Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Long-distance terrestrial migrations are imperiled globally. We determined both round-trip migration distances (straight-line measurements between migratory end points) and total annual movement (sum of the distances between successive relocations over a year) for a suite of large mammals that had potential for long-distance movements to test which species displayed the longest of both. We found that caribou likely do exhibit the longest terrestrial migrations on the planet, but, over the course of a year, gray wolves move the most. Our results were consistent with the trophic-level based hypothesis that predators would move more than their prey. Herbivores in low productivity environments moved more than herbivores in more productive habitats. We also found that larger members of the same guild moved less than smaller members, supporting the 'gastro-centric' hypothesis. A better understanding of migration and movements of large mammals should aid in their conservation by helping delineate conservation area boundaries and determine priority corridors for protection to preserve connectivity. The magnitude of the migrations and movements we documented should also provide guidance on the scale of conservation efforts required and assist conservation planning across agency and even national boundaries.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Kyle Joly, Eliezer Gurarie, Mathew S. Sorum, Petra Kaczensky, Matthew D. Cameron, Andrew F. Jakes, Bridget L. Borg, Dejid Nandintsetseg, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Paul F. Jones, Thomas Mueller, Chris Walzer, Kirk A. Olson, John C. Payne, Adiya Yadamsuren, Mark Hebblewhite
Institutions: National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, National Wildlife Federation, Denali National Park and Preserve, Goethe University Frankfurt, Senckenberg - Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Wildlife Conservation Society, Alberta Conservation Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, University of Montana
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,790
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Department of the Interior, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife Conservation Society, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Ecological Society of America, British Ecological Society, European Commission, Austrian Science Fund, Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service
Awards: LTREB: TESTING FOR FACULTATIVE SWITCHING BETWEEN MIGRATORY STRATEGIES IN A PARTIALLY MIGRATORY, LONG-LIVED LARGE HERBIVORE POPULATION, G434337789, Monitoring Przewalski - horses and wolves in Mongolia, Linking biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services in the Great Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem (GSME) - drivers of change, causalities and sustainable management strategies, ARCTIC BOREAL REGIONS, ABRS, OF NORTH AMERICA ARE WARMING AT A RATE ALMOST THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN THE GLOBAL AVERAGE, AND THE BIOPHYSICAL RESPONSES
OpenAlex ID: W2981559613