Cat predation on wildlife in Haute Savoie, France

Vuagnat-Kolter, M. Prédation du chat domestique, Felis catus (linnaeus, 1758) sur la faune sauvage, dans une commune péri-urbaine de Haute-Savoie (74). Le Bièvre, 22.

Le chat domestique, Felis catus (Linnaeus, 1758) est une espèce invasive, un redoutable prédateur et un animal de compagnie qui ne dépend pas de la disponibilité des proies pour survivre. Ces trois aspects associés à l’importante densité de chats font de sa prédation sur la faune sauvage, un facteur important dans le fonctionnement des écosystèmes, qui peut entraîner localement le déclin d’espèces
indigènes. La présente étude a eu lieu en Haute-Savoie dans la commune de Feigères. Toutes les proies  ramenées au domicile par 44 chats domestiques ont été identifiées sur une durée de 3 mois. Un total de 163 proies ont été tuées (86 micromammifères, 69 oiseaux, 8 reptiles) pour une moyenne de 3,7 proies par chat. Neuf espèces d’oiseaux ont été identifiées, parmi lesquelles le moineau domestique (58 %) est le plus représentée devant le merle noir (13  %). Le moineau domestique est placé en première position car il est commensal de l’homme et vit dans toutes sortes de zones modifiées par celui-ci, notamment les jardins. L’extrapolation des résultats à l’échelle de la commune montre que 2068 proies dont 878 oiseaux ont été potentiellement tuées sur trois mois entre mi-avril et mi-juillet. Le suivi télémétrique réalisé sur une durée de cinq semaines sur cinq chats, a permis de démontrer que les chats sont inactifs la majeur partie du temps (77 %) et que leurs périodes d’activité privilégiées sont l’aube et le crépuscule, lorsque les températures sont les plus basses de la journée. Le domaine vital des chats est relativement petit, ils n’effectuent pas de grandes distances et occupent principalement leur foyer ainsi que le jardin attenant à celui-ci.

The domestic cat Felix catus (Linn. 1758) is an invasive species, a formidable predator and a pet which is not dependent on the availability of prey for its survival. These three elements, plus the high density of cats, make its preying on wildlife a major factor in the functioning of ecosystems. This can lead to a decline in indigenous species locally. The present study took place in the Haute-Savoie department (France), in the commune of Feigères. All the prey brought home by 44 domestic cats were identified over a period of 3 months. There were 163 prey items in all (86 small mammals, 69 birds and 8 reptiles) for an average of 3.7 prey items per cat. 9 species of bird were identified, among which the House Sparow was the most numerous (58  %) followed by Blackbird (13  %). The House Sparrow came first because it is closely associated with man and lives in all sorts of places modified by him, notably gardens. Extrapolating the results to the scale of the commune produces 2068 prey items including 878 birds which were potentially killed over the three-month period from mid-April to mid-July. Radiotracking carried out on 5 cats over 5 weeks showed that cats are inactive most
(77  %) of the time. Their preferred periods of activity are dawn and dusk when the day temperatures are at their lowest. The cats’ territories are relatively small, not covering large distances, and mainly
occupy their homes and the adjacent gardens.

Feral cat virus infection prevalence, survival, population density, and multi-scale habitat use in an exurban landscape

Normand, C. M. (2014). Feral cat virus infection prevalence, survival, population density, and multi-scale habitat use in an exurban landscape (Doctoral dissertation, ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY).

