‘One ibex does a spring make’ – Vegetation phenology and individual traits shape herbivore spatial behaviour, with implications for brucellosis dynamics

‘One ibex does a spring make’ – Vegetation phenology and individual traits shape herbivore spatial behaviour, with implications for brucellosis dynamics | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecography This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 12 May 2026 V1 Latest version Share on ‘One ibex does a spring make’ – Vegetation phenology and individual traits shape herbivore spatial behaviour, with implications for brucellosis dynamics Authors : Pascal Marchand 0000-0002-0710-8861 [email protected] , Crystal Morin [email protected] , Mathieu Garel [email protected] , Clément Calenge [email protected] , Victor Chauveau [email protected] , Rémi Fay [email protected] , Sébastien Lambert [email protected] , Ariane Payne [email protected] , Elodie Petit [email protected] , Anne Thébault [email protected] , Carole Toigo [email protected] , and Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003093/v1 23 views 11 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Understanding how wildlife responses to environmental dynamics shape disease transmission risk is critical. Vegetation phenology can alter herbivore ability to track greenup and may redistribute individuals of differing epidemiological importance across the landscape during periods of varying risk. This may influence contact rates within wildlife, spatial overlap with livestock, and ultimately transmission risk. Using a 12-year GPS dataset of 158 Alpine ibex (Capra ibex; 279 individual-years) from the first persistent wildlife reservoir of brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) identified in Europe (Bargy massif), we first determined the timing of parturition to infer the abortion risk period, a critical component of Brucella transmission. Then, we tested whether vegetation phenology influenced patterns of habitat selection in males, reproductive and non-reproductive females. Finally, we quantified the consequences of these responses for population range area (a proxy for intraspecific contact rates) and use of livestock pastures (a proxy for interspecific transmission risk). Parturitions occurred from late May to mid-July, with 80% occurring between 25 May and 27 June, suggesting that the abortion period extends from late March to late June, peaking in mid-April. During April-May of early springs, all individuals closely tracked greenup and aggregated in low-elevation south-facing pastures shared with livestock, a context critical for transmission risk. In contrast, females used areas closer to steep slopes than males with increasing vegetation lateness, and particularly reproductive females trading off juvenile security and greenup tracking during and after the reproduction period, leading to an expansion of population range area and a marked decrease in pasture use in June–July. Our results show that phenological variability can shape disease transmission risk by modifying wildlife spatial behaviour. Accounting for environmental and individual variability could improve risk assessment, help guide management strategies for disease reservoirs, and allow developing early warning tools to anticipate periods and areas of elevated risk. Supplementary Material File (ms_spring_bbb_20260416_ecography_supporting_information.docx) ms_spring_bbb_20260416_ecography_supporting_information Download 3.83 MB File (si1_massif_rotation.mp4) si1_massif_rotation Download 2.07 MB File (si3_green_wave_3d.mp4) si3_green_wave_3d Download 30.70 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 12 May 2026 Collection Ecography Keywords behavioural ecology movement ecology movements ungulates species distribution modelling global change individual-based modelling range dynamics movement ecology population dynamic modelling abortive disease altitudinal migration green wave wildlife-livestock interface One Health Resources Selection Analyses statistics arctic ecosystems climate life history demography habitat use and selection fitness Spatial ecology temporal ecology biogeography macroecology migration ungulate species distribution modelling global change individual-based modelling range dynamics movement ecology population dynamic modelling behavioural ecology movement ecology movements ungulates environmental science human-nature interactions Authors Affiliations Pascal Marchand 0000-0002-0710-8861 [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Crystal Morin [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Mathieu Garel [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Clément Calenge [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Victor Chauveau [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Rémi Fay [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Sébastien Lambert [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Ariane Payne [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Elodie Petit [email protected] View all articles by this author Anne Thébault [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Carole Toigo [email protected] View all articles by this author Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont [email protected] Office francais de la biodiversite, Pérols, France View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 23 views 11 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Pascal Marchand, Crystal Morin, Mathieu Garel, et al. ‘One ibex does a spring make’ – Vegetation phenology and individual traits shape herbivore spatial behaviour, with implications for brucellosis dynamics. Authorea . 12 May 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003093/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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