Capture and manipulation are an integral part of wildlife research and management. These practices, however, can affect animals either directly or indirectly, and studies should generally evaluate the consequences of captures to ensure animal welfare and reduce sampling bias. Here, we investigated the indirect, behavioural effects of live-capture on escape response to humans in Alpine marmot Marmota marmota within the Stelvio National Park (central Italian Alps) over three seasons (2021- 2023). We used flight initiation distance (FID) as a measure of escape response and tested it in relation to capture status using linear mixed modelling. Captures did not have any detectable effect on escape response, and FID was best explained by covariates such as starting distance, distance to nearest burrow, current behaviour during the observation and year of observation. It might be that, in marmots, escape response to humans is a rather inert behaviour, and as such, although we cannot rule out unmeasured effects, capture may not represent an excessively traumatic experience which could trigger immediate behavioural modification. In turn, capture is unlikely to compromise animal welfare or cause scientific bias in studies investigating escape response in this species, at least over the short term.

The Nelchina Basin, located west of Glenallen, AK provides important moose (Alces alces) habitat throughout the year. However, previous research in this area has shown that the moose populations appear to be nutritionally limited by the available forage. The Nelchina Basin was deemed an intensive management unit to increase moose populations through predator control efforts and prescribed fires to increase the amount of available forage, including the 2004 Alphabet Hills fire. We quantified the available digestible energy (DE) and digestible protein (DP) during the summer of 2018 and 2019, as well as the winter in between, and availability of forages for moose within the burn perimeter and the adjacent unburned forest during the summer of 2019. We found that total canopy cover of the primary forage species was lower in the burned areas than in the adjacent unburned forest habitats. DP concentration was not significantly different between forested and burned sites, and DE and DP content varied across the summer and winter sampling season. We also found a significant difference in DE and DP across the two sampling years. Although others have shown a positive effect of wildfire for herbivore populations, we found that some areas, including the Alphabet Hills area, may not be suitably adapted to benefit from the quick release of nutrients after fire and may not allocate more resources to biomass as previously expected. This project highlights the importance of research that quantifies both the availability of and the quantity of available food resources for herbivores.

Wildlife biology is an applied discipline, where research results are to varying degree incorporated to accepted knowledge However, several factors appear to increase the divide between research results, and knowledge and implementation. First, there is an exponential increase in number of published papers, in part driven by misguided reliance on publication record for assessing scientific competence. The shear number of publications risk diluting knowledge through salami-slicing or simply making it difficult to find relevant publications. This development could be problematic for the future of wildlife biology, and it has made complex statistical analysis of already available data more profitable than the ability to generate new data in robust field studies. Research results are conceptually different from knowledge and need to be evaluated in a post-publication process to become knowledge. Secondly, the formulation of research questions has become restricted by the way research is organised and funded. A shift from a focus on individual performance to research groups could encourage the development of more complex research questions that are better suited to advance the knowledge of wildlife biology. Funding agencies and research institutions need to think beyond current norm of a three year funding package. Thirdly, defining knowledge as the result of a post-publishing evaluating of research publications would facilitate knowledge transfer between researchers and practitioners. It is well established that a two-way transfer of knowledge and experience is beneficial to both researchers and practitioners but the low return on academic recognition for such efforts is currently simply too low, which positively discourages researchers from dividing limited resources into such activities. Only academic institutions and funding agencies together can make the significant changes needed as have begun in other disciplines. However, researchers also need to embrace existing and emerging initiatives such as Open Sceince, FAIRdata, CREDIT authorship to accelerate change.

Though agriculture has been linked to the decline in bird populations due to the associated changes in vegetation structure and composition, its potential to sustain birds has been explored over time. A sustainable agricultural landscape should be one that has the capacity to support bird species all year. To this end, we investigated the factors influencing pre- and post-harvest farm conditions on bird abundance, richness, and feeding guilds in three different crop fields in Jos-East and North, central Nigeria. We used line transects to survey birds and vegetation variables from 30 fields each of legumes, maize, and mixed (maize and soya bean) during the pre- and post-harvest periods in central Nigeria. We first compared the variation in bird species richness, abundance, and feeding guild abundance across the three field types over the two periods. We then modeled the effects of field conditions and vegetation parameters on feeding guild abundance, species abundance, and species richness as response variables. Our results revealed significant variations in bird species richness, abundance, and feeding guild abundance across field types. The omnivorous guild was significantly higher pre-harvest than post-harvest whereas insectivorous and granivorous were significantly higher in-field than at the edge. Bird species richness, abundance, and feeding guild abundance were significantly higher pre-harvest than post-harvest and in-field than at the edge. In addition, in-field tree density had a significant positive influence on bird abundance and species richness as well as feeding guild abundance. This study shows that pre- and post-harvest conditions of crop fields can moderate the number and richness of birds on farmlands while the retention of trees on farmlands contributes to higher bird assemblages.