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are ubiquitous in natural and anthropogenically modified ecosystems and they negatively impact their environments. Prior research into feral cat ecology in the U.S. has focused primarily on feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) prevalence, spatial organization, and home ranges of cats in urban and rural areas, but information concerning habitat use or exurban feral cat populations is sparse. The purpose of my research is to investigate feral cat virus infection prevalence; survival; population density; and macro- and microhabitat use in exurban Russellville, Arkansas. During October 2012 – August 2013, I captured 93 feral cats and collected blood from each individual for FeLV/FIV testing. I also fit mortality sensing radiocollars on 29 adult cats and conducted radiotelemetry over 65 weeks to determine survival, home range sizes, and to identify summer daytime resting sites (DRSs). I used multivariate analyses to determine 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order habitat use. The combined FeLV and FIV prevalence was 29.02% and I estimated annual feral cat survival as 0.99 with male cats having a greater survival rate than females. In general, annual home range areas (15.17 - 19.76ha) were larger than warm season (9.03 - 15.33ha), but not different from cold season ranges (11.09 - 23.91ha). Home ranges were larger than core areas (2.97 - 5.09ha) for all seasons. Male cat home ranges (22.14 - 29.17ha) were larger than female ranges (9.60 - 12.26ha), but virus status and body condition score did not influence range sizes. Feral cat population density within Russellville was 0.10cats/ha. Second and 3rd order habitat use analyses indicated feral cats used open-low and medium-high intensity development disproportionately to land cover availability and 4 th order analysis identified thick vegetation within these land cover types as the most frequently used DRSs. Although feral cat population density is relatively low, high virus infection prevalence, high annual survival, and large home ranges imply cats have the potential for substantial influence on the community. These results suggest that the city of Russellville would benefit from the development of a feral cat management plan, which would require long-term, intensive efforts

Mediterranean mesocarnivore communities along urban and ex-urban gradients

RECIO, M. R., ARIJA, C. M., CABEZAS-DÍAZ, S., & VIRGÓS, E. (2015). Changes in Mediterranean mesocarnivore communities along urban and ex-urban gradients.

Urbanization causes wildlife habitat loss, fragmentation, and the replacement of specialist species by generalists and/or exotic taxa. Because mesocarnivores are particularly vulnerable to habitat modifications, the rapid expansion of urban areas and the increasing trend for ex-urban development occurring in Mediterranean ecosystems may be major drivers of change in mesocarnivore communities. We combined camera trapping and sign surveys to quantify the richness and relative abundance of a set of wild and domestic mesocarnivores. We quantified these variables controlling for the gradient of urbanism, ex-urbanism, and other environmental variables in patches of natural vegetation in the region of Madrid (central Spain), and a non-urbanized control area ~220 km south of Madrid city. Using conditional autoregressive models (CAR) and model selection procedures, we found that urbanization influenced mesocarnivore community composition but this influence was not detrimental for all the species tested. Generalist carnivores such as the red fox Vulpes vulpes were more abundant in urban and ex-urban areas. Ex-urban development creates overlapping areas between wild and domestic species (such as the domestic cat Felis catus and the wildcat Felis silvestris) but contact between wild and domestic carnivores in natural areas is unlikely. Detection of species in the control area was very low. Therefore, the impact of urbanization in causing changes in mesocarnivore communities may be less than other factors such as illegal predator culling [Current Zoology 61 () : – , 2015 ].

Exurban development and biodiversity

Hansen, A. J., Knight, R. L., Marzluff, J. M., Powell, S., Brown, K., Gude, P. H., & Jones, K. (2005). Effects of exurban development on biodiversity: patterns, mechanisms, and research needs. Ecological Applications, 15(6), 1893-1905.

Low-density rural home development is the fastest-growing form of land use in the United States since 1950. This “exurban” development (6–25 homes/km²) includes urban fringe development (UFD) on the periphery of cities and rural residential development (RRD) in rural areas attractive in natural amenities. This paper synthesizes current knowledge on the effects of UFD and RRD. We present two case studies and examine the patterns of biodiversity response and the ecological mechanisms that may underlie these responses. We found that many native species have reduced survival and reproduction near homes, and native species richness often drops with increased exurban densities. Exotic species, some human-adapted native species, and species from early successional stages often increase with exurban development. These relationships are sometimes nonlinear, with sharp thresholds in biodiversity response. These effects may be manifest for several decades following exurban development, so that biodiversity is likely still responding to the wave of exurban expansion that has occurred since 1950. The location of exurban development is often nonrandom relative to biodiversity because both are influenced by biophysical factors. Consequently, the effects on biodiversity may be disproportionately large relative to the area of exurban development. RRD is more likely than UFD to occur near public lands; hence it may have a larger influence on nature reserves and wilderness species. The ecological mechanisms that may underlie these responses involve alteration of habitat, ecological processes, biotic interactions, and increased human disturbance. Research on the patterns and mechanisms of biodiversity remains underdeveloped, and comparative and experimental studies are needed. Knowledge resulting from such studies will increase our ability to understand, manage, and mitigate negative impacts on biodiversity.

