David Beaune
University of Burgundy, Ecology, Post-Doc
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Research Interests: Climate Change, Reproduction, Climate variability, Biology, Population Dynamics, and 15 moreAnimal Welfare, Multidisciplinary, Nature, Global Warming, Female, Animals, Male, Artifacts, Longitudinal Studies, Ecosystem, Longitudinal Study, Climate impacts, Marine ecosystem, Population dynamic, and Oceans and Seas
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Orientation based on visual cues can be extremely difficult in crowded bird colonies due to the presence of many individuals. We studied king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) that live in dense colonies and are constantly faced with... more
Orientation based on visual cues can be extremely difficult in crowded bird colonies due to the presence of many individuals. We studied king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) that live in dense colonies and are constantly faced with such problems. Our aims were to describe adult penguin homing paths on land and to test whether visual cues are important for their orientation in the colony. We also tested the hypothesis that older penguins should be better able to cope with limited visual cues due to their greater experience. We collected and examined GPS paths of homing penguins. In addition, we analyzed 8 months of penguin arrivals to and departures from the colony using data from an automatic identification system. We found that birds rearing chicks did not minimize their traveling time on land and did not proceed to their young (located in creches) along straight paths. Moreover, breeding birds' arrivals and departures were affected by the time of day and luminosity levels. Our data suggest that king penguins prefer to move in and out of the colony when visual cues are available. Still, they are capable of navigating even in complete darkness, and this ability seems to develop over the years, with older breeding birds more likely to move through the colony at nighttime luminosity levels. This study is the first step in unveiling the mysteries of king penguin orientation on land.
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Amphibians are a highly endangered taxonomic group, and invasion of alien species in wetland systems has been involved in this decline. The Pinail Nature Reserve, Vienne, France, contains more than 5,000 ponds, many of which are occupied... more
Amphibians are a highly endangered taxonomic group, and invasion of alien species in wetland systems has been involved in this decline. The Pinail Nature Reserve, Vienne, France, contains more than 5,000 ponds, many of which are occupied by introduced Pumpkinseed Sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). We sampled ponds with and without sunfish for amphibian species presence multiple times over 2 y. The number of amphibian species was significantly greater in ponds without sunfish (3.3 ± 0.2 [SD] species in 2004; 3.5 ± 0.2 in 2005) than in ponds with sunfish (1.6 ± 0.4 in 2004; 0.9 ± 0.2 in 2005). Sunfish presence was negatively related to the frequency of occurrence in ponds for Triturus marmoratus (Marbled Newt), Hyla arborea (European Tree Frog), Lissotriton helveticus (Palmate Newt), and Pelophylax spp. (Green Frog complex). The effect was especially pronounced for Hyla arborea and Triturus marmoratus, with occupancy nearly 50% and 100%, respectively, in ponds without sunfish, but 0% and 20%, respectively, in ponds with sunfish. Our study did not reveal a significant effect of sunfish presence on three other infrequently encountered amphibian species: Bufo spinosus (Spiny Toad), Rana dalmatina (Agile Frog), and Triturus cristatus (Great Crested Newt). Stomach content analyses confirmed predation on larval amphibians by sunfish. This study showed that Pumpkinseek Sunfish can negatively affect amphibians with species-specific impacts.
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Summary King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) live in large and densely populated colonies, where navigation can be challenging due to the presence of many conspecifics that could obstruct locally available cues. Our previous... more
Summary King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) live in large and densely populated colonies, where navigation can be challenging due to the presence of many conspecifics that could obstruct locally available cues. Our previous experiments demonstrated that visual cues were important but not essential for king penguin chicks' homing. The main objective of this study was to investigate the importance of non-visual cues, such as magnetic and acoustic cues, for chicks' orientation and short-range navigation. In a series of experiments, the chicks were individually displaced from the colony to an experimental arena where they were released under different conditions. In the magnetic experiments, a strong magnet was attached to the chicks' heads. Trials were conducted in daylight and at night to test the relative importance of visual and magnetic cues. Our results showed that when the geomagnetic field around chicks was modified, their orientation in the arena and the overall...
