TY - JOUR A1 - Voigt, Christian A1 - Scholl, Julia M. A1 - Bauer, Juliane A1 - Teige, Tobias A1 - Yovel, Yossi A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Gras, Pierre T1 - Movement responses of common noctule bats to the illuminated urban landscape JF - Landscape ecology N2 - 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. KW - Urbanization KW - GPS tracking KW - Artificial light at night KW - ALAN KW - Habitat use KW - Preference KW - Movement KW - Common noctule bat Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00942-4 SN - 0921-2973 SN - 1572-9761 VL - 35 IS - 1 SP - 189 EP - 201 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nitezki, Tina A1 - Schulz, Nadja A1 - Krämer, Stephanie T1 - Color matters BT - They would choose if they could (see)! JF - Laboratory animals : the international journal of laboratory animal science and welfare N2 - Concerning standardization of laboratory animal husbandry, only exiguous changes of habitat can potentially influence animal physiology or results of behavioral tests. Routinely, mice chow is dyed when different types of diets are dispensed. Given the fact that the dye itself has no effects on food odor or flavor, we wanted to test the hypothesis that the color of chow has an impact on food uptake in mice. Twelve-week-old male mice of different strains (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, C3H/HeJ, BALB/cJ; n = 12/strain) were single-housed in PhenoMaster (R) cages. After acclimatization standard mice chow in different colors was administered. Food intake was monitored as a two-alternative choice test of different color combinations. All animals had an average food intake of 3 g/d and no preferences were observed when a combination of identically colored food was offered. Preference tests yielded significant aversion to blue food and significant attraction to yellow and green food in C57BL/6 and DBA/2J mice. In C3H/HeJ and BALB/cJ mice no color-related pattern occurred. Selected mice strains have known differences concerning functionality of their visual sense. C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice are considered to be normal sighted at testing age, BALB/c is representative for albino strains and C3H mice carry mutations resulting in retinal alterations. Results suggesting that normal-sighted mice would be selective concerning food color when given the choice. Nevertheless, this does not influence overall quantity of food intake when animals were provided solely with food colored with a single dye. Moreover, visually impaired mice showed no color-related food preferences. N2 - Concernant la normalisation des élevages d’animaux de laboratoire, seuls des changements mineurs de leur habitat peuvent potentiellement influencer la physiologie des animaux ou les résultats des tests comportementaux. Habituellement, la nourriture des souris show est colorée en fonction des différents types de régimes administrés. Étant donné que la couleur n’a aucun effet sur l’odeur ou le goût des aliments, nous avons souhaité vérifier l’hypothèse selon laquelle la couleur des aliments a un impact sur la quantité consommée par les souris. Des souris mâles âgés de 12 semaines issus de différentes souches (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, C3H/HeJ, BALB/cJ; n = 12/souche) ont été hébergés individuellement dans des cages PhenoMaster®. Après une phase d’acclimatation, des aliments normaux de couleurs différentes ont été administrés. La consommation alimentaire a été mesurée dans le cadre d’un test permettant aux souris de choisir entre deux combinaisons de couleurs différentes. Tous les animaux ont consommé en moyenne 3 g de nourriture par jour et aucune préférence n’a été remarquée lorsqu’une combinaison d’aliments de couleur identique était offerte. Les tests de préférence ont révélé une forte aversion aux aliments de couleur bleue et une attirance importante envers les aliments de couleurs jaune et verte chez les souris C57BL/6 et DBA/2J. Chez les souris C3H/HeJ et BALB/cJ, aucune préférence basée sur les couleurs n’a été observée. Les lignées de souris sélectionnées présentent des différences connues en ce qui concerne la fonctionnalité de leur sens visuel. Il est considéré que les souris C57BL/6 et DBA/2 possèdent une vue normale au moment du test. La lignée BALB/c représente les souches de souris albinos et les souris C3H sont porteuses de mutations entraînant des modifications de la rétine. Les résultats suggèrent que les souris possédant une vue normale sont sélectives en ce qui concerne la couleur des aliments lorsqu’on leur donne le choix. De manière générale, ceci n’influence toutefois pas la quantité de nourriture consommée lorsque les animaux reçoivent uniquement des aliments ne présentant qu’une seule couleur. Par ailleurs, les souris malvoyantes n’ont affiché aucune préférence alimentaire associée aux couleurs. N2 - Bei der Standardisierung der Labortierhaltung können schon geringfügige Veränderungen des Habitats die Physiologie des Tieres oder die Ergebnisse von Verhaltenstests beeinflussen. Routinemäßig wird das Futter von Mäusen gefärbt, wenn verschiedene Arten von Diäten verabreicht werden. