biased reviews (91% in favor) and requiring the Editorial Board to complete training on how to recognize and guard against implicit bias (70% in favor, 15% against). Support was also observed for continuing to diversify our board of AEs (80% in favor). The balance tipped towards encouraging (not requiring) reviewers to complete training on recognizing and guarding against implicit bias (53% in favor, 33% against, 15% on the fence)—with dissenters emphasizing the risk of disenfranchising an already overburdened pool of reviewers (a nontrivial consideration).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Two other proposed changes also received more support than not. The first involved requiring a statement of author contributions as a means of ensuring fair credit (i.e., providing more information for promotion considerations than simple authorship order)—with 66% being in favor, 26% on the fence, and 9% against. The second involved encouraging (not requiring) reviewers to sign their names to reviews to increase accountability while giving the option to not sign reviews that cau","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70044","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144300067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial analysis of vehicular trauma and identification of hotspots in North Carolina chelonians","authors":"Aswini Cherukuri,&nbsp;Alexandra Sack,&nbsp;Gregory A. Lewbart","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70041","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Vehicular trauma is the most common cause of chelonians being brought to the Turtle Rescue Team (TRT) at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Many chelonian species are declining throughout their range, and anthropogenic stressors are a major cause. This study aims to use retrospective analysis of turtles admitted for vehicular trauma from 2005–2019 to determine factors associated with increased observed mortality and to identify hotspots of reported vehicular collisions. Factors hypothesized to influence where reported vehicular collisions with turtles occurred included traffic volume and the proximity to water, protected areas, and TRT. Of all turtles admitted for vehicular collisions (<i>n</i> = 2,553), 40.8% survived to be released and 53.8% died or were euthanized. Most patients arrived between April and September (<i>n</i> = 2,315), with eastern box turtles (<i>Terrapene carolina carolina</i>) being the most admitted species (<i>n</i> = 1,096). We obtained geocoded locations for 67.4% of all incidents (<i>n</i> = 1,721). Logistic regression of geocoded locations within 60 km of TRT (<i>n</i> = 1,439) showed the likelihood of dying or being euthanized at the wildlife hospital from vehicular trauma was not associated with any of the hypothesized factors. We identified 9 hotspots based on the high spatial aggregation of collisions. By identifying these hotspots of vehicular collisions with turtles, targeted management measures such as signage, fencing, or corridors can be implemented. The substantial vehicular mortality rate in chelonians demonstrates the need for collision prevention as a conservation priority.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70041","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping interactions between winter recreationists and an endangered ungulate","authors":"Ryan Gill,&nbsp;Robert Serrouya,&nbsp;John Simms,&nbsp;Craig DeMars,&nbsp;Bevan Ernst,&nbsp;Michael J. Noonan","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70042","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Southern mountain caribou (<i>Rangifer tarandus caribou</i>) inhabit the interior mountain ranges of British Columbia, Canada. This population of woodland caribou is federally designated as threatened owing primarily to predation and habitat loss, but other compounding factors may impede their recovery. Of note are potential impacts from heli-skiing, a form of winter recreation that uses helicopters to transport skiers in wilderness areas. During late-winter, southern mountain caribou become range resident in high-elevation, old-growth forests and subalpine parklands. The deep snow characteristic of late-winter habitat offers reduced encounters with predators, and abundant arboreal lichens on which to feed; however, heli-skiing also occurs in these areas. Whether heli-skiing has any demographic impacts on caribou is unknown, but previous work has shown that heli-skiing can elicit short-term flight responses and longer-term reductions in space use and elevated stress levels. Furthermore, little is known about where skiing occurs or where helicopters transport skiers between lodges and ski areas, leaving regulating bodies with little information to guide management recommendations. We paired anonymized fitness tracker user data from the rasterized Strava global heatmap with 4 years of caribou global positioning system (GPS) location data to identify hotspots of potential interactions between heli-skiers and caribou. There were approximately 400 km² where the potential for conflict appeared high out of 3,116 km² suitable for heli-skiing. The majority of heli-ski operators have the capacity to reduce their interactions with caribou to almost zero through avoidance of key habitats and timing of use of that terrain. We recommend that heli-ski operators work with governmental managers towards the optimal use of tenures through rolling closures or the permanent diversion of ski runs away from high potential conflict areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mixed evidence for disturbance-mediated apparent competition for declining caribou in western British Columbia, Canada","authors":"Katie Tjaden-McClement,&nbsp;Tazarve Gharajehdaghipour,&nbsp;Carolyn Shores,&nbsp;Shane White,&nbsp;Robin Steenweg,&nbsp;Mathieu Bourbonnais,&nbsp;Zoe Konanz,&nbsp;A. Cole Burton","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70040","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70040","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Understanding causal mechanisms of decline for species at risk is critical for effective conservation. Caribou (&lt;i&gt;Rangifer tarandus&lt;/i&gt;) face threats from habitat loss and degradation due to human activities, and many caribou populations across Canada have experienced dramatic declines in recent decades. Disturbance-mediated apparent competition (DMAC) has been implicated in many of these declines, but its generality has been questioned, particularly for low-productivity caribou ranges. The DMAC hypothesis leads to the following predictions: 1) a vegetation productivity pulse after disturbance, 2) primary ungulate prey attraction to disturbed areas, 3) predator attraction to primary prey and disturbance, and 4) increased caribou predation risk due to overlapping habitat use with primary prey and predators. We tested these predictions for the declining Itcha-Ilgachuz caribou population, located in the low-productivity Chilcotin Plateau region of west-central British Columbia, Canada. We used a remotely sensed productivity index to examine vegetation recovery patterns after disturbance and used