Unwilling to leave, unable to stay: Mechanism of plasticity in site fidelity as a rewarding tactic in changing environments

Unwilling to leave, unable to stay: Mechanism of plasticity in site fidelity as a rewarding tactic in changing environments | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Unwilling to leave, unable to stay: Mechanism of plasticity in site fidelity as a rewarding tactic in changing environments Varvara Vladimirova, Glenn Yannic, Louis-Paul Rivest, Sabrina Plante, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8399995/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Context Home-ranging is common among animal species, as site fidelity facilitates cognitive map development and promotes efficient habitat use. The adaptive value of site fidelity, however, should decline as environmental conditions change, yet empirical evidence remains limited. Objectives We investigated how fire and forest harvesting affect home-range stability in boreal caribou, a species typically exhibiting strong site fidelity. We then identified conditions where fidelity increases mortality risk and when shifting home ranges becomes advantageous. Most deaths were caused by wolves, a predator that benefits from forest disturbance. Methods We monitored 331 GPS-collared caribou across 667,000 km² of boreal forest. Forest harvesting and fire disturbance levels were related to indices of home-range fidelity derived from the spatial proximity of locations across successive years. Survival was then evaluated in relation to habitat conditions following home-range adjustment. Results Caribou increasingly altered their home ranges as local disturbance intensified. This reduced fidelity increased survival, but only in highly disturbed landscapes. Individuals remaining in high-disturbance areas had lower survival than those that moved into similarly disturbed areas. Conversely, high fidelity in low-disturbance environments was associated with relatively high survival. Conclusions These results show that site fidelity can become maladaptive under shifting risk regimes, whereas reduced fidelity enables adaptive exploratory movements. Our findings clarify how behavioral responses to disturbance translate into demographic outcomes. From a conservation perspective, protecting habitats currently used by caribou and maintaining connectivity among them is essential, as strong site fidelity can yield positive survival outcomes in low-disturbance landscapes. Site fidelity animal movement mortality caribou structural modeling habitat disturbances Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 16 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 23 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 10 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 12 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 26 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 19 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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environments","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"landscape-ecology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"land","sideBox":"Learn more about [Landscape Ecology](https://www.springer.com/journal/10980)","snPcode":"10980","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10980/3","title":"Landscape Ecology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Site fidelity, animal movement, mortality, caribou, structural modeling, habitat disturbances","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8399995/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8399995/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eContext\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eHome-ranging is common among animal species, as site fidelity facilitates cognitive map development and promotes efficient habitat use. The adaptive value of site fidelity, however, should decline as environmental conditions change, yet empirical evidence remains limited.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eObjectives\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe investigated how fire and forest harvesting affect home-range stability in boreal caribou, a species typically exhibiting strong site fidelity. We then identified conditions where fidelity increases mortality risk and when shifting home ranges becomes advantageous. Most deaths were caused by wolves, a predator that benefits from forest disturbance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe monitored 331 GPS-collared caribou across 667,000 km\u0026sup2; of boreal forest. Forest harvesting and fire disturbance levels were related to indices of home-range fidelity derived from the spatial proximity of locations across successive years. Survival was then evaluated in relation to habitat conditions following home-range adjustment.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eCaribou increasingly altered their home ranges as local disturbance intensified. This reduced fidelity increased survival, but only in highly disturbed landscapes. Individuals remaining in high-disturbance areas had lower survival than those that moved into similarly disturbed areas. Conversely, high fidelity in low-disturbance environments was associated with relatively high survival.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese results show that site fidelity can become maladaptive under shifting risk regimes, whereas reduced fidelity enables adaptive exploratory movements. Our findings clarify how behavioral responses to disturbance translate into demographic outcomes. From a conservation perspective, protecting habitats currently used by caribou and maintaining connectivity among them is essential, as strong site fidelity can yield positive survival outcomes in low-disturbance landscapes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Unwilling to leave, unable to stay: Mechanism of plasticity in site fidelity as a rewarding tactic in changing environments","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-14 12:27:46","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8399995/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-03-16T16:55:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-23T08:55:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-10T19:28:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"188702631724967006350273703119072568676","date":"2026-01-21T17:53:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"204829466498437589564880029542616807604","date":"2026-01-13T08:52:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-12T21:51:03+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-26T22:44:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-12-20T02:43:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Landscape Ecology","date":"2025-12-19T02:38:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"landscape-ecology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"land","sideBox":"Learn more about [Landscape Ecology](https://www.springer.com/journal/10980)","snPcode":"10980","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10980/3","title":"Landscape Ecology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fd97e54b-d29a-4b95-88b4-bcc9be82e9c8","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 14th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-14T14:38:15+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-14 12:27:46","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8399995","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8399995","identity":"rs-8399995","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}