class: left, middle, white, title-slide .title[ # Ranges, Distributions and Habitats ] .subtitle[ ## EFB 390: Wildlife Ecology and Management ] .author[ ### Dr. Elie Gurarie ] .date[ ### September 26, 2024 ] --- <!-- https://bookdown.org/yihui/rmarkdown/xaringan-format.html --> ## Definition: .pull-left[A species **range** (or **distribution**) is the area where a particular species can be found during its lifetime. Species range includes areas where individuals or communities may migrate or hibernate.] --- background-image: url('images/ranges.png') background-size: cover ## Definition: .pull-left[A species **range** (or **distribution**) is the area where a particular species can be found during its lifetime. Species range includes areas where individuals or communities may migrate or hibernate.] --- background-image: url('images/ranges2.png') background-size: cover ## Definition: .pull-left[A species **range** (or **distribution**) is the area where a particular species can be found during its lifetime. Species range includes areas where individuals or communities may migrate or hibernate.] --- background-image: url('images/ranges3.png') background-size: cover ## Definition: .pull-left[A species **range** (or **distribution**) is the area where a particular species can be found during its lifetime. Species range includes areas where individuals or communities may migrate or hibernate.] --- class: center ## At the broadest scale  ### the world is divided into *biomes* --- ## Constrained by **climate** .pull-left-60[  ] .pull-right-40[ This (mainly) constrains / determines vegetation communities. Which is reflected in the wildlife that inhabits those biomes. ] --- class: center ## Example: **Muskox** (*Ovibos moschatus*)  .small[pretty much only found in Arctic Tundra. ] .pull-left-40[ **Range** ] .pull-right-40[ **.orange[Tundra] and .cyan[treeless] **  .footnotesize[[Virtanen et al. 2015](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1837)] ] --- background-image: url('images/Muskox_Cluff2.jpg') background-size: cover ## .white.center[Example: **Muskox**] --- background-image: url('images/spidermonkeyslide.png') background-size: cover ## .center[Spider monkey (*Ateles fusciceps*)] Sometimes it's hard to tell which is the **range** and which is the **biome**. <!-- class: small ## Many species are spatially limited to particular **biomes** Biome | Plant community | Some species :--|:--|:-- tundra | dwarf shrubs (*Salix*, *Betula*), sedges, mosses | muskoxen, .darkred[caribou] taiga / boreal forest | conifers (*Pinus*, *Picae*, *Abies*, *Larix*), bogs | snowshoe hares, lynx, brown bear, wolf, .blue[moose], .darkred[**also caribou**] temperate hardwood forest | deciduous trees (*Quercus*, *Fagus*, *Acer*, *Ulmus*) | deer, elk, .blue[**also moose**] temperate rainforest | redwood (California), Douglas fir (PNW), eucalyptus (Australia), podocarps (New Zealand) | --> --- ### Other animals laugh at your adorable biomes **Quiz: What mammal has the most common names?^***.footnote[`*`- according to Guiness] -- .pull-left-60[ .center[*Puma concolor*] .small[Cougar. Catamount. Painter. Panther. Ghost Cat. Puma. Shadow Cat. Mountain lion. Nittany lion. ]  .footnotesize[The **Erie People** (victims of the beaver wars) are the *"long-tailed"* (cat people), named after the puma that inhabited areas in western New York / Ohio / Ontario.] ] .pull-right-40[] --- ### To think about: Why does *Puma concolor* have such a large range? Why does *Puma concolor* have so many common names? .pull-left-60[ What does it really *need*?  ] .pull-right-40[] --- ### Consider the **Eastern Hellbender** Near threatened in New York State. Range restricted, mainly, to .green[**"temperate broadleaf and mixed forest"**] biome.  --- ### Other salamanders? Let's compare other salamanders present in New York State. **My *Naive* Prediction:** They will mainly be limited to the principle biome of New York State (.green["temperate broadleaf and mixed forest"]). Because generally: **small ranges** and **confined to streams**.  .footnotesize[ Quick analysis: - Download Ecoregions (e.g. from [here](https://www.gislounge.com/terrestrial-ecoregions-gis-data/)) - Get species ranges of all amphibians from [IUCN](https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/spatial-data-download) ] --- ### In fact ... quite a few "biome generalist!"  --- ### Let's look at a couple more species more closely  Predictably, the smaller the range, the more specialized. But **why**? --- ## Ask the question: **What do they really need?** .pull-left.small[ ### Wehrle’s Salamander  "*... found in upland forests and woodlands (e.g., red spruce-yellow birch, *mixed deciduous*). Found in rock crevices, under rocks, logs, and leaves, and in twilight zone of caves (at lower elevations). Eggs are laid in damp logs, moss, cave crevices, and other protected sites.*" [IUCN - Wehrle's Salamander](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59362/56286906#habitat-ecology) ] -- .pull-right.small[ ### Tiger Salamander  "*Can be found in virtually **any habitat**, providing there is a terrestrial substrate suitable for burrowing and a body of water ... for breeding. Terrestrial adults usually are underground, in self-made burrows or in those made by rodents, shrews, or other animals ... This species seems tolerant of habitat disturbance.