Efficient wildlife management requires precise monitoring methods, e.g., to estimate population density, reproductive success, and survival. Here, we compared the efficiency of drone and ground approaches to detect and monitor GPS-collared female moose (Alces alces) and their calves. Moreover, we quantified how drone (n = 42) and ground (n = 41) approaches affected moose behavior and space use (n = 24 individuals). The average time used for drone approaches was 17 minutes compared to 97 minutes for ground approaches, with drone detection rate being higher (95% of adult female moose and 88% of moose calves) compared to ground approaches (78% of adult females and 82% of calves). Drone detection success increased at lower drone altitudes (50-70 m). Adult female moose left the site in 35% of drone approaches (with > 40% of those moose becoming disturbed once the drone hovered < 50 m above ground) compared to 56% of ground approaches. We failed to find short-term effects (3-h after approaches) of drone approaches on moose space use, but moose moved > 4-fold greater distances and used larger areas after ground approaches. Similarly, longer-term (24-h before and after approaches) space use did not differ between drone approaches compared to days without known disturbance, but moose moved comparatively greater distances during days of ground approaches. In conclusion, we could show that drone approaches were highly efficient to detect adult moose and their calves in the boreal forest, being faster and less disturbing than ground approaches, potentially making them a useful tool to monitor and study wildlife.

1. The severe decline of hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) is well documented and has led to increased legislative protection both in the UK and across Europe. Conservation measures for this species often include provision of nestboxes as a mitigation or enhancement technique after development projects. Previous research has offered some insights into how to select suitable general locations for nestboxes, but where to best place individual boxes to promote occupancy is less well understood. We hypothesised microhabitat variables related to proximity to food sources and nest building material will affect nestbox occupancy by dormice and should be considered when placing individual boxes within a selected site. 2. To assess individual nestbox occupancy by hazel dormice, 76 microhabitat variables were collected from 45 occupied and unused nestboxes in a deciduous woodland in Berkshire,UK. Variables were then used to predict probability of nestbox occupancy (observed from 2017 to 2021) using Random Regression models. 3. Results reveal nestboxes were more likely to be occupied by hazel dormice in sites with higher local cover and abundance of hazel trees (Corylus avellana), greater overall tree abundance but not fully closed canopies (best around 80-85%), more hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and honeysuckle (Lolium periclymenum), and when located further from footpaths. 4. Our results build on previous literature on habitat preferences of hazel dormice and importantly provide insight into relevant microhabitat variables that offer recommendations for where to place individual nestboxes to promote occupancy and facilitate recovery of hazel dormice.

Survival among juvenile ungulates is an important demographic trait affecting population dynamics. In many systems, juvenile ungulates experience mortality from large carnivores, hunter harvest and climate-related factors. These mortality sources often shift in importance both in space and time. While wolves (Canis lupus) predate on moose (Alces alces) throughout all seasons, brown bear (Ursus arctos) predation and human harvest happen primarily during early summer and fall, respectively. Hence, understanding how the mortality of juvenile moose is affected by predation, harvest and climate is crucial to adaptively managing populations and deciding sustainable harvest rates. We used data from 39 female moose in south-central Scandinavia to investigate the mortality of 77 calves in summer/fall and winter/spring, in relation to carnivore presence (defined as wolf presence and bear density), summer productivity, secondary road density, winter severity and migratory strategy (migratory versus resident) using logistic regressions. Summer mortality varied significantly between years but was not correlated to any of our covariates. In winter, calf mortality was higher with deeper snow in areas with wolves compared to areas without and increased more strongly with an increasing proportion of clearcuts/young forests in the presence of wolves compared to when wolves were absent. Lastly, increasing hunting risk was associated with higher calf mortality, and migratory females had higher calf mortality compared to stationary ones. Our study provides useful insight into mortality rates of moose calves coexisting with two large carnivores and with an intensive harvest pressure. Increasing our understanding of the mechanisms driving calf mortality both in summer and winter will become increasingly important if the populations of wolves and bears continue to expand and the moose population declines, and both summers and winters become warmer.

