Responses of wolf feeding habits after adverse climatic events in central-western Belarus |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Akademicheskaya Street, 27, Minsk 220072, Belarus;2. LIEC—UMR 7360 CNRS, University of Lorraine, Metz, France;3. LISEC EA 2310, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Strasbourg, France;1. Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management – Department of Life Sciences – University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy;2. Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, University “La Sapienza”, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;3. Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands;1. Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France;2. Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Christchurch House, Talbot Campus, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom;3. Centre de Biologie et Gestion des Populations (INRA ? IRD ? Cirad ? Montpellier SupAgro), Campus international de Baillarguet, CS 30016, F-34988, Montferrier-sur-Lez Cedex, France;1. Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, México D.F. 04510, Mexico;2. Instituto de Fisica, UNAM, México D.F. 04510, Mexico;1. Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Instituto de Biología Subtropical IBS CONICET-UNaM, FCEQyN, Felix de Azara 1552, Posadas 3300, Misiones, Argentina;2. Laboratorio de Genética de Poblaciones y del Paisaje, IBS CONICET-UNaM, FCEQyN, Felix de Azara 1552, Posadas 3300, Misiones, Argentina;3. Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad (GiB), CONICET-CCT-Mendoza-IADIZA, CC 507, Mendoza 5500, Argentina;1. IREC Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain;2. VISAVET Centre, Animal Health Department, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain;3. Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain;4. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, Ecuador;1. Department of Social Informatics, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan;2. Department of Human Coexistence, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan;3. Wildlife Research Unit, Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy;4. School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | Many studies have investigated the ecology of wolf populations of Eurasia, showing that although wolves are mostly opportunistic in seeking meso-large enough mammalian prey, they can also be selective, depending on local availability of prey and their population biomass. Yet prey preferences of the wolf have been poorly evaluated in situations of complex predator/prey systems because such ecological situations are extremely rare in Europe. In particular, the role of beaver is poorly known due to the extreme decline in its range and population over the last few centuries.We conducted a 15-year study (1999–2014) of wolf Canis lupus diet in the Naliboki forest of central-western Belarus to determine the dietary responses of the wolf population in a context of a rich prey supply (beaver 650 inds/100 km2, elk 47 inds/100 km2, red deer 98 inds/100 km, roe deer 398 inds/100 km2, wild boar 234 inds/100 km2). The bison, although present, is not preyed on. We compared the seasonal and annual diet variations of both wolf adults and pups, by scat analysis and hair identification. In winter 2012–2013, the winter was quite harsh with a long period of snow, which severely affected the roe deer and wild boar populations. Five severe summer droughts also occurred (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2013), greatly decreasing the water level in rivers and canals. We took advantage of these stressful events to evaluate the diet responses of the wolves.In “normal” years, we identified 11 food categories, essentially beaver and medium-sized ungulates (66%), and large ungulates to a lesser extent (9% in summer, 20% in winter). The adults were found to selectively supply pups with beaver, probably because of its easy transportability. Beaver consumption also increased during summer droughts when water levels were very low. After the harsh winter of 2012–2013, which was followed by a sharp decline in medium-sized prey, we observed a shift in the winter diet breadth of the wolves towards greater consumption of both large wild ungulates and small carnivores. We concluded that:1. Beaver is a functional element in wolf ecology, as a primary food for adults and pups;2. A large range of available prey species is important to maintaining a viable wolf population in cases of extreme climatic events. |
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| Keywords: | Beaver Belarus Cold winter Drought Forest Rich predator/prey system Wolf |
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