Spatial segregation among age classes in cave salamanders: habitat selection or social interactions?

Ficetola, Gentile Francesco; Pennati, Roberta; Manenti, Raoul

doi:10.1007/s10144-012-0350-5

Cited by 46 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…The former species, which is the focal species of our research, is fully terrestrial and inhabits forest soils and underground cave habitats (Lanza 2007;Ficetola et al 2013). The sampling site is a deciduous European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.)…”

Section: Study Species and Stomach Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic specialization at the individual level in a terrestrial generalist salamander

et al. 2015

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Information on individual trophic specialization may be relevant to better understand the ecological adaptation of populations to their environment and the evolution of their realized trophic niche. In this study, we analysed the trophic specialization at the individual level in a population of the plethodontid Northwest Italian Cave Salamander (Speleomantes strinatii (Aellen, 1958)), a terrestrial generalist predator. Salamanders were sampled in northwestern Italy on the forest floor in autumn (n = 49) and spring (n = 47) along with their available prey. In autumn, when trophic resources showed a twofold reduction in abundance, the population trophic niche width (TNW = 2.58) was significantly broader than during spring (TNW = 2.25), and in both seasons, individual specialization (IS) was significantly higher than expected by chance (P = 0.001). There were no sexual or ontogenetic differences in IS within each season, but IS in autumn was significantly higher than in spring (IS = 0.34 and IS = 0.41, respectively; P = 0.01). These findings are in accordance with the niche variation hypothesis, which predicts a positive relationship between TNW and IS. Therefore, while the population became more generalist, individual salamanders shifted towards a more specialized diet by adapting their feeding behaviour to changes in prey availability.Résumé : La connaissance de la spécialisation trophique à niveaux individuelle peut permettre de mieux comprendre l'adaptation des populations à leur milieux et l'évolution de leur niche trophique réalisée. Dans cette étude, nous avons analysé la spécialisation trophique individuelle dans une population de la salamandre terrestre Speleomantes strinatii (Aellen, 1958), qui est un prédateur generaliste. Nous avons échantillonnées les salamandres, au même temps que leur disponibilité en proies, en un milieu forestier de l'Italie du nord-ouest, au cours de l'automne (n = 49) et du printemps (n = 47). En automne, quand la disponibilité en proies est réduite, l'ampleur de niche trophique de la population est majeure (TNW = 2,58) qu'au printemps (TNW = 2,25). Toutefois, dans les deux saisons, la spécialisation individuelle (IS) est significativement majeur de celle attendue par chance (P = 0,001). Il n'y a pas des différences de spécialisation trophique individuelle à niveau du sexe ou d'age entre saison, mais en automne l'IS est majeur qu'au printemps (respectivement IS = 0,34 et IS = 0,41, P = 0,01). Ces résultats sont en accord avec l'hypothèse de la variation de niche, la quelle prédit une relation positive entre TNW et spécialisation à niveau individuel. Dans notre cas, lorsque la population entière devienne plus generaliste, les individus assument une diète plus spécialisée en s'adaptant aux changement des proies disponibles.Mots-clés : Spélerpès de Strinati, écologie trophique, spécialisation individuelle, Speleomantes strinatii, comportement trophique, variation de la niche trophique.

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Section: Study Species and Stomach Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trophic specialization at the individual level in a terrestrial generalist salamander

et al. 2015

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“…In addition to providing insight into the drivers of distribution, habitat modelling can give unique insights into species' ecology. For example, habitat modelling can highlight differences in habitat and potential niche separation between different species, or between sexes or age classes of the same species (Ficetola, Pennati, & Manenti, 2013;Jeglinski, Goetz, Werner, Costa, & Trillmich, 2013;Kappes et al, 2010;Vandeperre, Aires-da-Silva, Lennert-Cody, Serrão Santos, & Afonso, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal spatial segregation in blue sharks (Prionace glauca) by sex and size class in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

Maxwell

Scales

Bograd

et al. 2019

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Animal tracking can provide unique insights into the ecology and conservation of marine species, such as the partitioning of habitat, including differences between life history stages or sexes, and can inform fisheries stock assessments, bycatch reduction and spatial management such as dynamic management. Location Northeast Pacific Ocean. Methods We used satellite tracking data from 47 blue sharks (Prionace glauca) from the Northeast Pacific to determine movements and home range along the west coast of North America, and sex–size class (immature females, mature males) specific habitat preferences using boosted regression trees. Using a suite of static and dynamic environmental variables, we determined distribution and habitat preferences across summer and fall for each sex–size class. Results We found that there was spatial segregation between sex–size classes particularly in the summer months with immature females found largely north of 33°N, and males south of 35°N. In fall, females travelled south, resulting in an overlap in distributions south of 37°N. Sea surface temperature (SST), latitude and longitude were top predictors. However, immature females and adult males demonstrated unique habitat preferences including SST, with immature females preferring cooler temperatures (SST < 15°C) than adult males in summer, and a broader band of SST than adult males in fall. All models performed well, explaining 50%–67% of deviance, and 23%–41% of deviance when predictions were cross‐validated. Main conclusions We provide first insights into coastal movements and habitat preferences of blue sharks in the Northeast Pacific. We found that immature females undergo a seasonal southward migration in this more coastal habitat, similar to patterns observed in the North Atlantic. We also found some overlap between adult males and immature females in fall months, suggesting the importance of more coastal habitat in managing this species, particularly in determining population structure for blue shark stock assessments, and reducing blue shark bycatch.

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“…Despite advances in marine SDMs, the complex life histories of many marine species challenge our ability to understand the spatial distributions and patterns for a population during a particular stage or cycle (Ficetola, Pennati, & Manenti, 2013). Modeling habitat suitability for populations of mobile animals with stage-specific spatial constraints, such as colonial breeders (e.g., seabirds, pinnipeds), has been particularly difficult (Pinaud & Weimerskirch, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing habitat suitability for a central‐place forager in a dynamic marine environment

Briscoe

Fossette

Scales

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Characterizing habitat suitability for a marine predator requires an understanding of the environmental heterogeneity and variability over the range in which a population moves during a particular life cycle. Female California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are central‐place foragers and are particularly constrained while provisioning their young. During this time, habitat selection is a function of prey availability and proximity to the rookery, which has important implications for reproductive and population success. We explore how lactating females may select habitat and respond to environmental variability over broad spatial and temporal scales within the California Current System. We combine near‐real‐time remotely sensed satellite oceanography, animal tracking data (n = 72) from November to February over multiple years (2003–2009) and Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) to determine the probability of sea lion occurrence based on environmental covariates. Results indicate that sea lion presence is associated with cool (<14°C), productive waters, shallow depths, increased eddy activity, and positive sea‐level anomalies. Predictive habitat maps generated from these biophysical associations suggest winter foraging areas are spatially consistent in the nearshore and offshore environments, except during the 2004–2005 winter, which coincided with an El Niño event. Here, we show how a species distribution model can provide broadscale information on the distribution of female California sea lions during an important life history stage and its implications for population dynamics and spatial management.

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Spatial segregation among age classes in cave salamanders: habitat selection or social interactions?

Cited by 46 publications

References 50 publications

Trophic specialization at the individual level in a terrestrial generalist salamander

Trophic specialization at the individual level in a terrestrial generalist salamander

Seasonal spatial segregation in blue sharks (Prionace glauca) by sex and size class in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

Characterizing habitat suitability for a central‐place forager in a dynamic marine environment

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