Chytridiomycosis caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a major driver of amphibian decline worldwide. The global presence of Bd is driven by a synergy of factors, such as climate, species life history, and amphibian host susceptibility. Here, using a Bayesian data-mining approach, we modelled the epidemiological landscape of Bd to evaluate how the infection varies across several spatial, ecological, and phylogenetic scales. We compiled global information on Bd occurrence, climate, species ranges, and phylogenetic diversity to infer the potential distribution and prevalence of Bd. By calculating the degree of co-distribution between Bd and our set of environmental and biological variables (e.g., climate and species), we identified which factors could potentially be related to Bd presence and prevalence using a geographic correlation metric, epsilon (ε). We fitted five ecological models based on: i) amphibian species identity, ii) phylogenetic species variability values for a given species assemblage, iii) temperature, iv) precipitation, and v) all variables together. Our results extend the findings of previous studies by identifying the epidemiological landscape features of the presence of Bd. This ecological modelling framework allowed us to generate explicit spatial predictions for Bd prevalence at global scale and a ranked list of species with high/low probability of Bd presence. Our geographic model was able to identify areas with high potential for Bd prevalence as potential risk areas and areas with low potential Bd prevalence as potential refuges (free Bd). At the amphibian assemblage level, we found a non-relationship with amphibian phylogenetic signals, but a significantly negative correlation between observed species richness and Bd prevalence indicated a potential dilution effect at the landscape scale. Our model may identify potential susceptible species and areas at risk of Bd presence which could be used to prioritize regions for amphibian conservation efforts and assess species and assemblage risk

Monitoring population dynamics is of fundamental importance in conservation but assessing trends in abundance can be costly, especially in large and rough areas. Obtaining trend estimations from counts performed in only a portion of the total area (sample counts) can be a cost-effective method to improve the monitoring and conservation of species difficult to count. We tested the effectiveness of sample counts in monitoring population trends of wild animals, using as a model population the Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) in Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy), both with computer simulations and using historical census data collected over the last 65 years. Despite sample counts could fail to correctly estimate the true population abundance, sampling half of the target area could reliably monitor the trend of the target population. In case of strong changes in abundance, an even lower proportion of the total area could be sufficient to identify the direction of the population trend. However, when there is a high yearly trend variability, the required number of samples increases and even counting in the entire area can be ineffective to monitor population dynamics. Lastly, the effect of other parameters (such as which portion of the area is sampled or the detectability) was marginal, but these should be tested case by case. Sample counts could therefore constitute a viable alternative to assess population trends, allowing for important, cost-effective improvements in the monitoring of wild animals of conservation interest.

A study aimed at assessing the structure of rodent and shrew assemblages inhabiting a degradation gradient while considering rainfall patterns, was conducted in one of few remaining lowland tropical forests in Eastern Africa. We collected a unique dataset of rodents and shrews, representing 24 species (19 rodents, 5 shrews). The most abundant species alternated in dominance as species abundance significantly fluctuated across the study period following a degradation gradient (F2,33 = 5.68, p = 0.007). While only generalist species were observed near the degraded forest edge, habitat specialists such as Deomys ferrugineus, Malacomys longipes and Scutisorex congicus, were observed in the primary forest interior suggesting a significant (X2 = 1165.329, P<0.001) association between species and their associated habitats and habitat attributes. There was also an observed correlation between rainfall patterns and species abundance. Capturing more species in adjacent fallows and along the degraded forest edge suggests that many species are able to live in degraded habitats that offer a variety of food resources. The continued pressure on forest resources, however, may lead to changes in habitat structure. This, coupled with the dependence of forest ecological functions on rainfall, which is typically not the case, may ultimately cause the local extinction of highly specialized but less adaptable species.

The civil war in Côte d’Ivoire between 2002 and 2010 led to a hike in human disturbances and the disappearance of African lions (Panthera leo) from the Comoé National Park (CNP). After the crisis, many efforts to conserve and restore this ecosystem and its biodiversity have been made and the management authority is considering the reintroduction of lions. We assessed the acceptance of the reintroduction of the lions by the local populations; through a sociological survey, we administered questionnaires to 307 people in 23 villages bordering CNP. A large majority (71%, n=218) were in favor of the return of the lions, with significant variation among ethnic groups. A general linear model analysis (GLM) revealed that apart from ethnic group, profession and origin (village) are significantly determinant for the acceptance of lion reintroduction to CNP. Most respondents had knowledge of the species (96%, n=296). The majority of respondents (81%, n=250) acknowledged having coexisted with lions, with previous conflicts with lions reported by 16% (n = 49) of respondents and a willingness to coexist with future lions reported by 81% (n = 248) of respondents. More than 84% (n=260) of respondents believed that there would be benefits associated with lion return to CNP and 52% (n=161) and 14% (n=44) of respondents believed that the potential benefits would be greater and less than the possible risks associated with lion return. Just under half of respondents (42%; n=129) confirmed the current participatory management of CNP while the majority (91%; n=280) confirmed the possibility of taking own precautions to prevent attacks from future lion. We recommend the improvement of the involvement of indigenous communities in any reintroduction and the implementation of environmental education projects as a condition for the potential reintroduction of lions.