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Female elk contacts are neither frequency nor density dependent
P C Cross1, T G Creech, M R Ebinger
1U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana 59715, USA. pcross@usgs.gov
Ecology
|November 28, 2013
Summary
Female elk (Cervus canadensis) contact rates decrease with larger group sizes, but per capita rates increase. Group size significantly influences disease transmission dynamics in elk populations.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Wildlife Biology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Understanding contact rates is crucial for disease dynamics and control.
- Elk (Cervus canadensis) populations face disease transmission risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the drivers of contact rates and interaction patterns in female elk.
- To determine how group size and environmental factors influence disease transmission risk.
Main Methods:
- Studied 149 female elk in western Wyoming over three years.
- Defined contact as approaching within one body length for up to two minutes.
- Utilized hierarchical models to analyze individual, dyadic, and environmental effects on contact rates.
Main Results:
- Pairwise contact rates declined significantly with increasing group size.
- Per capita contact rates increased with group size, following a power function.
- Environmental factors, particularly group size, were stronger drivers of contact patterns than individual or dyad effects.
Conclusions:
- Larger elk groups play a disproportionate role in the spread of directly transmitted infections.
- Group size is a key environmental factor influencing disease dynamics in elk.
- Findings offer insights for targeted disease control programs in wildlife populations.
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