camera traps and Bayesian mixed effects negative binomial regression models to estimate the responses of primary prey, predator, and caribou relative abundance to landscape disturbances &lt;40 years old, interacting species, and other habitat features. We identified a productivity pulse in harvested and burnt forest patches, but overall productivity was lower than in other caribou ranges where DMAC occurs. Primary prey, moose (&lt;i&gt;Alces alces&lt;/i&gt;) and mule deer (&lt;i&gt;Odocoileus hemionus&lt;/i&gt;), showed strong positive responses to burnt areas and weak positive responses to harvested forest. For predators, wolves (&lt;i&gt;Canis lupus&lt;/i&gt;), black bears (&lt;i&gt;Ursus americanus&lt;/i&gt;), and grizzly bears (&lt;i&gt;Ursus arctos&lt;/i&gt;) were positively associated with primary prey species, while coyotes (&lt;i&gt;Canis latrans&lt;/i&gt;) and Canada lynx (&lt;i&gt;Lynx canadensis&lt;/i&gt;) were more strongly associated with snowshoe hare (&lt;i&gt;Lepus americanus&lt;/i&gt;), and wolverines (&lt;i&gt;Gulo gulo&lt;/i&gt;) were not associated with any focal prey species. Wolves, grizzly bears, and wolverines were not associated with habitat disturbance, but black bears, coyotes, and lynx responded positively to burned and harvested areas. Caribou did not have reduced relative abundance in harvested forests or burns, potentially increasing their overlap with predators. Overall, we found mixed support for DMAC for the Itcha-Ilgachuz caribou population, with stronger evidence for a pathway mediated by disturbance from forest fire, rather than forest harvest. We recommend further research and action on wildfire management for the recovery of this population, including monitoring population trends of caribou and interacting species in response to habitat management. Our results emphasize the context-dependency of mechanisms of decline for caribou and underscore the need for population-specific knowledge to effectively conserve threatened s","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70040","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"African swine fever effects on the northernmost Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) subpopulation","authors":"Aleksey Yu. Oleynikov,&nbsp;Sergey A. Kolchin,&nbsp;Victor S. Lukarevskiy","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70039","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The wild boar (<i>Sus scrofa</i>) population in the southern Russian Far East declined by 90-95% because of an African swine fever (ASF) epizootic that began in 2019. The loss of this primary prey species for Amur tigers (<i>Panthera tigris altaica</i>), at a time when other main prey species were low in abundance and intensive habitat degradation and poaching were occurring, could affect population dynamics of tigers at the northern edge of their range. We assessed the impact of the ASF epizootic on the northernmost Amur tiger subpopulation by comparing population parameters before and after the ASF event. We assessed the number, types, and spatial distribution of conflicts between tigers and humans, timing of births, cub survival rates, tiger physical condition, behavior, and mortality. The average annual number of human–tiger conflicts increased more than 11-fold after the arrival of ASF, with attacks on domestic animals being the predominant conflict. Tiger mortality and human-mediated removal of tigers due to conflicts increased 3.3-fold after ASF, and the total area in which conflicts occurred also increased. There was an increase in the proportion of emaciated individuals within the tiger population, particularly among young animals and males, and the proportion of individuals that preyed upon domestic animals also increased, a behavioral shift that expanded food resources for tigers but also heightened risks for both tigers and humans. To mitigate effects of the ASF outbreak and support the recovery of this Amur tiger population, we recommend a temporary ban on hunting of their primary prey species, additional protections for the wildlife sanctuaries within their range, and a large-scale population survey.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144589932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demographic drivers of population dynamics reveal subpopulation-specific conservation needs for giraffes in the Serengeti Ecosystem","authors":"Monica L. Bond,&nbsp;Dominik M. Behr,&nbsp;Derek E. Lee,&nbsp;Megan K. L. Strauss,&nbsp;Petra E. Campbell,&nbsp;Douglas R. Cavener,&nbsp;George G. Lohay,&nbsp;James M. Madeli,&nbsp;Maria Paniw,&nbsp;Arpat Ozgul","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70037","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jwmg.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Survival, reproduction, and movement are the key demographic parameters that drive population dynamics. Factors affecting these demographic parameters in large, long-lived, extinction-threatened mammals are diverse and may differentially affect subpopulations in disparate parts of an ecosystem. We conducted annual photographic surveys to uniquely identify 1,520 giraffes at 4 subpopulations around the Serengeti Ecosystem in Tanzania to estimate demographic parameters of age- and sex-specific survival probabilities, reproduction, population densities, group sizes, and long-distance movements. In the Seronera (central) subpopulation, we combined 15 years of data from 3 independent survey schemes, developed a Bayesian hidden Markov model to estimate demographic parameters, and conducted a retrospective population analysis to elucidate the demographic drivers of temporal changes in population growth rate. We collected data over 4–5 years for 3 other subpopulations, and used frequentist methods to estimate demographic parameters. We compared our results with historical estimates from the 1970s and 2000s to examine long-term population trends and demographic drivers. We found significant differences in adult and subadult survival probabilities among subpopulations, with lower adult survival associated with declining subpopulations. Retrospective population analysis for the Seronera subpopulation reiterated that adult survival is a critical demographic driver of population dynamics for giraffes. The 2 subpopulations adjacent to the protected area boundary declined over 48 years, whereas the Seronera subpopulation stabilized since 2008. Only one individual moved between subpopulations, providing evidence for subpopulation insularity and potential genetic structuring of the overall population. These factors underscore the need for subpopulation-specific conservation strategies aimed at raising adult survival within the western and northeastern parts of the Serengeti Ecosystem. Community-based conservation efforts adjacent to protected areas have been effective in raising adult survival and density elsewhere. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding subpopulation dynamics and their demographic drivers for evidence-based conservation and management to recover endangered giraffe populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144299947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}