Knowledge Resource Center for Ecological Environment in Arid Area
DOI | 10.1071/WR14196 |
The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) | |
Agha, Mickey1; Murphy, Mason O.2; Lovich, Jeffrey E.3; Ennen, Joshua R.4; Oldham, Christian R.1; Meyer, Kathie; Bjurlin, Curtis5; Austin, Meaghan3; Madrak, Sheila6; Loughran, Caleb7; Tennant, Laura3; Price, Steven J.1 | |
通讯作者 | Price, Steven J. |
来源期刊 | WILDLIFE RESEARCH
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ISSN | 1035-3712 |
EISSN | 1448-5494 |
出版年 | 2014 |
卷号 | 41期号:8页码:641-649 |
英文摘要 | Context. There is little information available on how research activities might cause stress responses in wildlife, especially responses of threatened species such as the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Aims. The present study aims to detect behavioural effects of researcher handling and winter precipitation on a natural population of desert tortoises in the desert of Southwestern United States, over the period 1997 to 2014, through extensive assessments of capture events during multiple research studies, and capture-mark-recapture survivorship analysis. Methods. Juvenile and adult desert tortoises were repeatedly handled with consistent methodology across 18 years during 10 study seasons. Using a generalised linear mixed-effects model, we assessed the effects of both research manipulation and abiotic conditions on probability of voiding. Additionally, we used a Cormack-Jolly-Seber model to assess the effects of winter precipitation and voiding on long-term apparent survivorship. Key results. Of 1008 total capture events, voiding was recorded on 83 (8.2%) occasions in 42 different individuals. Our top models indicated that increases in handling time led to significantly higher probabilities of voiding for juveniles, females and males. Similarly, increases in precipitation resulted in significantly higher probabilities of voiding for juveniles and females, but not for males. Tortoise capture frequency was negatively correlated with voiding occurrence. Cormack-Jolly-Seber models demonstrated a weak effect of winter precipitation on survivorship, but a negligible effect for both voiding behaviour and sex. Conclusions. Handling-induced voiding by desert tortoises may occur during common research activities and years of above average winter precipitation. Increased likelihood of voiding in individuals with relatively low numbers of recaptures suggested that tortoises may have perceived researchers initially as predators, and therefore voided as a defensive strategy. Voiding does not appear to impact long-term survivorship in desert tortoises at this site. Implications. This study has demonstrated that common handling practices on desert tortoise may cause voiding behaviour. These results suggest that in order to minimise undesirable behavioural responses in studied desert tortoise populations, defined procedures or protocols must be followed by the investigators to reduce contact period to the extent feasible. |
英文关键词 | conservation research manipulation Sonoran Desert survival wildlife handling |
类型 | Article |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | USA |
收录类别 | SCI-E |
WOS记录号 | WOS:000353148500002 |
WOS关键词 | SOUTHWESTERN NORTH-AMERICA ; WIND-ENERGY FACILITY ; MOJAVE-DESERT ; PLASMA-CORTICOSTERONE ; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS ; CLIMATIC VARIATION ; SEASONAL-CHANGES ; 2 POPULATIONS ; PALM SPRINGS ; SURVIVAL |
WOS类目 | Ecology ; Zoology |
WOS研究方向 | Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Zoology |
来源机构 | United States Geological Survey |
资源类型 | 期刊论文 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/185322 |
作者单位 | 1.Univ Kentucky, Dept Forestry, Lexington, KY 40546 USA; 2.Univ Kentucky, Dept Biol, Lexington, KY 40546 USA; 3.US Geol Survey, Southwest Biol Sci Ctr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 USA; 4.Tennessee Aquarium Conservat Inst, Chattanooga, TN 37402 USA; 5.Stantec Consulting, Madison, WI 53705 USA; 6.San Diego State Univ, Dept Biol, San Diego, CA 92182 USA; 7.Cent Washington Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Ellensburg, WA 98926 USA |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Agha, Mickey,Murphy, Mason O.,Lovich, Jeffrey E.,等. The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)[J]. United States Geological Survey,2014,41(8):641-649. |
APA | Agha, Mickey.,Murphy, Mason O..,Lovich, Jeffrey E..,Ennen, Joshua R..,Oldham, Christian R..,...&Price, Steven J..(2014).The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii).WILDLIFE RESEARCH,41(8),641-649. |
MLA | Agha, Mickey,et al."The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)".WILDLIFE RESEARCH 41.8(2014):641-649. |
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