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass der Farbstoff selbst keine Auswirkungen auf den Lebensmittelgeruch oder -geschmack hat, wollten wir die Hypothese testen, dass die Futterfarbe einen Einfluss auf die Nahrungsaufnahme bei Mäusen hat. 12 Wochen alte männliche Mäuse verschiedener Stämme (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, C3H/HeJ, BALB/cJ; n = 12/Stamm) wurden einzeln in PhenoMaster® Käfigen untergebracht. Nach der Akklimatisierung wurde Standard-Mäusefutter in verschiedenen Farben verabreicht. Die Nahrungsaufnahme wurde als ein Zwei-Alternativen-Wahltest verschiedener Farbkombinationen überwacht. Alle Tiere nahmen durchschnittlich 3 g/Tag Nahrung auf und es wurden keine Präferenzen beobachtet, wenn eine Kombination von gleichfarbigen Futtermitteln angeboten wurde. Präferenztests ergaben eine signifikante Abneigung gegen blaues Futter und eine signifikante Vorliebe für gelbes und grünes Futter bei C57BL/6- und DBA/2J-Mäusen. Bei C3H/HeJ- und BALB/cJ-Mäusen waren keine farbbezogenen Muster erkennbar. Ausgewählte Stämme von Mäusen weisen bekanntermaßen Unterschiede in der Funktionalität ihres Sehsinns auf. C57BL/6- und DBA/2-Mäuse gelten im Testalter als normalsichtig, BALB/c sind repräsentativ für Albino-Stämme und C3H-Mäuse sind von Mutationen betroffen, die zu Netzhautveränderungen führen. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass normalsichtige Mäuse selektiv in Bezug auf die Futterfarbe sein dürften, sofern sie die Wahl haben. Dies hat jedoch keinen Einfluss auf die Gesamtmenge der Nahrungsaufnahme, wenn die Tiere ausschließlich mit durch einen einzigen Farbstoff gefärbtem Futter versorgt wurden. Außerdem zeigten sehbehinderte Mäuse keine farbbezogenen Futtervorlieben. KW - refinement KW - color vision KW - food choice KW - color preference KW - eating Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/0023677218766370 SN - 0023-6772 SN - 1758-1117 VL - 52 IS - 6 SP - 611 EP - 620 PB - Sage Publ. CY - Thousand Oaks ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nitezki, Tina A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Krämer, Stephanie T1 - Fatal gastric distension in a gold thioglucose mouse model of obesity JF - Laboratory Animals N2 - This case report addresses the problem of underreporting negative results and adverse side effects in animal testing. We present our findings regarding a hyperphagic mouse model associated with unforeseen high mortality. The results outline the necessity of reporting detailed information in the literature to avoid duplication. Obese mouse models are essential in the study of obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus. An experimental model of obesity can be induced by the administration of gold thioglucose (GTG). After transcending the blood-brain barrier, the GTG molecule interacts with regions of the ventromedial hypothalamus, thereby primarily targeting glucose-sensitive neurons. When these neurons are impaired, mice become insensitive to the satiety effects of glucose and develop hyperphagia. In a pilot study for optimising dosage and body weight development, C57BL/6 mice were treated with GTG (0.5 mg/g body weight) or saline, respectively. Animals were provided a physiological amount of standard diet (5 g per animal) for the first 24 hours after treatment to prevent gastric dilatation. Within 24 hours after GTG injection, all GTG-treated animals died of gastric overload and subsequent circulatory shock. Animals developed severe attacks of hyperphagia, and as the amount of provided chow was restricted, mice exhibited unforeseen pica and ingested bedding material. These observations strongly suggest that restricted feeding is contraindicated concerning GTG application. Presumably, the impulse of excessive food intake was a strong driving force. Therefore, the actual degree of suffering in the GTG-induced model of hyperphagia should be revised from moderate to severe. KW - appetite KW - distress KW - refinement KW - mortality Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/0023677218803384 SN - 0023-6772 SN - 1758-1117 VL - 53 IS - 1 SP - 89 EP - 94 PB - Sage Publ. CY - Thousand Oaks ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Henkel, Janin