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The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was introduced in Southeast Asia, such as in Thailand, in the mid-1960s for aquaculture purposes (Pullin et al., 1997; De Silva et al., 2004). The species was later promoted for aquaculture... more
The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was introduced in Southeast Asia, such as in Thailand, in the mid-1960s for aquaculture purposes (Pullin et al., 1997; De Silva et al., 2004). The species was later promoted for aquaculture development in the early 1990s in Lao PDR (Garaway et al., 2000). In Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), like in other countries, this exotic species is well established due to its self-reproduction (De Silva et al., 2004; CABI, 2018) facilitated by its particular life history traits and plasticity (Ishikawa et al., 2013). The species was then suspected to be introduced in the seventies in Laos and subsequently in the Nam Theun watershed where the NT2 Reservoir was impounded in 2008. Population parameters of this alien fish were investigated using the FiSAT II software with the most popular methods of bioparameters assessment to check their interchangeability within a same stock and the same year 2016. The length-at-age data analysis (using otoliths an...
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8 pagesInternational audienceIn French Polynesia, only three Ardeidae are present: Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Tahiti Striated Heron (Butorides striata patruelis) and Eastern Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra), and the last two breed there. The... more
8 pagesInternational audienceIn French Polynesia, only three Ardeidae are present: Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Tahiti Striated Heron (Butorides striata patruelis) and Eastern Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra), and the last two breed there. The Eastern Reef-Heron is widespread in the Pacific range and its conservation status is least concern. However, the status of the Tahiti Striated Heron is critically endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. In 2009, only 70 birds were estimated living in Tahiti and thus the entire French Polynesia. Threats are mainly due to the restricted distribution of breeding habitat and habitat destruction. The Tahiti Striated Heron needs coastal and riverine Hibiscus forests for foraging and nesting. However, such coastal forests are being destroyed and the heron was found on only 7% of the linear coast. We discuss possible conservation plans for this critically endangered bird including translocation on another island of th...
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National audienceLa conservation des forêts afrotropicales dépend non seulement de la protection des habitats, mais également de la protection d’espèces menacées d'extinction (IUCN 2011). Les primates frugivores sont reconnus comme... more
National audienceLa conservation des forêts afrotropicales dépend non seulement de la protection des habitats, mais également de la protection d’espèces menacées d'extinction (IUCN 2011). Les primates frugivores sont reconnus comme d’important disperseurs de graines. Dans le site de LuiKotale (forêt tropicale de la Cuvette centrale, RD Congo) le rôle de dispersion de graines par les bonobos (Pan paniscus) a été étudié. Les bonobos sont principalement frugivores (66 % des sessions d'alimentation), passant environ 3,5 heures par jour à avaler des fruits et leurs graines, qui sont transportées pendant environ 24 heures. Ces graines appartiennent à plus de 91 espèces dispersées endozoochoriquement à une distance moyenne de 1,2 kilomètre de l'arbre--‐parent. Les graines passées par le tube digestif des bonobos germent plus rapidement, à des taux plus élevés, et avec une plus grande survie post dispersion. Notre estimation porte à 40 % le taux d’espèces d’arbres dispersés par ...
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Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are threatened with extinction. They are the largest primates, and the only apes (except human), of the southern bank of the Congo Basin. Along with chimpanzees, they are our closest living relatives and are studied... more
Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are threatened with extinction. They are the largest primates, and the only apes (except human), of the southern bank of the Congo Basin. Along with chimpanzees, they are our closest living relatives and are studied by anthropologists to include/understand our hominid origins; but what about their functional role in the forest? Would their disappearance have serious consequences for forest ecology? Answering this question is the aim of this new project, with several years of observations of a free-ranging habituated group of bonobos on the LuiKotale research station (DR Congo). In this tropical rainforest, the very great majority of plants need animals to reproduce and disperse their seeds. Bonobos are the largest frugivorous animals in this region, after elephants. During its life, each bonobo will ingest and disperse nine tons of seeds, from more than 91 species of lianas, grass, trees and shrubs. These seeds will travel 24 hours in the bonobo digestive trac...
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Abstract. Information on resident and wintering waterbirds in Haiti is particularly scarce, limiting knowledge needed to inform waterbird conservation across the Caribbean. Here, results from a winter census of waterbirds at five major... more
Abstract. Information on resident and wintering waterbirds in Haiti is particularly scarce, limiting knowledge needed to inform waterbird conservation across the Caribbean. Here, results from a winter census of waterbirds at five major wetland sites in Haiti in 2019 are presented. Overall, 10,265 waterbirds belonging to 34 species and 12 families were counted. Richness per site varied between 8 and 26 species, and the Shannon diversity index ranged from 2.69 to 8.54. Only 17.6% of observed species were recorded at more than three sites, and there was no significant relationship between the overall number of individuals counted per species and the number of sites where the species was observed. This was reflected in the moderate degree of similarity between the five sites in terms of shared species as calculated with Horn index. Although the species observed during the survey are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) in the Global IUCN Red List, at the local level several of them are considered threatened: White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis) and American Coot (Fulica americana); or rare: Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolori). Results are discussed relative to previous records of waterbirds in Haiti and need to develop ornithological research based on local expertise.
