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Background <p>Many animals disperse to find their own territory, mates to reproduce or suitable environments to live. Dispersal can be described as a three-phase process consisting of two stationary phases (S<sub>1</sub> and S<sub>2</sub>) at the beginning and the end of a dispersal event. These stationary phases are temporally separated by a transient phase (T), where the animal moves from S<sub>1</sub> to a new area S<sub>2</sub> in space. The net squared displacement (NSD) is a frequently used metric to identify these phases from animal tracking data.</p> Methods <p>We tested whether early warning signals (EWSs) on time series of the NSD, can be used to predict dispersal events. To identify EWSs we conducted a rolling window approach and evaluated the dispersal events by performing a spatial cluster analysis with the mechanistic range shift analysis (MRSA). We used data from 22 GPS-collared red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) as an example of a mammal species in which the juvenile (sub-) adult transition usually involves dispersal.</p> Results <p>Applying EWSs resulted in the identification of both transitions from S<sub>1</sub> to T and from T to S<sub>2</sub>. For 10 individuals we detected EWSs. For 8 out of these 10 individuals (80%) we identified a spatial shift between S<sub>1</sub> and S<sub>2</sub> via a MRSA. Accordingly, for 8 out of 22 individuals (36%) we observed a transient phase (T) which led to a major and persistent transformation of red fox locations.</p> Conclusion <p>Even though the identification of dispersal events based on movement data is challenging using well known techniques such as state space models or the MRSA, our results suggested that EWS in combination with MRSA is appropriate to detect and identify dispersal events in radio-collared mammals. Thus, in the context of identifying dispersal events using EWSs we recommend to evaluate the existence of stationary and transient phases using the MSRA. The benefit of using EWSs is the calculation of the NSD and simple statistics (standard deviation, autocorrelation) and no requirement of high resolution tracking data. Additionally, transitions to the stationary or transient phase might be detected where home range calculations are not possible.</p>

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Identifying dispersal events of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) using early warning signals

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月29日

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  • Felicitas Oehler,
  • Janosch Arnold,
  • Klaus Hackländer,
  • Johannes Signer,
  • Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun,
  • Robert Hagen

摘要

Background

Many animals disperse to find their own territory, mates to reproduce or suitable environments to live. Dispersal can be described as a three-phase process consisting of two stationary phases (S1 and S2) at the beginning and the end of a dispersal event. These stationary phases are temporally separated by a transient phase (T), where the animal moves from S1 to a new area S2 in space. The net squared displacement (NSD) is a frequently used metric to identify these phases from animal tracking data.

Methods

We tested whether early warning signals (EWSs) on time series of the NSD, can be used to predict dispersal events. To identify EWSs we conducted a rolling window approach and evaluated the dispersal events by performing a spatial cluster analysis with the mechanistic range shift analysis (MRSA). We used data from 22 GPS-collared red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as an example of a mammal species in which the juvenile (sub-) adult transition usually involves dispersal.

Results

Applying EWSs resulted in the identification of both transitions from S1 to T and from T to S2. For 10 individuals we detected EWSs. For 8 out of these 10 individuals (80%) we identified a spatial shift between S1 and S2 via a MRSA. Accordingly, for 8 out of 22 individuals (36%) we observed a transient phase (T) which led to a major and persistent transformation of red fox locations.

Conclusion

Even though the identification of dispersal events based on movement data is challenging using well known techniques such as state space models or the MRSA, our results suggested that EWS in combination with MRSA is appropriate to detect and identify dispersal events in radio-collared mammals. Thus, in the context of identifying dispersal events using EWSs we recommend to evaluate the existence of stationary and transient phases using the MSRA. The benefit of using EWSs is the calculation of the NSD and simple statistics (standard deviation, autocorrelation) and no requirement of high resolution tracking data. Additionally, transitions to the stationary or transient phase might be detected where home range calculations are not possible.