A1 - Coleman, Charles Dominic A1 - Schraplau, Anne A1 - Jöhrens, Korinna A1 - Weber, Daniela A1 - Castro, Jose Pedro A1 - Hugo, Martin A1 - Schulz, Tim Julius A1 - Krämer, Stephanie A1 - Schürmann, Annette A1 - Püschel, Gerhard Paul T1 - Induction of Steatohepatitis (NASH) with Insulin Resistance in Wild-type B6 Mice by a Western-type Diet Containing Soybean Oil and Cholesterol JF - Molecular medicine N2 - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are hepatic manifestations of the metabolic syndrome. Many currently used animal models of NAFLD/NASH lack clinical features of either NASH or metabolic syndrome such as hepatic inflammation and fibrosis (e.g., high-fat diets) or overweight and insulin resistance (e.g., methionine-choline-deficient diets), or they are based on monogenetic defects (e.g., ob/ob mice). In the current study, a Western-type diet containing soybean oil with high n-6-PUFA and 0.75% cholesterol (SOD + Cho) induced steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis accompanied by hepatic lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in livers of C57BL/6-mice, which in addition showed increased weight gain and insulin resistance, thus displaying a phenotype closely resembling all clinical features of NASH in patients with metabolic syndrome. In striking contrast, a soybean oil-containing Western-type diet without cholesterol (SOD) induced only mild steatosis but not hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, weight gain or insulin resistance. Another high-fat diet, mainly consisting of lard and supplemented with fructose in drinking water (LAD + Fru), resulted in more prominent weight gain, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis than SOD + Cho, but livers were devoid of inflammation and fibrosis. Although both LAD + Fru-and SOD + Cho-fed animals had high plasma cholesterol, liver cholesterol was elevated only in SOD + Cho animals. Cholesterol induced expression of chemotactic and inflammatory cytokines in cultured Kupffer cells and rendered hepatocytes more susceptible to apoptosis. In summary, dietary cholesterol in the SOD + Cho diet may trigger hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. SOD + Cho-fed animals may be a useful disease model displaying many clinical features of patients with the metabolic syndrome and NASH. KW - Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) KW - Typical Western Diet KW - Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) KW - Dietary Cholesterol KW - Kupffer Cells Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2119/molmed.2016.00203 SN - 1076-1551 SN - 1528-3658 VL - 23 SP - 70 EP - 82 PB - Feinstein Inst. for Medical Research CY - Manhasset ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Niedballa, Jürgen A1 - Pilgrim, John D. A1 - Schröder-Esselbach, Boris A1 - Lindenborn, Jana A1 - Reinfelder, Vanessa A1 - Stillfried, Milena A1 - Heckmann, Ilja A1 - Scharf, Anne K. A1 - Augeri, Dave M. A1 - Cheyne, Susan M. A1 - Hearn, Andrew J. A1 - Ross, Joanna A1 - Macdonald, David W. A1 - Mathai, John A1 - Eaton, James A1 - Marshall, Andrew J. A1 - Semiadi, Gono A1 - Rustam, Rustam A1 - Bernard, Henry A1 - Alfred, Raymond A1 - Samejima, Hiromitsu A1 - Duckworth, J. W. A1 - Breitenmoser-Wuersten, Christine A1 - Belant, Jerrold L. A1 - Hofer, Heribert A1 - Wilting, Andreas T1 - The importance of correcting for sampling bias in MaxEnt species distribution models JF - Diversity & distributions : a journal of biological invasions and biodiversity N2 - AimAdvancement in ecological methods predicting species distributions is a crucial precondition for deriving sound management actions. Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models are a popular tool to predict species distributions, as they are considered able to cope well with sparse, irregularly sampled data and minor location errors. Although a fundamental assumption of MaxEnt is that the entire area of interest has been systematically sampled, in practice, MaxEnt models are usually built from occurrence records that are spatially biased towards better-surveyed areas. Two common, yet not compared, strategies to cope with uneven sampling effort are spatial filtering of occurrence data and background manipulation using environmental data with the same spatial bias as occurrence data. We tested these strategies using simulated data and a recently collated dataset on Malay civet Viverra tangalunga in Borneo. LocationBorneo, Southeast Asia. MethodsWe collated 504 occurrence records of Malay civets from Borneo of which 291 records were from 2001 to 2011 and used them in the MaxEnt analysis (baseline scenario) together with 25 