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Abstract This study presents examples of successful restoration projects for biodiversity conservation. In West France, the Pinail National Nature Reserve is a protected wetland interspersed with more than 6000 ponds. This wetland is... more
Abstract This study presents examples of successful restoration projects for biodiversity conservation. In West France, the Pinail National Nature Reserve is a protected wetland interspersed with more than 6000 ponds. This wetland is inhabited by 50 species of Odonata and thus is a key biodiversity area for damselflies and dragonflies conservation. In the past, when the limestone was exploited, the streams of the plateau were artificially channeled rectilinearly, running to the Vienne River. Eventually streams were blocked by biomass and sediments resulting in water flowing mainly underground. In 2011, two restoration projects dug and recreated lost habitats such as running streams and meanders by openly reconnecting bodies of standing water (two sites: Rivau (20 m) and Hutte (400 m) streams). The Odonata species diversity and abundance are annually monitored following transect inventories since 1995 and still ongoing. Diversity and abundance were compared before and after the restoration. The abundance and species diversity increased at both sites due to the addition of lotic habitats and consequently additional new species. The number of observed species almost doubled on the Rivau (from 5.4 observed species to 9.9 spp). By extrapolation the total species number on site increased from 15 to 18 spp to 29–37 spp. The abundance also greatly increased with 770 % more individuals on the Rivau. Similarly, on the 400 m Hutte stream, the extrapolated diversity increased from 31 to 38 spp to 35–43 spp; as well as the abundance with 475 % more individuals. These restoration projects created new habitats leading to local biodiversity enrichment and conservation success. More specifically, Coenagrion mercuriale (Odonata: Zygoptera), one of Europe's most threatened damselflies and listed in the European Habitats directive, successfully recolonized the Rivau stream and colonized the Hutte stream.
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Research Interests: Biology, Ecology, Invasive Species, Multidisciplinary, Predator-prey interaction, and 13 moreBiomanipulation, Predation, Freshwater, Invasive Alien Species, Biocontrol, Stocking, Fishery, Biological Invasion, Predator, Introduced species, Pike, Esox lucius, and Art for Nature and Wildlife Conservation
Les etudes de terrains sur les grands singes impliquent parfois un processus d'habituation des primates. Or la pression sans cesse grandissante du braconnage pourrait menacer les communautes de singes habitues a l'homme. Dans... more
Les etudes de terrains sur les grands singes impliquent parfois un processus d'habituation des primates. Or la pression sans cesse grandissante du braconnage pourrait menacer les communautes de singes habitues a l'homme. Dans cette note, je relate comment un groupe de bonobo (Pan paniscus) habitue a la presence humaine de la station de recherche de LuiKotale (RD Congo) a reagi a la rencontre de braconniers. Les bonobos n'ont pas reagi comme lorsque les chercheurs arrivent sur le groupe. Ils ont stoppe leur activite, se sont refugies dans la canopee, ont observe le passage des braconniers silencieusement. Ceci demontre que les bonobos de cette communaute peuvent distinguer les chercheurs des braconniers et adapter leur comportement a la dangerosite de la situation.
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In an Afrotropical forest, we tested the hypothesis that fleshy-fruit plants with interspecific differences in fruit quality and quantity affect ranging behaviour of their seed dispersal vector. If fruiting plants could affect their... more
In an Afrotropical forest, we tested the hypothesis that fleshy-fruit plants with interspecific differences in fruit quality and quantity affect ranging behaviour of their seed dispersal vector. If fruiting plants could affect their dispersal vector, the plants also affect their seed dispersal distance and eventually their plant population biology. From 2007 to 2011, we measured seed transport by georeference daily bonobo group movements via GPS. Seed dispersal distance was estimated with mechanistic model, using 1200 georeferenced dispersal events and the average seed transit time through bonobo (24.00 h). We compared dissemination for eight plant species that deal with this trade-off: attracting dispersers by means of fruit quality/quantity versus retaining them in the patch because of the same quality/quantity value that attracted them. Because fruit traits of these eight species were different, we expected a difference in seed dispersal distance. Surprisingly, seed dispersal dis...
