Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems
Developing tools that help predict animal distribution in the face of environmental change is central to understanding ecosystem function, but it remains a significant ecological challenge. We tested whether a single foraging currency could explain bison (Bison bison) distribution in dissimilar envi...
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ftdatacite:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3303729 2023-05-15T18:49:31+02:00 Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems Jean-Sébastien Babin Fortin, Daniel Wilmshurst, John F. Marie-Eve Fortin 2016 https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3303729 https://figshare.com/collections/Energy_gains_predict_the_distribution_of_plains_bison_across_populations_and_ecosystems/3303729 unknown Figshare https://dx.doi.org/10.1890/10-0252.1 CC-BY http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us CC-BY Environmental Science Ecology FOS Biological sciences Collection article 2016 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3303729 https://doi.org/10.1890/10-0252.1 2021-11-05T12:55:41Z Developing tools that help predict animal distribution in the face of environmental change is central to understanding ecosystem function, but it remains a significant ecological challenge. We tested whether a single foraging currency could explain bison (Bison bison) distribution in dissimilar environments: a largely forested environment in Prince Albert National Park (Saskatchewan, Canada) and a prairie environment in Grasslands National Park (Saskatchewan, Canada). We blended extensive behavioral observations, relocations of radio-collared bison, vegetation surveys, and laboratory analyses to spatially link bison distribution in the two parks and expected gains for different nutritional currencies. In Prince Albert National Park, bison were more closely associated with the distribution of plants that maximized their instantaneous energy intake rate (IDE) than their daily intake of digestible energy. This result reflected both bison's intensity of use of individual meadows and their selection of foraging sites within meadows. On this basis, we tested whether IDE could explain the spatial dynamics of bison reintroduced to Grasslands National Park. As predicted, bison distribution in this park best matched spatial patterns of plants offering rapid IDE rather than rapid sodium intake, phosphorus intake, or daily intake of digestible energy. Because the two study areas have very different plant communities, a phenomenological model of resource selection developed in one area could not be used to predict animal distribution in the other. We were able, however, to successfully infer the distribution of bison from their foraging objective. This consistency in foraging currency across ecosystems and populations provides a strong basis for forecasting animal distributions in novel and dynamic environments. Article in Journal/Newspaper Bison bison bison Plains Bison DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) Canada |
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Open Polar |
collection |
DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftdatacite |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Environmental Science Ecology FOS Biological sciences |
spellingShingle |
Environmental Science Ecology FOS Biological sciences Jean-Sébastien Babin Fortin, Daniel Wilmshurst, John F. Marie-Eve Fortin Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
topic_facet |
Environmental Science Ecology FOS Biological sciences |
description |
Developing tools that help predict animal distribution in the face of environmental change is central to understanding ecosystem function, but it remains a significant ecological challenge. We tested whether a single foraging currency could explain bison (Bison bison) distribution in dissimilar environments: a largely forested environment in Prince Albert National Park (Saskatchewan, Canada) and a prairie environment in Grasslands National Park (Saskatchewan, Canada). We blended extensive behavioral observations, relocations of radio-collared bison, vegetation surveys, and laboratory analyses to spatially link bison distribution in the two parks and expected gains for different nutritional currencies. In Prince Albert National Park, bison were more closely associated with the distribution of plants that maximized their instantaneous energy intake rate (IDE) than their daily intake of digestible energy. This result reflected both bison's intensity of use of individual meadows and their selection of foraging sites within meadows. On this basis, we tested whether IDE could explain the spatial dynamics of bison reintroduced to Grasslands National Park. As predicted, bison distribution in this park best matched spatial patterns of plants offering rapid IDE rather than rapid sodium intake, phosphorus intake, or daily intake of digestible energy. Because the two study areas have very different plant communities, a phenomenological model of resource selection developed in one area could not be used to predict animal distribution in the other. We were able, however, to successfully infer the distribution of bison from their foraging objective. This consistency in foraging currency across ecosystems and populations provides a strong basis for forecasting animal distributions in novel and dynamic environments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jean-Sébastien Babin Fortin, Daniel Wilmshurst, John F. Marie-Eve Fortin |
author_facet |
Jean-Sébastien Babin Fortin, Daniel Wilmshurst, John F. Marie-Eve Fortin |
author_sort |
Jean-Sébastien Babin |
title |
Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
title_short |
Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
title_full |
Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
title_sort |
energy gains predict the distribution of plains bison across populations and ecosystems |
publisher |
Figshare |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3303729 https://figshare.com/collections/Energy_gains_predict_the_distribution_of_plains_bison_across_populations_and_ecosystems/3303729 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Bison bison bison Plains Bison |
genre_facet |
Bison bison bison Plains Bison |
op_relation |
https://dx.doi.org/10.1890/10-0252.1 |
op_rights |
CC-BY http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3303729 https://doi.org/10.1890/10-0252.1 |
_version_ |
1766243111728578560 |