Scientific Reports
Volume 8, Issue 1, 2018

Common drivers of seasonal movements on the migration - Residency behavior continuum in a large herbivore (Article) (Open Access)

Martin J.* , Tolon V. , Morellet N. , Santin-Janin H. , Licoppe A. , Fischer C. , Bombois J. , Patthey P. , Pesenti E. , Chenesseau D. , Saïd S.
  • a Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Birieux, 01330, France, Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • b Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Birieux, 01330, France, ISARA-Lyon, 23 rue Jean Baldassini, Lyon, 69007, France
  • c CEFS, Université de Toulouse, INRA, Castanet-Tolosan, France
  • d Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, 39 Bd Albert Einstein, Nantes, Cedex 3, 44323, France, Venn Life Sciences, 63 bd Haussman, Paris, 75008, France
  • e Département de l'Etude du Milieu Naturel et Agricole, Service Public de Wallonie, Gembloux, Belgium
  • f University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Jussy, 1274, Switzerland
  • g Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs du Jura, Rue de la fontaine salée, Arlay, 39140, France
  • h Direction Générale de l'Environnement, Ch. Du Marquisat 1, St Sulpice, CH - 1025, Switzerland
  • i Service des Forêts et de la Faune, Route du Mont Carmel 1, Case postale 155, Givisiez, 1762, Switzerland
  • j Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Délégation Interrégionale Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 57 rue de Mulhouse, Dijon, 21000, France
  • k Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, Birieux, 01330, France

Abstract

This study aimed to (1) identify the scale of environmental drivers of seasonal movements on the migration - residency behavior continuum in a large herbivore species and to (2) test the hypothesis that the same environmental drivers and spatio-temporal scaling should influence spatial processes in both migrants (long distance migration) and residents (short distance range shifts). We performed a comparative analysis of the influence of plant phenology and snow cover duration on seasonal movements of five partially migrating red deer populations with contrasting environmental conditions, at the seasonal range scale and at the study area scale. The five populations presented varying proportions of migrants, large gradients of migration distances and seasonal range shifts. The probability for a red deer to migrate was strongly influenced by large-scale environmental conditions, consistent with the resource heterogeneity hypothesis (high spatio-temporal scaling favors migration). Distances moved by both migrants and residents were strongly related to large-scale environmental conditions as well. We showed that similar proximal causes influenced these seasonal movements, reinforcing the idea of a continuum from migration to residency in response to seasonal environmental changes. Together, our findings suggest that global warming, by homogenizing large-scale environmental conditions, may thus decrease migratory tactics. © 2018 The Author(s).

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

physiology human controlled study probability phenology Deer greenhouse effect ecosystem Animals Environment nonhuman herbivore Seasons Animal Migration driver red deer environmental change snow cover resident animal homing behavior season migrant Article adult population migration
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85047055938&doi=10.1038%2fs41598-018-25777-y&partnerID=40&md5=4eb4e44cac7603d90b9ea90ddb1c51ba
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25777-y
ISSN: 20452322
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English