Siberian flying squirrels do not anticipate future resource abundance

Selonen, Vesa; Wistbacka, Ralf

doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0107-7

Cited by 16 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…and birch ( Betula sp. ), primary food resources of flying squirrels in winter, are an important determinant of reproductive success in flying squirrels [ 85 , 89 ]. Our results also indicate that flying squirrels may be less selective in their habitat use in areas where availability of nest sites is not a limiting factor.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation risk landscape modifies flying and red squirrel nest site occupancy independently of habitat amount

et al. 2018

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Habitat choice often entails trade-offs between food availability and predation risk. Understanding the distribution of individuals in space thus requires that both habitat characteristics and predation risk are considered simultaneously. Here, we studied the nest box use of two arboreal squirrels who share preferred habitat with their main predators. Nocturnal Ural owls (Strix uralensis) decreased occurrence of night-active flying squirrels (Pteromys volans) and diurnal goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) that of day-active red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris). Unexpectedly, the amount of preferred habitat had no effect on nest box use, but, surprisingly, both squirrel species seemed to benefit from close proximity to agricultural fields and red squirrels to urban areas. We found no evidence of trade-off between settling in a high-quality habitat and avoiding predators. However, the amount of poor-quality young pine forests was lower in occupied sites where goshawks were present, possibly indicating habitat specific predation on red squirrels. The results suggest that erecting nest boxes for Ural owls should be avoided in the vicinity of flying squirrel territories in order to conserve the near threatened flying squirrels. Our results also suggest that flying squirrels do not always need continuous old forests, and hence the currently insufficient conservation practices could be improved with reasonable increases in the areas left untouched around their nests. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of taking into account both habitat requirements and predation risk as well as their interactive effects when modeling the occupancy of threatened animal species and planning their conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation risk landscape modifies flying and red squirrel nest site occupancy independently of habitat amount

et al. 2018

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“…Furthermore, we evaluate the contribution of average annual reproductive success (fecundity) and breeding longevity on LRS, and which component is most influenced by habitat availability and/or food availability. Based on the known occupancy patterns and habitat preferences (Hurme et al., ; Santangeli et al., ; Selonen, Hanski, & Stevens, ; Selonen & Wistbacka, ), we predict that LRS will be higher for females with large cover of suitable forest around their core territories and for females experiencing higher food abundance during their lifetime. Furthermore, we predict that females with higher body mass produce more offspring similar to findings in red squirrels ( Sciurus vulgaris ) (Wauters & Dhondt, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Pulsed food resources, but not forest cover, determine lifetime reproductive success in a forest‐dwelling rodent

Hoset

Villers

Wistbacka

et al. 2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

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The relative contributions of habitat and food availability on fitness may provide evidence for key habitat features needed to safeguard population persistence. However, defining habitat quality for a species can be a complex task, especially if knowledge on the relationship between individual performance and habitat quality is lacking. Here, we determined the relative importance of the availability of suitable forest habitat, body mass and food from masting tree species on female lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of Siberian flying squirrels (Pteromys volans). We calculated LRS of 500 female flying squirrels based on a 22-year-long longitudinal dataset of two populations from western Finland. We assessed with generalised additive models the potential effects of availability of suitable habitat and cumulative lifetime availability of food from masting tree species on female LRS, longevity and fecundity. On a reduced dataset, we evaluated the importance of female winter body mass and conducted a piecewise path analysis to determine how variables were connected. According to generalised additive models female longevity, fecundity and LRS were mainly determined by variation in cumulative lifetime availability of food from masting alder and birch. Instead, habitat and body mass had a smaller role. The path analysis indicated that lifetime food availability had a direct effect on longevity and fecundity, and these had an equal effect on LRS at both study sites. Our results on LRS show that the occurrence of tree masting events during a female flying squirrel's lifetime has a profoundly larger effect on LRS than the cover of suitable forest habitat. Furthermore, this study emphasises the importance of both fecundity and longevity, and the indirect effects of food availability via those components, as determinants of lifetime fitness in female flying squirrels.

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“…We analyzed the effect of yearly changes in food abundance on observed breeding movements of flying squirrels. Based on previous analysis, yearly variation in alder catkin production is an important determinant of flying squirrel reproduction (Selonen & Wistbacka, ; Selonen, Wistbacka, & Korpimäki, ). We also tested the effect of birch catkins but left it out from current analysis, as alder appears to be a more important food resource than birch for reproduction of flying squirrels (Selonen & Wistbacka, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on previous analysis, yearly variation in alder catkin production is an important determinant of flying squirrel reproduction (Selonen & Wistbacka, ; Selonen, Wistbacka, & Korpimäki, ). We also tested the effect of birch catkins but left it out from current analysis, as alder appears to be a more important food resource than birch for reproduction of flying squirrels (Selonen & Wistbacka, ). Following Selonen, Wistbacka, & Korpimäki (), we used aerial pollen estimates that correlate with catkin production (Ranta et al., ) as a proxy for yearly alder catkin production.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of breeding and natal movements in lifetime dispersal of a forest‐dwelling rodent

Selonen

Wistbacka

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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The lifetime movements of an individual determine the gene flow and invasion potential of the species. However, sex dependence of dispersal and selective pressures driving dispersal have gained much more attention than dispersal at different life and age stages. Natal dispersal is more common than dispersal between breeding attempts, but breeding dispersal may be promoted by resource availability and competition. Here, we utilize mark–recapture data on the nest‐box population of Siberian flying squirrels to analyze lifetime dispersal patterns. Natal dispersal means the distance between the natal nest and the nest used the following year, whereas breeding movements refer to the nest site changes between breeding attempts. The movement distances observed here were comparable to distances reported earlier from radio‐telemetry studies. Breeding movements did not contribute to lifetime dispersal distance and were not related to variation in food abundance or habitat patch size. Breeding movements of males were negatively, albeit not strongly, related to male population size. In females, breeding movement activity was low and was not related to previous breeding success or to competition between females for territories. Natal philopatry was linked to apparent death of a mother; that is, we did not find evidence for mothers bequeathing territories for offspring, like observed in some other rodent species. Our results give an example of a species in which breeding movements are not driven by environmental variability or nest site quality. Different evolutionary forces often operate in natal and breeding movements, and our study supports the view that juveniles are responsible for redistributing individuals within and between populations. This emphasizes the importance of knowledge on natal dispersal, if we want to understand consequences of movement ecology of the species at the population level.

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Siberian flying squirrels do not anticipate future resource abundance

Cited by 16 publications

References 39 publications

Predation risk landscape modifies flying and red squirrel nest site occupancy independently of habitat amount

Predation risk landscape modifies flying and red squirrel nest site occupancy independently of habitat amount

Pulsed food resources, but not forest cover, determine lifetime reproductive success in a forest‐dwelling rodent

Role of breeding and natal movements in lifetime dispersal of a forest‐dwelling rodent

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