Researchers find concerns for animals tied to same habitats

Date:
January 11, 2022
Source:
University of Wyoming
Summary:
While site fidelity may be beneficial for animals when environmental
conditions don't change very fast, those benefits may not
be realized in the ever-changing world dominated by humans,
researchers have found through a review of scientific literature.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Some wildlife are stuck in their ways. Like humans, wild animals often
return to the same places to eat, walk on the same paths to travel and
use the same places to raise their young.


==========================================================================
A team of researchers led by scientists from the University of Wyoming
and the University of Washington has reviewed the scientific literature
and found that, while this "consistent" behavior may be beneficial when environmental conditions don't change very fast, those benefits may not
be realized in the ever-changing world dominated by humans. The research
was published today (Tuesday) in the scientific journalFrontiers in
Ecology and the Environment.

Ecologists use the term "site fidelity" to describe the behavior of
animals that are stuck in their ways. Site fidelity is the tendency to
return to previously visited locations and is common across many species,
from fish to birds to mammals and insects. Think salmon returning to
their natal streams to spawn, or birds returning year after year to the
same nest site -- site fidelity is all around us in nature.

As animals become familiar with a place, site fidelity can help them
know where to find good food or hiding spots from predators, and can
help them move efficiently to and from these resources. However, the
authors uncovered an emerging theme in the scientific literature.

"Animals that have strong site fidelity are having a tough time adjusting
to the novel landscapes that are showing up around them as a result of
humans," says Jerod Merkle, an assistant professor at the University of
Wyoming and the co-lead author of the paper.

The broader message of the paper suggests that, when confronted by human disturbances or climate change, animals with strong site fidelity may
not survive or reproduce as well as animals that have more flexible
behaviors. When populations consist of many site-faithful individuals,
this can lead to population declines.



==========================================================================
In Wyoming, for example, large natural gas fields have been developed
in several mule deer winter ranges. Although mule deer can make small
shifts in their range to avoid infrastructure, they remain faithful
to the same general area rather than abandoning it entirely. Their
continued use of those degraded areas following development can have
negative consequences. In one long-term study, researchers found a 40
percent decline in the mule deer population following large-scale energy development in their winter range.

This also is playing out as a result of climate change. In female northern elephant seals in the Pacific Ocean, site fidelity is a winning strategy
under normal climate conditions. In typical years, site-faithful seals
are better able to find food and put on fat than their more flexible counterparts. But, when abnormal climate conditions such as extreme El
Nin~os cause big changes in the ocean ecosystem, behaviorally flexible
seals become the winners, and female seals with strong site fidelity
are not able to gain as much valuable fat that they need to reproduce.

"Despite each of us working on very different species from one another,
our group came together because we all recognized that there was a clear connection between strong site fidelity and species declines," says
Briana Abrahms, an assistant professor at the University of Washington
and the other co-lead author. "We all thought it was important to
call attention to this connection for other researchers and wildlife
managers. Recognizing the types of species or behaviors that may suffer
most from human-induced environmental change can help develop conservation priorities and actions." While the authors' synthesis provides a grim
sketch of the future for species with strong site fidelity, they also
provide an upshot.

"While these species appear to be stuck in their ways, many of them
also have some unique but subtle ways of dealing with change," says
Jonathan Armstrong, an assistant professor at Oregon State University
and co-author of the study.



========================================================================== Every once in a while, an animal does something new, and it works. While
such cases are rare, those "innovators" can be key to persistence in
changing landscapes.

"We just have to be patient and make sure populations don't crash before
such innovators come along," Armstrong says.

The authors conclude with a number of suggestions for researchers and practitioners. First, long-term monitoring is key to see how individuals
and populations respond to change. Second, they suggest that biologists
should not expect animals to always use and find the best habitats. This
is especially important for restoring new habitat areas, which may not
work all that well for species with strong site fidelity because they
may not "find" these restored habitats.

Because of this, the authors thirdly suggest that conservation of species
with high site fidelity focus on protection and restoration of highly
used sites, rather than off-site mitigation.

Other authors of the paper are Hall Sawyer, of Western EcoSystems
Technology Inc. in Laramie; Daniel Costa, of the University of
California-Santa Cruz; and Anna Chalfoun, of the Wyoming Cooperative
Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Wyoming.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Wyoming. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jerod A Merkle, Briana Abrahms, Jonathan B Armstrong, Hall Sawyer,
Daniel
P Costa, Anna D Chalfoun. Site fidelity as a maladaptive behavior
in the Anthropocene. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment,
2022; DOI: 10.1002/fee.2456 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220111153634.htm

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