Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile
Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are the most common carnivore species in natural ecosystems worldwide. They are of considerable concern for wildlife conservation, particularly in the absence of predators. However, we are only beginning to understand the ecology of free-ranging dogs, and even less i...
Published in: | Biological Invasions |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Springer
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23830 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 |
id |
ftufz:oai:ufz.de:23830 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftufz:oai:ufz.de:23830 2023-12-10T09:40:12+01:00 Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile Contardo, J. Grimm-Seyfarth, Annegret Cattan, P.E. Schüttler, E. 2020-10-29 application/pdf https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23830 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 en eng Springer Biological Invasions 23 (3);; 677 - 691 https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23830 https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess ISSN: 1387-3547 Biological invasion Camera-trap Canis familiaris Invasive species Subsidized predator info:eu-repo/semantics/article https://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text 2020 ftufz https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 2023-11-12T23:36:22Z Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are the most common carnivore species in natural ecosystems worldwide. They are of considerable concern for wildlife conservation, particularly in the absence of predators. However, we are only beginning to understand the ecology of free-ranging dogs, and even less is known in sub-Antarctic environments. Here, we used camera-trap data to assess space use of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, southern Chile, which lacks native terrestrial carnivores. We predicted free-ranging dogs to be associated with human settlements, trails, and roads and to prefer open habitats over forest for the ease of movement. We obtained 67 independent dog records of 62 individuals over 3909 camera-trap days from 200 sites. Single-species single-season occupancy models revealed that both rural/village dogs, as well as putative feral dogs chose peatbogs over forest, but their preference for settlements and roads was less pronounced and inconsistent among dog categories. Our findings revealed evidence for a reproducing feral dog population on Navarino Island that may be sustained by recruits from rural/village dogs, as identical sites were visited by both dog categories. However, due to a higher occupancy with proximity to human dwellings, the dependence of feral dogs on human resources remain uncontested. In light of the penetration of dogs into pristine sub-Antarctic habitats and their possible impacts on native vulnerable prey, we recommend the implementation of responsible pet-ownership regulations, as well as ethically-approved control actions for feral dogs to protect one of the planet’s last wilderness areas. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic UFZ - Publication Index (Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) Antarctic Cape Horn ENVELOPE(-135.021,-135.021,61.583,61.583) Biological Invasions 23 3 677 691 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
UFZ - Publication Index (Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftufz |
language |
English |
topic |
Biological invasion Camera-trap Canis familiaris Invasive species Subsidized predator |
spellingShingle |
Biological invasion Camera-trap Canis familiaris Invasive species Subsidized predator Contardo, J. Grimm-Seyfarth, Annegret Cattan, P.E. Schüttler, E. Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile |
topic_facet |
Biological invasion Camera-trap Canis familiaris Invasive species Subsidized predator |
description |
Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are the most common carnivore species in natural ecosystems worldwide. They are of considerable concern for wildlife conservation, particularly in the absence of predators. However, we are only beginning to understand the ecology of free-ranging dogs, and even less is known in sub-Antarctic environments. Here, we used camera-trap data to assess space use of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, southern Chile, which lacks native terrestrial carnivores. We predicted free-ranging dogs to be associated with human settlements, trails, and roads and to prefer open habitats over forest for the ease of movement. We obtained 67 independent dog records of 62 individuals over 3909 camera-trap days from 200 sites. Single-species single-season occupancy models revealed that both rural/village dogs, as well as putative feral dogs chose peatbogs over forest, but their preference for settlements and roads was less pronounced and inconsistent among dog categories. Our findings revealed evidence for a reproducing feral dog population on Navarino Island that may be sustained by recruits from rural/village dogs, as identical sites were visited by both dog categories. However, due to a higher occupancy with proximity to human dwellings, the dependence of feral dogs on human resources remain uncontested. In light of the penetration of dogs into pristine sub-Antarctic habitats and their possible impacts on native vulnerable prey, we recommend the implementation of responsible pet-ownership regulations, as well as ethically-approved control actions for feral dogs to protect one of the planet’s last wilderness areas. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Contardo, J. Grimm-Seyfarth, Annegret Cattan, P.E. Schüttler, E. |
author_facet |
Contardo, J. Grimm-Seyfarth, Annegret Cattan, P.E. Schüttler, E. |
author_sort |
Contardo, J. |
title |
Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile |
title_short |
Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile |
title_full |
Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile |
title_fullStr |
Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-Antarctic island, Chile |
title_sort |
environmental factors regulate occupancy of free-ranging dogs on a sub-antarctic island, chile |
publisher |
Springer |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23830 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-135.021,-135.021,61.583,61.583) |
geographic |
Antarctic Cape Horn |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Cape Horn |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
ISSN: 1387-3547 |
op_relation |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23830 https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02394-3 |
container_title |
Biological Invasions |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
677 |
op_container_end_page |
691 |
_version_ |
1784892113183309824 |