environmental input variables. We simulated datasets for two virtual species (similar to a range-restricted highland and a lowland species) using the same number of records for model building. As occurrence records were biased towards north-eastern Borneo, we investigated the efficacy of spatial filtering versus background manipulation to reduce overprediction or underprediction in specific areas. ResultsSpatial filtering minimized omission errors (false negatives) and commission errors (false positives). We recommend that when sample size is insufficient to allow spatial filtering, manipulation of the background dataset is preferable to not correcting for sampling bias, although predictions were comparatively weak and commission errors increased. Main ConclusionsWe conclude that a substantial improvement in the quality of model predictions can be achieved if uneven sampling effort is taken into account, thereby improving the efficacy of species conservation planning. KW - Borneo KW - carnivora KW - conservation planning KW - ecological niche modelling KW - maximum entropy (MaxEnt) KW - sampling bias KW - Southeast Asia KW - species distribution modelling KW - viverridae Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12096 SN - 1366-9516 SN - 1472-4642 VL - 19 IS - 11 SP - 1366 EP - 1379 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grimm, Volker A1 - Revilla, Eloy A1 - Groeneveld, Jürgen A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Schwager, Monika A1 - Tews, Jörg A1 - Wichmann, Matthias A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Importance of buffer mechanisms for population viability analysis Y1 - 2005 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dalleau, Mayeul A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Gangat, Yassine A1 - Bourjea, Jerome A1 - Lajoie, Gilles A1 - Grimm, Volker T1 - Modeling the emergence of migratory corridors and foraging hot spots of the green sea turtle JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - Environmental factors shape the spatial distribution and dynamics of populations. Understanding how these factors interact with movement behavior is critical for efficient conservation, in particular for migratory species. Adult female green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, migrate between foraging and nesting sites that are generally separated by thousands of kilometers. As an emblematic endangered species, green turtles have been intensively studied, with a focus on nesting, migration, and foraging. Nevertheless, few attempts integrated these behaviors and their trade‐offs by considering the spatial configurations of foraging and nesting grounds as well as environmental heterogeneity like oceanic currents and food distribution. We developed an individual‐based model to investigate the impact of local environmental conditions on emerging migratory corridors and reproductive output and to thereby identify conservation priority sites. The model integrates movement, nesting, and foraging behavior. Despite being largely conceptual, the model captured realistic movement patterns which confirm field studies. The spatial distribution of migratory corridors and foraging hot spots was mostly constrained by features of the regional landscape, such as nesting site locations, distribution of feeding patches, and oceanic currents. These constraints also explained the mixing patterns in regional forager communities. By implementing alternative decision strategies of the turtles, we found that foraging site fidelity and nesting investment, two characteristics of green turtles' biology, are favorable strategies under unpredictable environmental conditions affecting their habitats. Based on our results, we propose specific guidelines for the regional conservation of green turtles as well as future research suggestions advancing spatial ecology of sea turtles. Being implemented in an easy to learn open‐source software, our model can coevolve with the collection and analysis of new data on energy budget and movement into a generic tool for sea turtle research and conservation. Our modeling approach could also be useful for supporting the conservation of other migratory marine animals. KW - connectivity KW - corridors KW - individual-based model KW - migration KW - movement KW - sea turtle Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5552 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 9 IS - 18 SP - 10317 EP - 10342 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Radchuk, Viktoriia A1 - De Laender, Frederik A1 - Cabral, Juliano Sarmento A1 - Boulangeat, Isabelle A1 - Crawford, Michael Scott A1 - Bohn, Friedrich A1 - De Raedt, Jonathan A1 - Scherer, Cedric A1 - Svenning, Jens-Christian A1 - Thonicke, Kirsten A1 - Schurr, Frank M. A1 - Grimm, Volker A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie T1 - The dimensionality of stability depends on disturbance type JF - Ecology letters N2 - Ecosystems respond in various ways to disturbances. Quantifying ecological stability therefore requires inspecting multiple stability properties, such as resistance, recovery, persistence and invariability. Correlations among these properties can reduce the dimensionality of stability, simplifying the study of environmental effects on ecosystems. A key question is how the kind of disturbance affects these correlations. We here investigated the effect of three disturbance types (random, species-specific, local) applied at four intensity levels, on the dimensionality of stability at the population and community level. We used previously parameterized models that represent five natural communities, varying in species richness and the number of trophic levels. We found that disturbance type but not intensity affected the dimensionality of stability and only at the population level. The dimensionality of stability also varied greatly among species and communities. Therefore, studying stability cannot be simplified to using a single metric and multi-dimensional assessments are still to be recommended. KW - Community model KW - disturbance intensity KW - disturbance type KW - extinction KW - individual-based model KW - invariability KW - persistence KW - recovery KW - resistance Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13226 SN - 1461-023X SN - 1461-0248 VL - 22 IS - 4 SP - 674 EP - 684 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - GEN A1 - Radchuk, Viktoriia A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Grimm, Volker T1 - Transferability of mechanistic ecological models is about emergence T2 - Trends in ecology and evolution Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.010 SN - 0169-5347 SN - 1872-8383 VL - 34 IS - 6 SP - 487 EP - 488 PB - Elsevier CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Teckentrup, Lisa A1 - Grimm, Volker A1 - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Community consequences of foraging under fear JF - Ecological modelling : international journal on ecological modelling and engineering and systems ecolog N2 - Non-consumptive effects of predators within ecosystems can alter the behavior of individual prey species, and have cascading effects on other trophic levels. In this context, an understanding of non-consumptive predator effects on the whole prey community is crucial for predicting community structure and composition, hence biodiversity patterns. We used an individual-based, spatially-explicit modelling approach to investigate the consequences of landscapes of fear on prey community metrics. The model spans multiple hierarchical levels from individual home range formation based on food availability and perceived predation risk to consequences on prey community structure and composition. This mechanistic approach allowed us to explore how important factors such as refuge availability and foraging strategy under fear affect prey community metrics. Fear of predators affected prey space use, such as home range formation. These adaptations had broader consequences for the community leading to changes in community structure and composition. The strength of community responses to perceived predation risk was driven by refuge availability in the landscape and the foraging strategy of prey animals. Low refuge availability in the landscape strongly decreased diversity and total biomass of prey communities. Additionally, body mass distributions in prey communities facing high predation risk were shifted towards small prey animals. With increasing refuge availability the consequences of non-consumptive predator effects were reduced, diversity and total biomass of the prey community increased. Prey foraging strategies affected community composition. Under medium refuge availability, risk-averse prey communities consisted of many small animals while risk-taking prey communities showed a more even body mass distribution. Our findings reveal that non-consumptive predator effects can have important implications for prey community diversity and should therefore be considered in the context of conservation and nature management. KW - Predator-prey interactions KW - Individual-based model KW - Landscape of fear KW - Home range KW - Biodiversity KW - Foraging Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.05.015 SN - 0304-3800 SN - 1872-7026 VL - 383 SP - 80 EP - 90 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -