Cardiac and Behavioral Responses of Mountain Sheep to Human Disturbance

MacArthur, Robert A.; Geist, Valerius; Johnston, R.H.

doi:10.2307/3808646

Cited by 174 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…This brings with it the possibility of effects on the welfare and/or productivity of wildlife, in cases where disturbance alters behaviour patterns. Reduced calving rates in elk Cervus elaphus canadensis have been linked to human disturbance (Philips and Alldredge 2000), as have increased heart rates in sheep (MacArthur et al 1979(MacArthur et al , 1982 and birds (Weimerskirch et al 2002;Ackerman et al 2004;Ellenberg et al 2006) and increases in energy expenditure in a range of species (Speakman et al 1991;Staines and Scott 1994;Regel and Putz 1997;Stock and Hofeditz 1997;Wolfe et al 2000). Disturbance has also been shown to alter habitat use by wild ungulates (Gander and Ingold 1997;Jiang et al 2009;Jayakody 2005), with the potential for altering diet composition if the source of disturbance coincides with a particular habitat type.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is well-recognised that the effect of disturbance can vary with its predictability; unexpected events, such as hill walkers occasionally wandering 'off-track', are known to have greater effects on behaviour than expected events, such as walkers appearing regularly on established paths Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK e-mail: angela.sibbald@macaulay.ac.uk (Shultz and Bailey 1978;MacArthur et al 1982;Cassirer et al 1992;Staines and Scott 1994;Tidhar 2000). However, animals which appear to be habituated to regular disturbance within their home territory could still be altering their behaviour in some way, and it has been argued that even quite small reductions in food quality or intake can have implications for productivity and survival in the long-term through a multiplier effect (White 1983).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responses of red deer (Cervus elaphus) to regular disturbance by hill walkers

et al. 2011

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Disturbance to wildlife from human recreational activities is increasing as remote areas become accessible to greater numbers of people. We used Global Positioning System tracking collars to monitor the movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) stags (n=8) in a herd whose feeding grounds lie close to a popular walking track in the Highlands of Scotland. The track is used by around 20,000 walkers per year and is busiest in summer and at weekends. In a 2-year study, the locations of collared deer were recorded at 2-h intervals on typically busy days (Sundays: mean number of walkers=204) and quiet days (Wednesdays: mean number of walkers=49) during May and June. The deer were consistently further from the track on Sundays than Wednesdays (371 vs 286 m) and moved greater distances between fixes (365 vs 308 m). The amount of time spent (percentage of total fixes) in the small area of grassland closest to the track was lower on Sundays than Wednesdays (6% vs 13%). Although 97% of walkers use the track during the day (between 0800 and 2000 h), there was no evidence of compensatory use of grassland at night, when the deer moved to higher ground dominated by heather moorland. The results demonstrate that animals which appear to be habituated to regular disturbance within their home territory may nevertheless alter their behaviour and potentially diet composition, as a result of that disturbance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of red deer (Cervus elaphus) to regular disturbance by hill walkers

et al. 2011

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“…For example, several studies have shown that animals react more strongly when approached off trail and from above than from below (bighorn sheep: Hicks and Elder 1979;marmots: Mainini et al 1993;chamois: Zeller 1991). Furthermore, animals such as wild sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) (MacArthur et al 1982;Martinetto and Cugnasse 2001) and marmots (Mainini et al 1993) have been shown to exhibit an increased reaction when a person was accompanied by a dog. Similarly, the flight responses of female chamois were longer and more intense when exposed to loud-speaking, as opposed to silent, hikers (Kobelt 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies have shown, for example, that alpine animals such as marmots (Marmota marmota), ibex (Capra ibex) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) react strongly to tourist activities, resulting in short and long-term consequences. These detrimental effects include loss of grazing time, abandonment of high quality pastures and increased energy consumption, which leads to a reduction in body condition and reproductive success (Enggist-Düblin and Ingold 2003;Gander and Ingold 1997;Hamr 1988;Hüppop 1995;MacArthur et al 1982;Schaal and Boillet 1992;Schnidrig-Petrig 1994;Zeller 1991;Zimmerli 1993). These negative effects could be avoided by reducing the encounter rate between human and wildlife or adapting the tourists' behaviour.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cone opsins and response of female chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) to differently coloured raincoats

