The role of human hunters and natural predators in shaping the selection of behavioral types in male wild turkeys
Data files
Oct 21, 2024 version files 4.17 MB
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Male_gps_GA_sites.csv
2.40 MB
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Male_gps_Webb.csv
1.75 MB
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README.md
6.67 KB
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survival_dataframe.csv
8.27 KB
Abstract
The expression of behavior can vary both among (i.e., animal personality) and within individuals (i.e., plasticity), and investigating causes and consequences of variation has garnered significant attention. Conversely, studies quantifying harvest-induced selection on behavioral traits have received significantly less attention, and work investigating harvest-induced selection and natural selection simultaneously is rare. We studied sources of variation in three movement traits that represented risk-taking and one trait that represented exploration in male Eastern Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). We used data from 109 males in two hunted populations located in Georgia and South Carolina, USA. We assessed how both hunters and natural predators simultaneously influenced the selection of male turkey personalities. We found significant among-individual variation in all movement traits and considerable plasticity in risk-taking and exploration relative to whether hunting was occurring. We observed that predators selected against similar personalities across both populations, whereas hunters selected for different personalities across populations. We also demonstrated that significant harvest-induced selection acts on risk-taking behaviors in both populations, which could render wild turkeys more difficult to harvest if these traits are indeed heritable.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.5mkkwh7dj
Description of the data and file structure
├── README.md <- The top-level README including general project descriptions
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├── Data
│ ├── Male_gps_Webb.csv <- Data from South Carolina ready for modeling
│ ├── Male_gps_GA_sites.csv <- Data from Georgia ready for modeling
├── Final_Figures
│ ├── GA_Survival_Final <- Selection on BTs from hunters/predators in Georgia
│ ├── Webb_Survival_Final <- Selection on BTs from hunters/predators in SC
│ ├── Main_effect_plot_final <- Univariate results for Georgia and SC
└── Final_scripts
├── All_Sites_Combined_Univariate_Models_Figure_1_Script.R <- Univariate models with main effects and repeatabilty estimates reported in table 1 and figure 1
├── GA_SC_Survival_BRMS_Final_Script.R <- Script contains survival models and results reported in table 2
├── GA_Survival_BRMS_Figure_Script.R <- Script produces all plots reported in figure 2
└── SouthCarolina_Survival_BRMS_Figure_Script.R <- Script produces all plots reported in figure 3
Files and variables
File: Male_gps_Webb.csv
Description: GPS movement metrics for South Carolina used in all analysis.
Variables
- ID: Transmitter ID for individual turkey. Use this variable when fitting univariate models
- ID2: Transmitter ID for individual turkey plus state
- StudySite: study population state
- GMT_DATE: date (Date the data was collected)
- Site: wildlife management area name
- Year: year (year the data was collected)
- Stage: Hunting stage
- julian: Julian day the transmitter is online
- primeRdRast: Distance to primary road (in meters)
- SecondRdRast: Distance to secondary road (in meters)
- Open: Distance to open landcover (in meters)
- Decid: Distance to deciduous landcover (in meters)
- Water: Distance to water (in meters)
- Pine: Distance to pine landcover (in meters)
- Mix: Distance to mixed pine landcover (in meters)
- Shrub: Distance to shrub (in meters)
- dist_edge: Distance to edge (in meters)
- Dist_Access: Distance to hunter access areas (in meters)
- Dist_Private: Distance to private property (in meters)
- total_dist: Total distance traveled (in meters)
- mean_dist: Mean distance traveled (in meters)
- mean_speed: Mean speed (in meters/hour)
- roost_dist: Distance between roosts (in meters)
- age: Age of wild turkeys (2 = Adult, 1 = Juvenile)
- Age: Age of wild turkeys (A = adult, J = juvenile)
- Status: Daily mortality status
- Year_Status: Yearly mortality status while bird is actively tracked with GPS-VHF transmitters
- Death: Mortaility status after transmitters have died. Birds have been recovered by hunters or technicians that find dead birds in the field
- Death_Date: Date of death (NAs = bird was still alive at the end of the GPS tracking period)
- Area50: 50% core area (m²)
- Area99: 99% core area (m²)
- dist_core: Distance to core area (in meters)
File: Male_gps_GA_sites.csv
Description: GPS movement metrics for Georgia used in all analysis.
Variables
- ID: Transmitter ID for individual turkey. Use this variable when fitting univariate models
- ID2: Transmitter ID for individual turkey plus state
- StudySite: study population state
- GMT_DATE: date (Date the data was collected)
- Site: wildlife management area name
- Year: year (Year the data was collected)
- Stage: Hunting stage
- julian: Julian day the transmitter is online
- primeRdRast: Distance to primary road (in meters)
- SecondRdRast: Distance to secondary road (in meters)
- Open: Distance to open landcover (in meters)
- Decid: Distance to deciduous landcover (in meters)
- Water: Distance to water (in meters)
- Pine: Distance to pine landcover (in meters)
- Mix: Distance to mixed pine landcover (in meters)
- Shrub: Distance to shrub (in meters)
- dist_edge: Distance to edge (in meters)
- Dist_Access: Distance to hunter access areas (in meters)
- Dist_Private: Distance to private property (in meters)
- total_dist: Total distance traveled (in meters)
- mean_dist: Mean distance traveled (in meters)
- mean_speed: Mean speed (in meters/hour)
- roost_dist: Distance between roosts (in meters)
- age: Age of wild turkeys (2 = Adult, 1 = Juvenile)
- Age: Age of wild turkeys (A = adult, J = juvenile)
- Status: Daily mortality status
- Year_Status: Yearly mortality status while bird is actively tracked with GPS-VHF transmitters
- Death: Mortaility status after transmitters have died. Birds have been recovered by hunters or technicians that find dead birds in the field
- Death_Date: Date of death (NAs = bird was still alive at the end of the GPS tracking period)
- Area50: 50% core area (m²)
- Area99: 99% core area (m²)
- dist_core: Distance to core area (in meters)
File: survival_dataframe.csv
Description: Survival data frame
Variables
- ID2: Transmitter ID for individual wild turkeys
- ID: Transmitter ID for individual wild turkeys. Use this variable for all survival analysis.
- Site: Study site
- Year: Year of study
- Age: Age of wild turkeys (A = adult, J = juvenile)
- Year_Status: Mortality status of individual wild turkeys during the year they were tracked with GPS-VHF transmitters
- Death: Mortality status of individual wild turkeys after GPS-VHF transmitter had died (dead birds were recovered by hunters and/or by field technicians). NAs = bird was still alive at the end of the GPS tracking period.
- Survival: Binary survival outcome (1= survived, 0 = dead)
Code/software
We used R version 4.3.1 for all statistical analysis. To reproduce results reported in the manuscript, please consult the read.me file and follow the sequential order of R scripts in the ‘Final Scripts’ description.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data: