Person: Nolet, Bart A.
Nolet, Bart A.
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Nolet
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Bart A.
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- Data packageData from: Less is more: on-board lossy compression of accelerometer data increases biologging capacity(2020-01-17) Nuijten, Rascha J.M.; Gerrits, Theo; de Vries, Peter P.; Müskens, Gerhard J.D.M.; Nolet, Bart A.1. GPS‐tracking devices have been used in combination with a wide range of additional sensors to study animal behaviour, physiology and interaction with their environment. Tri‐axial accelerometers allow researchers to remotely infer the behaviour of individuals, at all places and times. Collection of accelerometer data is relatively cheap in terms of energy usage, but the amount or raw data collected generally requires much storage space and is particularly demanding in terms of energy needed for data transmission. 2. Here we propose compressing the raw ACC data into summary statistics within the tracking device (before transmission) to reduce data size, as a means to overcome limitations in storage and energy capacity. 3. We explored this type of lossy data compression in the accelerometer data of tagged Bewick's swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) collected in spring 2017. By using software settings in which bouts of 2 s of both raw ACC data and summary statistics were collected in parallel but with different bout intervals to keep total data size comparable, we created the opportunity for a direct comparison of time budgets derived by the two data collection methods. 4. We found that the data compression in our case yielded a 6 time reduction in data size per bout, and concurrent, similar decreases in storage and energy use of the device. We show that with the same accuracy of the behavioural classification, the freed memory and energy of the device can be used to increase the monitoring effort, resulting in a more detailed representation of the individuals’ time budget. Rare and/or short behaviours such as daily roost flights, were picked up significantly more when collecting summary statistics instead of raw ACC data (but note differences in sampling rate). Such level of detail can be of essential importance, for instance to make a reliable estimate of the energy budgets of individuals. 5. In conclusion, we argue that this type of lossy data compression can be a well‐considered choice in study situations where limitations in energy and storage space of the device pose a problem. Ultimately these developments can allow for long‐term and nearly continuous remote‐monitoring of the behaviour of free‐ranging animals.
- Data packageData from: Wild goose chase: geese flee high and far, and with aftereffects from New Year’s fireworks(2022-11-28) Kölzsch, Andrea; Lameris, Thomas K.; Müskens, Gerhard J.D.M.; Schreven, Kees H.T.; Buitendijk, Nelleke H.; Kruckenberg, Helmut; Moonen, Sander; Heinicke, Thomas; Cao, Lei; Madsen, Jesper; Wikelski, Martin; Nolet, Bart A.In the present Anthropocene, wild animals are globally affected by human activity. Consumer fireworks during New Year (NY) are widely distributed in W-Europe and cause strong disturbances that are known to incur stress responses in animals. We analyzed GPS tracks of 347 wild migratory geese of four species during eight NYs quantifying the effects of fireworks on individuals. We show that, in parallel with particulate matter increases, during the night of NY geese flew on average 5–16 km further and 40–150 m higher, and more often shifted to new roost sites than on previous nights. This was also true during the 2020–2021 fireworks ban, despite fireworks activity being reduced. Likely to compensate for extra flight costs, most geese moved less and increased their feeding activity in the following days. Our findings indicate negative effects of NY fireworks on wild birds beyond the previously demonstrated immediate response.
- Data packageData from: Scaring waterfowl as a management tool: how much more do geese forage after disturbance?(2016-05-20) Kölzsch, Andrea; Müskens, Gerhard J.D.M.; Nolet, Bart A.; Wikelski, Martin(1) With increasing numbers of many herbivorous waterfowl species, often foraging on farmland, the conflict with agriculture has intensified. One popular management tool is to scare birds off the land, often in association with shooting. However, the energy costs of flying are considerably higher than those of resting. Therefore, when birds fly off after a disturbance, they use extra energy that subsequently needs to be compensated. (2) We used the white-fronted goose Anser albifrons, the most common (grass-eating) species wintering in western Europe, as a model species. We measured flight durations by high-frequency accelerometer recordings over 2 × 24 h in 9 focal geese that were only incidentally disturbed. We also made direct observations on these days to determine whether the flight durations were reliably recorded. Using both a simple and a more realistic model of the energy balance, we calculated the extra grass consumption resulting from additional intentional disturbances. (3) On average, the geese flew daily 2 × 323 s (from and to their roosting sites at 3200 m), and furthermore took to the air 5.3 times during a day (and 1.9 times a night). Multiplied with the average flight durations of 195 s, this gives a total flying time of almost 0.6 h day-1 and a total foraging time of 7.4 h day-1. The extra foraging time needed to compensate for additional intentional disturbances strongly depends on the frequency of such disturbances and the following flight duration. If, for example, flights when intentionally disturbed are twice as long (2 × 195 s), the extra foraging time will be 3.7% day-1 (2.3–3.2% day-1 in the more realistic model) for each intentional disturbance, and the geese will no longer be able to cover their energy requirements when intentionally disturbed six times per day. (4) Synthesis and applications. Recent experiments suggest that geese have to be scared frequently in order to reduce goose visitation to particular fields. With an intentional disturbance rate e.g. of five times a day, the birds’ compensation for the increased energy expenditure will lead to a higher overall consumption of grass of 11.5–16 % day-1. Accommodation schemes have to take such increases in total grass consumption into account when deciding on the refuge areas to be set aside.
