@article{VoigtSchollBaueretal.2020, author = {Voigt, Christian and Scholl, Julia M. and Bauer, Juliane and Teige, Tobias and Yovel, Yossi and Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie and Gras, Pierre}, title = {Movement responses of common noctule bats to the illuminated urban landscape}, series = {Landscape ecology}, volume = {35}, journal = {Landscape ecology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {0921-2973}, doi = {10.1007/s10980-019-00942-4}, pages = {189 -- 201}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Context Cities are a challenging habitat for obligate nocturnal mammals because of the ubiquitous use of artificial light at night (ALAN). How nocturnal animals move in an urban landscape, particularly in response to ALAN is largely unknown. Objectives We studied the movement responses, foraging and commuting, of common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) to urban landscape features in general and ALAN in particular. Methods We equipped 20 bats with miniaturized GPS loggers in the Berlin metropolitan area and related spatial positions of bats to anthropogenic and natural landscape features and levels of ALAN. Results Common noctules foraged close to ALAN only next to bodies of water or well vegetated areas, probably to exploit swarms of insects lured by street lights. In contrast, they avoided illuminated roads, irrespective of vegetation cover nearby. Predictive maps identified most of the metropolitan area as non-favoured by this species because of high levels of impervious surfaces and ALAN. Dark corridors were used by common noctules for commuting and thus likely improved the permeability of the city landscape. Conclusions We conclude that the spatial use of common noctules, previously considered to be more tolerant to light than other bats, is largely constrained by ALAN. Our study is the first individual-based GPS tracking study to show sensitive responses of nocturnal wildlife to light pollution. Approaches to protect urban biodiversity need to include ALAN to safeguard the larger network of dark habitats for bats and other nocturnal species in cities.}, language = {en} } @article{DrygalaZoller2013, author = {Drygala, Frank and Zoller, Hinrich}, title = {Spatial use and interaction of the invasive raccoon dog and the native red fox in Central Europe - competition or coexistence?}, series = {European journal of wildlife research}, volume = {59}, journal = {European journal of wildlife research}, number = {5}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1612-4642}, doi = {10.1007/s10344-013-0722-y}, pages = {683 -- 691}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The main objective was to discover extent of interference and/or exploitative competition between the native red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the introduced, invasive raccoon dog (Nyctereues proconoides) in the intensively used, agricultural landscape of northeast Germany (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) using very high frequency (VHF) radio telemetry. We recorded location data for 12 foxes and 16 raccoon dogs between July 2004 and December 2006. Species had similar average home range sizes estimated in each season (K95). Home ranges of adjacent raccoon dogs and foxes overlapped from 0.5 to 74.5 \% with a mean of 26.4 \%. We found a significantly different home range overlap index between the species showing that raccoon dog ranges shifted between seasons to a greater extent than red fox ranges. The raccoon dog differed significantly from the red fox in its use of habitat types, preferring dense vegetation cover and avoiding open areas. The red fox displayed less preference for or avoidance of specific habitat types. Moreover, an almost neutral inter-specific interaction index ranging from -0.12 to 0.12 indicates that raccoon dogs and red foxes ignored each other. It is concluded that widespread and available resources and differences in spatial use patterns prevent competition between red foxes and raccoon dogs in the agricultural landscape of northeast Germany.}, language = {en} } @article{DammhahnRandriamoriaGoodman2017, author = {Dammhahn, Melanie and Randriamoria, Toky M. and Goodman, Steven M.}, title = {Broad and flexible stable isotope niches in invasive non-native Rattus spp. in anthropogenic and natural habitats of central eastern Madagascar}, series = {BMC ecology}, volume = {17}, journal = {BMC ecology}, publisher = {BioMed Central}, address = {London}, issn = {1472-6785}, doi = {10.1186/s12898-017-0125-0}, pages = {13}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Background: Rodents of the genus Rattus are among the most pervasive and successful invasive species, causing major vicissitudes in native ecological communities. A broad and flexible generalist diet has been suggested as key to the invasion success of Rattus spp. Here, we use an indirect approach to better understand foraging niche width, plasticity, and overlap within and between introduced Rattus spp. in anthropogenic habitats and natural humid forests of Madagascar. Results: Based on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values measured in hair samples of 589 individual rodents, we found that Rattus rattus had an extremely wide foraging niche, encompassing the isotopic space covered by a complete endemic forest-dwelling Malagasy small mammal community. Comparisons of Bayesian standard ellipses, as well as (multivariate) mixed-modeling analyses, revealed that the stable isotope niche of R. rattus tended to change seasonally and differed between natural forests and anthropogenic habitats, indicating plasticity in feeding niches. In co-occurrence, R. rattus and Rattus norvegicus partitioned feeding niches. Isotopic mismatch of signatures of individual R. rattus and the habitat in which they were captured, indicate frequent dispersal movements for this species between natural forest and anthropogenic habitats. Conclusions: Since R. rattus are known to transmit a number of zoonoses, potentially affecting communities of endemic small mammals, as well as humans, these movements presumably increase transmission potential. Our results suggest that due to their generalist diet and potential movement between natural forest and anthropogenic habitats, Rattus spp. might affect native forest-dependent Malagasy rodents as competitors, predators, and disease vectors. The combination of these effects helps explain the invasion success of Rattus spp. and the detrimental effects of this genus on the endemic Malagasy rodent fauna.}, language = {en} }