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Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements.

Author
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Abstract
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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.

Year of Publication
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2018
Journal
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Science (New York, N.Y.)
Volume
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359
Issue
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6374
Number of Pages
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466-469
Date Published
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2018
ISSN Number
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0036-8075
DOI
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10.1126/science.aam9712
Short Title
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Science
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