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, Biology, Seed Dispersal, Ecology, and 4 morePopulation, Behaviour, Bonobo, and frugivore
ABSTRACT L’écologie des forêts d'Afrique tropicale dépend non seulement de la protection des habitats, mais également de la protection des espèces qui la composent telle que les primates frugivores identifiés parmi les... more
ABSTRACT L’écologie des forêts d'Afrique tropicale dépend non seulement de la protection des habitats, mais également de la protection des espèces qui la composent telle que les primates frugivores identifiés parmi les disperseurs de graines les plus importants pour de nombreuses plantes. L’étude de la dispersion de graines par des bonobos (Pan paniscus) dans une forêt tropicale humide du bassin du Congo est ici présentée. Les bonobos sont principalement frugivores (66% de toutes les sessions d'alimentation). Ils passent environ 3,5 h/jour à avaler des graines qui sont transportées dans l’intestin pendant 24 heures en moyenne. Pendant l'étude comportementale (22 mois), les graines de plus de 91 espèces de plantes ont été identifiées comme étant dispersées par endozoochorie dans l’estomac à une distance moyenne de 1,2 km de l'arbre-parent. Les graines passées germent plus rapidement, à des taux plus élevés et avec une plus grande survie post-dispersion que les graines non passées par le tube digestif d’un bonobo. L'influence du bonobo dans le réseau écologique devrait affecter 40 % des espèces d’arbres et 65 % des arbres individuels. Puisque les chevauchements fonctionnels avec d'autres frugivores sont faibles, le bonobo en tant que vecteur de dispersion de graines est susceptible d'affecter la structure et la dynamique des forêts. Nos conclusions classifient le bonobo (espèce menacée d’extinction) comme probable jardinier de la forêt du Congo.
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ABSTRACT Species of the gender Dialium commonly are trees found in Central African rainforests. They produce tasty sugary fruits, feeding numerous frugivores, but are, despite their valuable nutritional value, rarely exploited by humans.... more
ABSTRACT Species of the gender Dialium commonly are trees found in Central African rainforests. They produce tasty sugary fruits, feeding numerous frugivores, but are, despite their valuable nutritional value, rarely exploited by humans. A potential reason for this could be the complexity of symbiotic dependence between trees and pollinators, germination activators, and dispersers causing problems in ancestral and contemporary domestication. We investigated Dialium corbisieri reproduction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bandundu Province. Here we give a key for an artificial activation of germination of these trees ecologically adapted to the digestive system of their ape dispersers: By perforation of the impermeable seed coat protection, water assimilation and subsequent activation of germination becomes possible. By this nicking, pretreatment germination increases from 0 to 96%, representing an inexpensive and simple treatment to be used under natural conditions and in developing countries. The use of this mechanical activation for forest management, conservation, and economic use is discussed.
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The little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) is one of the worst invasive exotic species of the world. Its pantropical expansion is explosive; the ant has been present in Tahiti for more than 20 years. This study is the first to be... more
The little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) is one of the worst invasive exotic species of the world. Its pantropical expansion is explosive; the ant has been present in Tahiti for more than 20 years. This study is the first to be carried out in Tahiti to assess its ecological impacts. The ecological richness of three invaded environments located in or close to the Key Biodiversity Areas (Maruapo, Papehue, Hopuetamai and Orofero Valleys) was compared with that of adjoining uninvaded sites, in a xerophytic site of ferns and a rainforest in the bottom of a valley for invertebrates and finally a canyon and its cliffs for avifauna. At the last site, one bank is infested and the other bank is free of W. auropunctata. Invertebrates and birds were examined respectively by pitfall traps and observation points. The effects of W. auropunctata were significantly negative at each study site, and species diversity in infested sites was one-third of that in uninfested sites. For arthropods, the ...
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The life history traits of Hampala macrolepidota, a common freshwater fish species in Southeast Asia that is of interest for fisheries and sport fishing, were estimated for a population from Nam Theun 2 Reservoir in Lao. The exploitation... more
The life history traits of Hampala macrolepidota, a common freshwater fish species in Southeast Asia that is of interest for fisheries and sport fishing, were estimated for a population from Nam Theun 2 Reservoir in Lao. The exploitation status of this species was also characterized using data from landing. Toluidine-stained transverse section of otoliths from 450 specimens, collected between November 2015 and January 2017 (by experimental gillnet fishing and landing surveys), were analysed to identify the periodicity of annulus formation and to age individuals. Length, weight, sex and sexual maturity stage were recorded. Life history traits were characterized by length-weight and length-age relationships. The periodicity of annulus formation was annual, with complete formation of the translucent zone at the end of the warm and dry season and the beginning of the warm and wet season (May-June). The length at first sexual maturity of females was estimated to occur at a standard lengt...
