Effects of Human Activity on the Fallen-Fruit Foraging Behavior of Carnivoran Species in an Urban Forest

Osugi, Shigeru; Trentin, Bruna Elisa; Koike, Shinsuke

doi:10.3106/ms2021-0041

Cited by 3 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In 2020, we selected 10 ginkgo and nine muku trees with the same attributes as study trees in 2019 (Osugi et al, 2022 ). All of the trees bore fruits, and were located on flat landscape with a diameter at breast height of 30–40 cm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All of the trees bore fruits, and were located on flat landscape with a diameter at breast height of 30–40 cm. However, since access to the interior of the campus was severely restricted in 2020, we chose trees located within the boundaries of the campus, thus there are different individual trees from Osugi et al ( 2022 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We installed a video camera trap (Ltl Acorn Ltl‐6210MC, Zhuhai Ltl Acorn Electronics Co., Ltd., Zhuhai, China) under each tree in the study to capture the activity of animals on the forest floor (see Osugi et al, 2022 for details). From the videos, we recorded the mammal species feeding on fallen fruit, the number of foraging visits per species per day (frequency of foraging visits), and the duration of foraging per visit per animal (duration of foraging: total time foraging + feeding only at each visit).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have reported that the presence of humans around foraging sites shortens the duration of foraging or alters the foraging sites for some animals (tiger, Panthera tigris ; Kerley et al, 2002 , puma, Puma concolor ; Smith et al, 2015 ). In addition, frugivorous animals generally select to forage from trees with high fruit production; but in urban areas, some mammals choose trees with greater shelter rather than higher fruit production (Osugi et al, 2022 ) indicating that being able to avoid humans can outweigh foraging effectiveness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, the foraging behavior of fallen fruit is the most suitable for clarifying the effects of changing human activities alone, because it occurs only under fruiting trees, is easy to accurately observe, and the amount of fruit present (fruit production) as an environmental condition can be easily determined. Specifically, this study examined the foraging behavior on fallen fleshy fruits of these two species in a university campus in Tokyo, Japan where strict entry restrictions were in place in 2020, compared to the foraging behavior in 2019 before restrictions (Osugi et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of decreasing human activity from COVID‐19 on the foraging of fallen fruit by omnivores

Osugi

Baek

Naganuma

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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In 2020, a lockdown was implemented in many cities around the world to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic, resulting in a significant cessation of human activity which have had a variety of impacts on wildlife. But in many cases, due to limited pre‐lockdown information, and there are limited studies of how lockdowns have specifically affected behaviors. Foraging behavior is inherently linked to fitness and survival, is particularly affected by changes in temporal activity, and the influence of human disturbance on foraging behavior can be assessed quantitatively based on foraging duration and quantity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how the fruit‐foraging behaviors of two omnivores, the Japanese badger (Meles anakuma) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), were influenced by the decrease of human activity associated with lockdowns. Specifically, by comparing to a previous study in 2019–2020, we attempted to determine (1) whether foraging behavior increases during the daytime? (2) whether the duration of foraging per visit increases? and (3) what factors animals select for in fruiting trees? The results of the initial investigation showed that the foraging behavior of both species in 2019 was almost exclusively restricted to the nighttime. But as opportunities for foraging behavior without human interference increased in 2020 due to the lockdown, both species (but especially raccoon dogs) showed substantial changes in their activity patterns to be more diurnal. The duration of foraging per visit also increased in 2020 for both species, and the selection during foraging for both species shifted from selecting trees that provided greater cover in 2019 to trees with high fruit production in 2020. Our results show how human activity directly affects the foraging behavior of wildlife in an urban landscape.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of decreasing human activity from COVID‐19 on the foraging of fallen fruit by omnivores

Osugi

Baek

Naganuma

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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A highly effective incubation strategy enhanced the urban bird hatch success

Liu

Lü

et al. 2023

Avian Research

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Invasive Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have Little Effect on the Food Habits of Native Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in a Satoyama Area of Tokyo

Xu,

Suzuki,

Kanda

et al. 2024

Mammal Study

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We conducted dietary analysis on 140 raccoon dog fecal samples, collected between March 2019 and February 2020 in a satoyama area in Tokyo, to see if any effects from competition with invasive raccoons were evident. Raccoon dogs mainly consumed fruits, seeds, and cultivated plants (frequency of occurrence 90.7%), earthworms (60.7%), and insects (48.6%). Dominant food types included summer tangerines (Citrus natsudaidai), and berries (e.g., Vaccinium spp.), with earthworms (Oligochaeta spp.) providing their primary source of protein. These raccoon dogs consumed more fruits but less insects than reported by other studies from Japan. We then compared our results with a previous study (2004)(2005) in the same area, prior to the arrival of invasive raccoons. We detected minimal effects of raccoon arrival on raccoon dog summer or autumn diet, thus allowing raccoon dogs to find sufficient food to accumulate body-fat for over-wintering; however, their restricted winter diet diversity, with fewer animal species consumed, suggests that they may experience some protein limitation prior to the cub rearing season. The co-existence of raccoon dogs alongside invasive raccoons currently appears viable in this satoyama area, apparently enabled by the ability of raccoon dogs to shift their diet to include more fruit.

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Effects of Human Activity on the Fallen-Fruit Foraging Behavior of Carnivoran Species in an Urban Forest

Cited by 3 publications

References 46 publications

The effect of decreasing human activity from COVID‐19 on the foraging of fallen fruit by omnivores

The effect of decreasing human activity from COVID‐19 on the foraging of fallen fruit by omnivores

A highly effective incubation strategy enhanced the urban bird hatch success

Invasive Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have Little Effect on the Food Habits of Native Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in a Satoyama Area of Tokyo

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