Exurban development brings cats and dogs and changes bird communities

Maestas, J. D., Knight, R. L., & Gilgert, W. C. (2003). Biodiversity across a Rural Land‐Use Gradient. Conservation Biology, 17(5), 1425-1434.

Private lands in the American West are undergoing a land-use conversion from agriculture to exurban development, although little is known about the ecological consequences of this change. Some nongovernmental organizations are working with ranchers to keep their lands out of development and in ranching, ostensibly because they believe biodiversity is better protected on ranches than on exurban developments. However, there are several assumptions underlying this approach that have not been tested. To better inform conservation efforts, we compared avian, mesopredator, and plant communities across the gradient of intensifying human uses from nature reserves to cattle ranches to exurban developments. We conducted surveys at randomly selected points on each type of land use in one Colorado watershed between May and August of 2000 and 2001. Seven bird species, characterized as human commensals or tree nesters, reached higher densities (all p < 0.02) on exurban developments than on either ranches or reserves. Six bird species, characterized as ground and shrub nesters, reached greater densities (all p < 0.015) on ranches, reserves, or both of these types of land use than on exurban developments. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and house cats (Felis catus) were encountered almost exclusively on exurban developments, whereas coyotes (Canis latrans) were detected more frequently (p = 0.047) on ranchlands than exurban developments. Ranches had plant communities with higher native species richness and lower non-native species richness and cover than did the other types of land use (all p < 0.10). Our results support the notion that ranches are important for protecting biodiversity and suggest that future conservation efforts may require less reliance on reserves and a greater focus on private lands.

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Los terrenos privados del oeste de América están experimentando una conversión del suelo de un uso agrícola a un uso urbano, aunque se conoce poco acerca de las consecuencias ecológicas de este cambio. Algunas organizaciones no gubernamentales están trabajando con granjeros para que sus tierras permanezcan sin urbanizar, ostensiblemente porque piensan que la biodiversidad se protege mejor en tierras rurales que en urbanizaciones. Sin embargo, hay varios supuestos subyacentes a este modelo que no han sido comprobadas. Para informarnos mejor sobre los esfuerzos de conservación, comparamos comunidades de aves, mesodepredadores y plantas a lo largo del gradiente de intensidad de uso humano de reservas naturales, granjas y zonas de urbanización. Realizamos muestreos en sitios seleccionados aleatoriamente en cada uso de suelo en una cuenca del Colorado entre mayo y agosto de 2000 y 2001. Siete especies de aves, caracterizadas como comensales humanos o nidificantes arbóreos, alcanzaron densidades más altas (todas p < 0.02) en urbanizaciones nuevas que en granjas o reservas. Seis especies de aves, caracterizadas como nidificantes de suelo y arbustos, alcanzaron densidades mayores (todas p < 0.015) en granjas, reservas o usos mixtos del suelo que en las nuevas urbanizaciones. Se encontraron perros (Canis familiaris) y gatos (Felis catus) domésticos casi exclusivamente en nuevas urbanizaciones, mientras que se detectaron coyotes (Canis latrans) más frecuentemente (p = 0.047) en granjas que en nuevas urbanizaciones. Las granjas tenían comunidades de plantas con mayor riqueza de especies nativas y menor riqueza y cobertura de especies no nativas que en todos los demás usos de suelo (todas p < 0.10). Nuestros resultados apoyan la noción de que las granjas son importantes para la protección de la biodiversidad y sugieren que los futuros esfuerzos de conservación pueden requerir de menos confianza en las reservas y un mayor enfoque en terrenos privados.