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Bonobos are our closest living relatives along with chimpanzees. They attract much attention from anthropologists who want to better understand our primate origins and more recently from the public because of their remarkable behavior and... more
Bonobos are our closest living relatives along with chimpanzees. They attract much attention from anthropologists who want to better understand our primate origins and more recently from the public because of their remarkable behavior and matriarchal social system. New published insights from recent years allow us to better know Pan paniscus. This review describes the most recent findings: bonobos, chimpanzees, and humans ought to be part of the same genus (Homo or Pan) according to our genetics. bonobos have impressive cognitive ability to communicate with lexigram and sign-language, solve problems and use tools. Females have high social status in the group due to female association and coalition. The society is not really characterized by female dominant but rather by co-dominance of associated females. They are not purely egalitarian but non-violent and tolerant. Neither lethal aggression nor infanticide were observed and are not expected. Sex has a pivotal role in this pacifist ...
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Research Interests: Anthropology and Biology
Austropotamobius pallipes is an endangered decapod attracting much attention in freshwater conservation programmes. In some cases population transfers or reintroductions are carried out in lentic ecosystems such as ponds or quarries. Such... more
Austropotamobius pallipes is an endangered decapod attracting much attention in freshwater conservation programmes. In some cases population transfers or reintroductions are carried out in lentic ecosystems such as ponds or quarries. Such conservation actions require rapid, low cost and powerful tools to census suitable habitat. Some species of the Characeae family (Chara spp.), share ecological needs with A. pallipes and are proposed as bioindicators of suitable habitat. Chara species were tested, among other plants, as bioindicators, and to see whether Chara species are a stronger indicator than water chemistry. The Pinail Nature Reserve, with 3000 permanent ponds, is inhabited by white-clawed crayfish probably introduced historically into ponds used for fish production. This allows a replicated study of suitable habitats where plant communities are bioindicators of crayfish presence. Crayfish presence is associated with Chara species (such as Chara aspera, Chara virgata, Chara fragifera, Chara polyacantha and Chara vulgaris). Austropotamobius pallipes is present in ponds with Chara spp. (N = 10/10) while other ponds without crayfish are lacking charophytes (N = 1/23). Algae of the genus Chara are thus a simple and low-cost additional tool for determining suitable habitat for crayfish introductions within enclosed waters protected from exotic invasive species and disease. Cladium mariscus also appears to be another useful bioindicator for crayfish habitat.
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This report describes bonobo (Pan paniscus, Hominidae) behavioral flexibility and inter-community differences with high tannin level fruit processing. In fruiting plants, tannin should discourage certain seed dispersers (direct deterrence... more
This report describes bonobo (Pan paniscus, Hominidae) behavioral flexibility and inter-community differences with high tannin level fruit processing. In fruiting plants, tannin should discourage certain seed dispersers (direct deterrence hypothesis) such as primates. Based on data deriving from five study sites; LuiKotale, Lomako, Wamba, Malebo and Manzano, we compare consumption and dispersal of fruit species rich in tannins: Parinari and Musanga pulp was chewed across all communities probably for saliva tannin neutralisation. However, consumption of the fruits of Canarium schweinfurthii was observed in few communities only with differences in the food process: While bonobos of Wamba, Lomako and Manzano crunched and swallowed the pulp, bonobos of LuiKotale ingested entire fruits, extracted intact fruits from feces, and re-ingested their pulp, spitting the seed after a retention time of 24h in the digestive tract (i.e. endozoochory). We discuss potential functions of this peculiar feeding technique, likely to be a cultural behavior.
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ABSTRACT Giant pouched rat (cricetomys emini) attracted by bonobo dung containing seeds This is a nocturnal video from camera trap. LuiKotale, Salonga NP, DR Congo
ABSTRACT In this experiment, the rodent is attracted by the stick with dung smell while the control stick do not affect the porcupine behavior. LuiKotale, Salonga NP, DR Congo
75 empirical data on seed dispersal induced by free ranging bonobo LuiKotale, Salonga NP, DR Congo
This is the 124 data of seed transit time collected on the field from free ranging bonobos.