*" [IUCN - Eastern Tiger Salamander](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/83293207/196342827#habitat-ecology) ] --- ## What do they really need = **Habitat** lots of possible definitions ... from very limiting ones: > "the place where an organism lives; where one would go to find it" (Odum, 1971) -- *But isn't that just **range**!?* -- To somewhat vague ones: > "the place where a plant or animal *normally* (!?) lives, often characterized by a dominant plant form or physical characteristic." (Ricklefs, 1973) What does **normally** mean? --- ## Decent working definition: .pull-left-60[ > "An **area** with the combination of **resources** (like food, cover, water) and the **environmental conditions** (temperature, precipitation, presence or absence of predators and competitors) that **promotes occupancy** by individuals of a given species (or population) and allows those individuals to **survive** and **reproduce**." > > Morrison 2012 ] .pull-right-40[  ] --- ## Components of Widlife Habitat *Habitat: Biotic and abiotic factors * Typically, enumerated as: component | description :---|:---- **food** | Very important (obviously)! **water** | Also important **shelter** | Dens / burrows / nesting sites / predator avoidance **space** | Important, especially, for territorial animals. But ultimately linked with food & shelter. These interact in complex ways, but are often used as a "checklist" for direct habitat restoration efforts. --- ## Components of Widlife Habitat I would definitely add ... component | description :---|:---- food / water | ... shelter | ... space | ... .red[**reproduction**] | .red[Minimal presence of conspecifics] .red[**survival**] | .red[Ability to avoid predation] Coming back to definition: > .small[.green["An area with the combination of resources (like food, cover, water) and the environmental conditions (temperature, precipitation, **presence or absence of predators and competitors**) that promotes occupancy by individuals of a given species (or population) and **allows those individuals to survive and reproduce**."]] --- ## Definition: **Habitat type** Description of an .blue[*ecological community*] (much finer than **biome**), often used synonymously with .green[*vegetation type*]. - **Habitat** is species specific - **Habitat type** describes an area that includes many species -- ### How many are there?  --- ## How many **habitat types** are there? Totally depends on context and group of interest! .pull-left-60[ #### Habitat types for herps in NE. USA: .small[ - Seasonal Isolated Wetlands - Wet Meadows, Bogs, and Fens - Permanent Wetlands - Small Streams, Springs, and Seepages - Rivers - Estuarine and Coastal - Hardwood Forests - Spruce and Fir Forests - Xeric Upland and Pine Forests - Grasslands and Old Fields - Rock Outcrops and Talus - Caves and Karst - Agricultural Lands - Urban and Residential Systems ]] .pull-right-40[  [(Mitchell et al. 2010)](http://northeastparc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Final-NE-HMG.pdf) ] --- ## **Habitat** can be VERY specific .pull-left-40[ How do 5 species of warbler co-exist in one tree?  [(MacArthur 1958)](http://193.204.79.40/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/MacArthur1958.pdf) ] .pull-right-60[ By sharing very specific portions of the tree!  ] --- ## **Habitat** depends on life cycle .pull-left-60[ **Reproduction / early rearing habitat** - Can be extremely specific - Tends to prioritize *shelter*/*protection* **Dispersal/migration habitat** - Tends to be ... just about *anything* **Foraging habitat** - Good food to get fat! **Breeding habitat** - Mainly requires presence of conspecifics! - (often but not always same as "reproduction" habitat) ] .pull-right-40[  .small[**Spotted owl** (*Strix occidentalis*) - very picky about nesting habitat] ] --- ### What is Pacific salmon (*Oncorhynnchus spp.*) habitat?  --- ### Habitat Specialists vs. Generalists .pull-left[**Raccoon** (*Procyon lotor*)  ] .pull-right[**Koala** (*Phascolarctos cinereu*)  ] -- .pull-left[.small[ - very **catholic** diet (omnivorous) - very **behaviorally adaptable** - deciduous / mixed forests, mountains, urban/suburban environments, coastal marshes ] **Generalists** are good invaders. ] .pull-right[ - Strict eucalyptus diet - Strict arboreal lifestyle - Pretty small range .small[ Specialists are (generally) more vulnerable to environmental change / fragmentation / perturbation / habitat loss. ] ] --- ## Very closely related species ... .pull-left[ **Brown bear** (*Ursus arctos*)  ] .pull-right[ **Polar bear** (*Ursus maritimus*)  ] .pull-left-60[] .pull-right-40[**VERY RECENT** divergence ~100,000 ya .center.footnotesize[([Kumar et al. 2017](https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46487))] ] --- ## Very closely related species can be quite different .pull-left[ **Brown bear** (*Ursus arctos*)  ] .pull-right[ **Polar bear** (*Ursus maritimus*)  ] .pull-left[ - Highly adaptible diet - Found in forest / mountain / savannah / tundra ] .pull-right[ - Reliant almost entirely on seal meat on floating sea ice. ] shift in diet completely transformed their "habitat". Polar bears are (in consequence) more vulnerable to climate change / sea-ice loss. --- ## **Habitat Connectivity** is very important for specialists .pull-left-40[ **Habitat Fragmentation** is decrease in connectivity. For **specialists**, patchily distributed resources HAVE to be accessible. ] .pull-right-60[  ] --- ### **Specialists** vs. **Fragmentation** French breeding birds: **More fragmented** environments leads to **less specialized communities**  .center[[(Clavel et al. 2011)](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/080216)] --- ## **Habitat connectivity** is also good ... ... for **wide-ranging animals** (esp. terrestrial migrants) to connect ranges. **I-80** is a major barrier seasonal ranges for migratory mammals.  <br> <br><br> .footnotesize.center[([Wyoming migration initiative](https://migrationinitiative.org/content/interstate-80-wildlife-barrier-projects))] --- ## **Habitat complexity** is good Even when considering a single species (e.g. Chinook salmon *Oncorhynchus tshawytscha*) in a single river ... the more **complexity** the better, because of different needs for *food*, *shelter*, *rearing*, *life stages*. <br> <br>  A very, very common goal in habitat restoration is enhancing **complexity**. <br> <br> .footnotesize.center[([Snake River Salmon Recovery](https://snakeriverboard.org/tucannon-river-habitat-restoration/habitat-complexity/))] --- ## **Habitat** depends on scale .pull-left-40[ Hierarchy of scale: **1st order:** Geographical range **2nd order:** Selection of home range **3rd order:** Patches within home range **4th order:** Resource patch ([Johnson 1980](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2307/1937156)) ] .pull-right-60[  ] --- ## Habitat alteration ... **is OVERWHELMINGLY the single greatest threat (& impact) to wildlife and ecosystems** ### Habitat alteration types .red[**Habitat destruction/conversion:** - physical loss of one habitat (by necessity replaced by another)] -- .red[**Habitat fragmentation:** - breaking large continuous blocks of habitat into smaller patches - increasing barriers to movement] -- .red[**Habitat degradation:** - changing composition, structure, or function of an ecosystem] -- .blue[**Habitat enhancement:** habitat restoration] --- background-image: url('images/lungs.jpg') background-size: cover # .white[**Some takeaways**] .content-box-yellow.small[ - Animals are not distributed uniformly in space - There is wide variability in the **geographic ranges** of species - Largely - animal communities vary with global **biomes** ] -- .content-box-yellow.small[ The **habitat** concept ... - is extremely **fundamental** but **very complex** - depends on **scale** - depends on ecological interactions - depends on **life cycle** and **behavior** and **subpopulation** and **season** - generally: **connectivity** and **complexity** are very important ] -- .content-box-yellow.small[ **humans** - Have mainly altered habitats **destructively** - But are also capable of enhancing habitats - by emphasizing **complexity** and **connectivity** and **interactions** and **awareness of scale** ] --- ## Some References .tiny[ - MacArthur, R. H. 1958. Population ecology of some warblers of Northeastern coniferous forests. Ecology 39:599–619. - Mitchell, J.C., A.R. Breisch, and K.A. Buhlmann. 2006. Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northeastern United States. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Technical Publication HMG-3, Montgomery, Alabama. 108 pp. - Bond, M. L., D. E. Lee, R. B. Siegel, and J. P. Ward. 2009. Habitat Use and Selection by California Spotted Owls in a Postfire Landscape. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:1116–1124. - Clavel, J., R. Julliard, and V. Devictor. 2011. Worldwide decline of specialist species: toward a global functional homogenization? Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9:222–228. - Hall, L. S., P. R. Krausman, and M. L. Morrison. 1997. The Habitat Concept and a Plea for Standard Terminology. Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:173–182. - Hijmans, R. J., and C. H. Graham. 2006. The ability of climate envelope models to predict the effect of climate change on species distributions: Comparing Climate Envelope and Mechanistic Models. Global Change Biology 12:2272–2281. - Hoekstra, J. M., T. M. Boucher, T. H. Ricketts, and C. Roberts. 2004. Confronting a biome crisis: global disparities of habitat loss and protection: Confronting a biome crisis. Ecology Letters 8:23–29. Kearney, M. 2006. Habitat, environment and niche: what are we modelling? Oikos 115:186–191. - Johnson, D. H. (1980). The comparison of usage and availability measurements for evaluating resource preference. Ecology, 61(1), 65-71. - Kirk, D. A., A. C. Park, A. C. Smith, B. J. Howes, B. K. Prouse, N. G. Kyssa, E. N. Fairhurst, and K. A. Prior. 2018. Our use, misuse, and abandonment of a concept: Whither habitat? Ecology and Evolution 8:4197–4208. - Krausman, P. R. (n.d.). Some Basic Principles of Habitat Use:6. - Martin, A. E., and L. Fahrig. 2018. Habitat specialist birds disperse farther and are more migratory than habitat generalist birds. Ecology 99:2058–2066. - Morrison, M. L., B. G. Marcot, and R. W. Mannan. 1992. Wildlife-habitat relationships: concepts and applications. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wis. ]