Urban and periurban mammal communities and its importance to conservation

Chupp, A. D., Roder, A. M., Battaglia, L. L., & Pagels, J. F. (2013). A case study of urban and peri-urban mammal communities: Implications for the management of National Park Service areas. Northeastern Naturalist, 20(4), 631-654.

The primary objective of this study was to compare urban and peri-urban mammal assemblages and relate variation in these communities to local differences in vegetation. We surveyed 15 locations in both urban and peri-urban habitats (n = 30). Boundaries of our survey areas coincided with those of National Park Service (NPS) areas in central Virginia. Over a 14-month period, we used five trap-types to document species in three guilds. A total of 9 and 15 species were documented at urban and peri-urban locations, respectively. Top predators Canis latrans (Coyote) and Felis rufus (Bobcat) were undetected at urban sites, while mesopredators were consistently more abundant. The absence of four small prey species and reduced abundances of the most common native generalist, Peromyscus leucopus (White-footed Mouse), were also associated with urban locations. Multivariate analyses of relative abundance data indicated significantly dissimilar mammal communities in urban and peri-urban locations. Shrub cover was highest in peri-urban locations, while grass cover was highest in urban sites—a pattern that was only marginally significant due to greater variability among these sites. The exotic grass Microstegium vimineum (Japanese Stiltgrass) was present at several urban sites and contributed to the complex relationship between percent grass cover and the small-mammal assemblages that we surveyed. Our results suggest that disturbances that reduce the recruitment of shrubs and other native plants and promote the spread of invasive grasses may have severe consequences for small-mammal communities. In addition, culturally preserved areas within both survey sites (i.e., battlefields planted with fescue grasses) were inhospitable to most small-mammal species and wildlife in general. In many NPS areas, there is great opportunity for development of adaptive management strategies that integrate ongoing NPS efforts to control invasive plant species with the enhancement of wildlife habitat in both culturally and naturally preserved areas. There is an urgent need for the conservation of native habitat in NPS areas and non-park sites threatened by urbanization. The primary focus of these efforts should include the control of exotic species and mesopredators, facilitation of native shrub recruitment, and, in many of these areas, the ecological restoration of historic sites. NPS lands in urbanized areas offer unique conditions for wildlife management and abundant opportunities for conserving native communities.

Gradient of habitat use of mammals

Goad, E. H. (2013). Mammalian habitat use along a residential development gradient in Northern Colorado (Doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University).

“Exurban” development occupies nearly five times more land in the United States than urban and suburban development combined. Understanding the effects of exurban development on biodiversity thus has important and wide-ranging implications for the planning, construction and stewardship of sustainable communities and surrounding rural lands. To assess the impact of exurban development on mammalian habitat use, wildlife cameras were placed along a unique development gradient designed to capture landscape permeability in a rapidly growing rural region of Colorado. Multiple-season species occupancy and relative activity (frequency of detections) were measured in summer and winter seasons and these data were analyzed in conjunction with a novel, acoustic-based approach to assessing human activity. Impacts of exurban housing varied by mammal species, with some species, such as bobcats, elk, and coyotes, showing decreased activity and occupancy levels at higher housing densities, whereas others, including red foxes and Abert’s squirrels, occurred more frequently in these areas. Human-sourced activities associated with development and non-natural sound levels emerged as top models for most species. Relative activity rates corroborated occupancy results, indicating that some species not only use habitat in high density areas, they use it more frequently. In addition, some species, including black bears, preferentially used embedded reenbelts in highdensity exurban subdivisions, suggesting that greenbelts may be important for structural and functional connectivity. This study demonstrates that the impacts of exurban development are species–dependent. However, incorporating well-designed and naturally vegetated open spaces into development projects and minimizing human disturbance may be critical to mitigating development impacts to most wildlife in regions undergoing continued exurban expansion.

Effect of exurban growing on vertebrate abundance

Odell, E. A., & Knight, R. L. (2001). Songbird and Medium‐Sized Mammal Communities Associated with Exurban Development in Pitkin County, Colorado. Conservation Biology, 15(4), 1143-1150.

