Real-time Evidence Shows How Large Mammals Respond to Severe Weather Events

Hallie Walker, Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences at University of Idaho, and fellow researchers have identified general trait-based mechanisms underlying animal responses to severe weather that may help to inform strategies for wildlife conservation in a volatile climate.  

The scientists learned that traits such as body size, dispersal ability and habitat affiliation directly influence animals’ vulnerability to natural hazards. The researchers show how large herbivores and carnivores in Mozambique responded to Intense Tropical Cyclone Idai, the deadliest storm on record in Africa, across scales ranging from individual decisions in the 35 hours after landfall to community-level responses nearly two years later. Animals occupying low-elevation habitats exhibited strong spatial responses to rising floodwaters. Body size predicted species’ subsequent numerical responses: small-bodied species exhibited the greatest population declines.  

The results provide some of the first real-time evidence showing how different large-herbivore species respond to cyclones and how the impact depends on body size and habitat preference. The findings are consistent with previous work on responses of smaller-bodied animals to hurricanes in island ecosystems.