Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements
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Abstract
Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements |
| Series title | Science |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.aam9712 |
| Volume | 359 |
| Issue | 6374 |
| Year Published | 2018 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Science |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Leetown |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | 466 |
| Last page | 469 |