Residential development is occurring at unprecedented rates in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, with unknown ecological consequences. We conducted our research in exurban development in Pitkin County, Colorado, between May and June in 1998 and 1999. Unlike suburban development, exurban development occurs beyond incorporated city limits, and the surrounding matrix remains the original ecosystem type. We surveyed songbirds and medium-sized mammals at 30, 180, and 330 m away from 40 homes into undeveloped land to examine the effect of houses along a distance gradient, and in developments of two different housing densities as well as undeveloped sites to examine the effect of housing density. We placed bird species into one of two groups for the house-distance effect: (1) human-adapted species, birds that occurred in higher densities close to developments and lower densities farther away and (2) human-sensitive species, birds that occurred in highest densities farthest from homes and in lowest densities close to development. For both groups, densities of individual species were statistically different between the 30- and 180-m sites. Six species were classified as human-adapted, and six were classified as human-sensitive for the house-distance effect. Dogs (Canis familiaris) and house cats ( Felis domesticus) were detected more frequently closer to homes than farther away, and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans) were detected more frequently farther away from houses. With respect to the effect of housing density, most avian densities did not differ significantly between high- and low-density development but were statistically different from undeveloped sites. Six species were present in higher densities in developed areas, and eight species were present in higher densities in undeveloped parcels. Similar results were found for mammalian species, with dogs and cats detected more frequently in high-density developments and red foxes and coyotes detected more frequently in undeveloped parcels of land. From an ecological standpoint, it is preferable to cluster houses and leave the undeveloped areas in open space, as opposed to dispersing houses across the entire landscape.

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El desarrollo residencial esta ocurriendo en el oeste de las Montañas Rocallosas a ritmos sin precedente, con consecuencias ecológicas desconocidas. Desarrollamos nuestra investigación en un desarrollo exurbano en el Condado Pitkin, Colorado entre mayo y junio de 1998 y 1999. A diferencia del desarrollo suburbano, el desarrollo exurbano ocurre más allá de los límites de la ciudad y en la matriz que lo rodea permanece el ecosistema original. Registramos aves canoras y mamíferos pequeños a 30, 180 y 330 m de 40 casas en terrenos sin desarrollar para examinar el efecto de las casas a los largo de un gradiente de distancia, y en desarrollos con dos diferentes densidades de casas para examinar el efecto de la densidad. Colocamos a las especies de aves en uno de dos grupos para el efecto casa –distancia 1) especies adaptadas al humano, aves con la mayor densidad cerca de los desarrollos urbanos y menor densidad lejos de ellos y 2) especies sensibles al humano, aves que ocurrían con la mayor densidad lejos de los hogares y menor densidad cerca del desarrollo urbano. Para ambos grupos, las densidades de especies individuales fueron estadísticamente distintas en los sitios entre 30 y 180 m. Seis especies fueron clasificadas como adaptadas al humano y seis fueron clasificadas como especies sensibles al humano para el efecto casa – distancia. Se detectaron perros ( Canis familiaris) y gatos ( Felis domesticus) con mayor frecuencia cerca de las casas que lejos de ellas, y se detectaron zorros rojos ( Vulpes vulpes) y coyotes (Canis latrans) con mayor frecuencia lejos de las casas. Respecto al efecto de la densidad de casas, la mayoría de las densidades de aves no fueron significativamente diferentes entre el desarrollo de alta y baja densidad, pero fueron estadísticamente distintas de los sitios sin desarrollo. Seis especies tuvieron mayor densidad en los sitios desarrollados y ocho especies presentaron mayor densidad en las parcelas no desarrolladas. Se encontraron resultados similares para las especies de mamíferos, detectándose perros y gatos más frecuentemente en desarrollos con alta densidad; mientras que zorros rojos y coyotes fueron detectados más frecuentemente en las parcelas sin desarrollo. Desde una perspectiva ecológica, es preferible agrupar las casas y dejar las áreas sin desarrollo en espacios abiertos, y no dispersar las casas por todo el paisaje.