- Data packageData from: Flyway connectivity and exchange primarily driven by moult migration in geese [Pannonic population](2019-02-06) Müskens, Gerhard J.D.M.; Szinai, Péter; Sapi, Tamas; Kölzsch, Andrea; Wikelski, Martin; Nolet, Bart A.Background: For the conservation and management of migratory species that strongly decrease or increase due to anthropological impacts, a clear delineation of populations and quantification of possible mixing (migratory connectivity) is crucial. Usually, population exchange in migratory species is only studied in breeding or wintering sites, but we considered the whole annual cycle in order to determine important stages and sites for population mixing in an Arctic migrant. Methods: We used 91 high resolution GPS tracks of Western Palearctic greater white-fronted geese (Anser A. albifrons) from the North Sea and Pannonic populations to extract details of where and when populations overlapped and exchange was possible. Overlap areas were calculated as dynamic Brownian bridges of stopover, nest and moulting sites. Results: Utilisation areas of the two populations overlapped only somewhat during spring and autumn migration stopovers, but much during moult. During this stage, non-breeders and failed breeders of the North Sea population intermixed with geese from the Pannonic population in the Pyasina delta on Taimyr peninsula. The timing of use of overlap areas was highly consistent between populations, making exchange possible. Two of our tracked geese switched from the North Sea population flyway to the Pannonic flyway during moult on Taimyr peninsula or early during the subsequent autumn migration. Because we could follow one of them during the next year, where it stayed in the Pannonic flyway, we suggest that the exchange was long-term or permanent. Conclusions: We have identified long-distance moult migration of failed or non-breeders as a key phenomenon creating overlap between two flyway populations of geese. This supports the notion of previously suggested population exchange and migratory connectivity, but outside of classically suggested wintering or breeding sites. Our results call for consideration of moult migration and population exchange in conservation and management of our greater white-fronted geese as well as other waterfowl populations.
- Data packageData from: Movement patterns of a keystone waterbird species are highly predictable from landscape configuration(2017-03-24) Kleyheeg, Erik; van Dijk, Jacintha G.B.; Nolet, Bart A.; Soons, Merel B.Background: Movement behaviour is fundamental to the ecology of animals and their interactions with other organisms, and as such contributes to ecosystem dynamics. Waterfowl are key players in ecological processes in wetlands and surrounding habitats through predator-prey interactions and their transportation of nutrients and other organisms. Understanding the drivers of their movement behaviour is crucial to predict how environmental changes affect their role in ecosystem functioning. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are the most abundant duck species worldwide and important dispersers of aquatic invertebrates, plants and pathogens like avian influenza viruses. By GPS tracking of 97 mallards in four landscape types along a gradient of wetland availability, we identified patterns in their daily movement behaviour and quantified potential effects of weather conditions and water availability on the spatial scale of their movements. Results: We demonstrate that mallard movement patterns were highly predictable, with regular commuting flights at dusk and dawn between a fixed day roost and one or several fixed nocturnal foraging sites, linked strongly to surface water. Wind and precipitation hardly affected movement, but flight distances and home range sizes increased when temperatures dropped towards zero. Flight distances and home range sizes increased exponentially with decreasing availability of freshwater habitat. Total shoreline length and the number of water bodies in the landscape surrounding the roost were the best predictors of the spatial scale of daily mallard movements. Conclusions: Our results show how mallards may flexibly adjust the spatial scale of their movements to wetland availability in the landscape. This implies that mallards moving between discrete habitat patches continue to preserve biotic connectivity in increasingly fragmented landscapes. The high predictability of mallard movement behaviour in relation to landscape features makes them reliable dispersal vectors for organisms to adapt to, and allows prediction of their ecological role in other landscapes.