Journal article
Energetics explain predator occurrence and movement in pyrodiverse landscapes
Landscape ecology, Vol.39(10), pp.182-182
10/15/2024
DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01970-5
Abstract
ContextFire-adapted species have evolved to exploit resources in heterogenous landscapes that presumably maximize energy acquisition and minimize energetic expenditure. However, limited empirical work exists demonstrating the explicit energetic mechanisms that drive such adaptive responses to fire across diverse landscapes.ObjectivesThe California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) appears to benefit from landscape heterogeneity and preferentially uses smaller patches of severely burned forest, a behavior that has been hypothesized as adaptive. Here, we investigate empirical support for this hypothesis.MethodsWe leveraged high-resolution GPS tracking and nest video monitoring to examine the hunting success, movement, and nest provisioning of 34 spotted owls in the Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino Mountains, California across burned and unburned landscapes.ResultsRegardless of time since fire, individuals avoided foraging directly within moderately or severely burned patches. 1 to 2 years post-fire, individuals had more success capturing prey in unburned forest, and the energy individuals spent moving increased with the proportion of high-severity fire and decreased with the proportion unburned forest. Multiple years after a fire, individuals had more success capturing prey, spent less energy moving, and provisioned more energy to nests in landscapes with more low-severity fire.ConclusionsThese results support the hypothesis that spotted owls are adapted to fire-prone landscapes and that disturbance events within this region's natural range of variation can ultimately promote hunting and provisioning. As fires deviate from regional norms across the globe, the negative impacts of fire may become more extreme and long-term benefits of fire may degrade for animals in fire-prone landscapes. Examining the mechanistic impacts of disturbance can allow us to better understand animal responses to rapidly changing landscapes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Energetics explain predator occurrence and movement in pyrodiverse landscapes
- Creators
- Kate McGinn - University of Wisconsin–MadisonCeeanna Zulla - University of New MexicoMarilyn Wright - University of Wisconsin–MadisonZachary Wilkinson - University of Wisconsin–MadisonBrian Dotters - Sierra Engineering (United States)Kevin Roberts - Sierra Engineering (United States)John Keane - Pacific Southwest Research StationM. Zachariah Peery - University of Wisconsin–MadisonGavin M. Jones - University of New Mexico
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Landscape ecology, Vol.39(10), pp.182-182
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10980-024-01970-5
- ISSN
- 0921-2973
- eISSN
- 1572-9761
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 18
- Grant note
- Sierra Pacific Industries Tanner Environmental Services National Fish and Wildlife Foundation USDA Forest Service Region 5, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Pacific Southwest
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/15/2024
- Academic Unit
- School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
- Record Identifier
- 9985219863202771
Metrics
1 Record Views