et al. 2012

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Alpine species are often exposed to intense levels of human recreational activities. Exactly how human disturbances influence the behaviour of these species is still open to much debate. For example, little is known regarding how the colourful clothing often worn by tourists influences the behaviour of animals. Tourists wearing colourful clothing may be more conspicuous to local wildlife and thus cause more disturbances. We therefore investigated this question in female chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in the Swiss Alps. We firstly investigated, via a morphological and an immunohistochemical approach, whether chamois are likely to have colour vision and would therefore be more likely to respond to different coloured clothing. We detected evidence of two cone types-short-wavelength-sensitive cones (S-cones, JH 455) and middle-wavelength-sensitive cones (M-cones, JH492) in the chamois retina-suggesting that chamois have dichromatic vision, similar to other ungulates. Secondly, via behavioural assays where a person wearing one of three coloured coats commonly worn by tourists (red, yellow and blue) approached a female chamois, we show that neither the alert and flight initiation distance nor the site of refuge were influenced by the raincoat colour. In addition, behavioural responses of the chamois were neither influenced by animal group size nor the presence of kids nor the time of the experiment. The results suggest that, although chamois possess colour vision, they do not react more strongly towards conspicuous colours worn by hikers. We discuss our results in light of what is already known about chamois biology and suggest implications for future studies. Abstract Alpine species are often exposed to intense levels of human recreational activities. Exactly how human disturbances influence the behaviour of these species is still open to much debate. For example, little is known regarding how the colourful clothing often worn by tourists influences the behaviour of animals. Tourists wearing colourful clothing may be more conspicuous to local wildlife and thus cause more disturbances. We therefore investigated this question in female chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in the Swiss Alps. We firstly investigated, via a morphological and an immunohistochemical approach, whether chamois are likely to have colour vision and would therefore be more likely to respond to different coloured clothing. We detected evidence of two cone types-short-wavelength-sensitive cones (S-cones, JH 455) and middle-wavelength-sensitive cones (M-cones, JH492) in the chamois retina-suggesting that chamois have dichromatic vision, similar to other ungulates. Secondly, via behavioural assays where a person wearing one of three coloured coats commonly worn by tourists (red, yellow and blue) approached a female chamois, we show that neither the alert and flight initiation distance nor the site of refuge were influenced by the raincoat colour. In addition, behavioural responses of the chamois were neither influenced by animal group size nor the...

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“…It has been shown, however, that although the animals do not manifest change in behavior in relation to the presence of humans, they may be showing physiological changes (MacArthur et al, 1982) and stress (Creel et al, 2002). The long-term effects of disturbance on natural populations are difficult to evaluate (Richardson et al, 1995;Findlay, 1997;Suryan and Harvey, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural and human disturbance in a rookery of the California sea lion (<i>Zalophus californianus californianus</i>) in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Labrada-Martagón¹,

Aurioles‐Gamboa²,

Martínez-Díaz³

2005

Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Mamm.

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Los Islotes is the southernmost breeding site of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) in the Northern Hemisphere and represents one of the principal tourist attractions for the city of La Paz, Mexico. The tourism has been growing without control and could be the cause of perturbation in the reproductive and haul-out patterns of the sea lion. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of tourism activities on the behavior of sea lions, in order to help design regulations to assure better use and conservation of the site. The nature and intensity of tourism activity and sea lion behavior were determined based upon monthly sampling over a one-year period (May 2000-April 2001. Tourist activity was higher during autumn and winter, with visits by "panga" boats being the most numerous. A total of 112 disturbances were recorded, the majority of which being non-anthropogenic causes. A quarter of disturbances were triggered by human activity within 20m of the rookery and with harassment reaction (animals going into the water) in 32% of the anthropogenic disturbances.Principal component analysis (PCA) described the conditions under which disturbance was generated (74% of the variation explained). Using three factors (47% of the total variation) the major contributing variables were month, tidal level, relative humidity, Beaufort number, total number of boats and number of powerboats and sailboats. In Los Islotes, the perturbation occurs mostly in autumn and winter coinciding with the highest frequency of tourism, large number of adult and subadult males and unfavorable environmental conditions for haul-out, such as high tide level and strong winds. The lowest number of disturbances occurred in summer, during the breeding season of the sea lion. Most of these, however, were caused by human activity. RESUMEN:Los Islotes es el sitio más sureño de reproducción del lobo marino de California (Zalophus californianus californianus) en el Hemisferio Norte y representa la principal atracción turística de la ciudad de La Paz, México. El turismo ha crecido sin ningún control y puede ser causa de perturbación de los patrones reproductivos y de descanso del lobo marino. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el efecto de la actividad turística en el comportamiento del lobo marino con la finalidad de generar información útil para el diseño de acciones que garanticen un mejor aprovechamiento y conservación del sitio. Se caracterizó y cuantificó la actividad turística y se realizó un seguimiento del comportamiento con muestreos mensuales a lo largo de un año (Mayo 2000 -Abril 2001. La actividad turística fue mayor los meses de otoño e invierno, siendo la embarcación con motor tipo "panga" la más numerosa. Se registraron 112 disturbios, la mayoría de los cuales fueron generados por causas no antropogénicas. Un cuarto de los disturbios fueron ocasionados por causas humanas generándose a distancias menores de 20m de la lobera y ocasionando un efecto intenso (animales se van al agua) en el ...

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Cardiac and Behavioral Responses of Mountain Sheep to Human Disturbance

Cited by 174 publications

References 20 publications

Responses of red deer (Cervus elaphus) to regular disturbance by hill walkers

Responses of red deer (Cervus elaphus) to regular disturbance by hill walkers

Cone opsins and response of female chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) to differently coloured raincoats

Natural and human disturbance in a rookery of the California sea lion (<i>Zalophus californianus californianus</i>) in the Gulf of California, Mexico

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