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On the scaling of activity in tropical forest mammals
Author(s) -
Cid Bruno,
Carbone Chris,
Fernandez Fernando A. S.,
Jansen Patrick A.,
Rowcliffe J. Marcus,
O'Brien Timothy,
Akampurira Emmanuel,
Bitariho Robert,
Espinosa Santiago,
Gajapersad Krishna,
Santos Thiago M. R.,
Gonçalves André L. S.,
Kinnaird Margaret F.,
Lima Marcela G. M.,
Martin Emanuel,
Mugerwa Badru,
Rovero Francesco,
Salvador Julia,
Santos Fernanda,
Spironello Wilson R.,
Wijntuin Soraya,
OliveiraSantos Luiz Gustavo R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
oikos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.672
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1600-0706
pISSN - 0030-1299
DOI - 10.1111/oik.07022
Subject(s) - herbivore , ecology , range (aeronautics) , mammal , scaling , omnivore , trophic level , insectivore , macroecology , biology , allometry , geography , biodiversity , habitat , predation , materials science , geometry , mathematics , composite material
Activity range – the amount of time spent active per day – is a fundamental aspect contributing to the optimization process by which animals achieve energetic balance. Based on their size and the nature of their diet, theoretical expectations are that larger carnivores need more time active to fulfil their energetic needs than do smaller ones and also more time active than similar‐sized non‐carnivores. Despite the relationship between daily activity, individual range and energy acquisition, large‐scale relationships between activity range and body mass among wild mammals have never been properly addressed. This study aimed to understand the scaling of activity range with body mass, while controlling for phylogeny and diet. We built simple empirical predictions for the scaling of activity range with body mass for mammals of different trophic guilds and used a phylogenetically controlled mixed model to test these predictions using activity records of 249 mammal populations (128 species) in 19 tropical forests (in 15 countries) obtained using camera traps. Our scaling model predicted a steeper scaling of activity range in carnivores (0.21) with higher levels of activity (higher intercept), and near‐zero scaling in herbivores (0.04). Empirical data showed that activity ranges scaled positively with body mass for carnivores (0.061), which also had higher intercept value, but not for herbivores, omnivores and insectivores, in general, corresponding with the predictions. Despite the many factors that shape animal activity at local scales, we found a general pattern showing that large carnivores need more time active in a day to meet their energetic demands.