E-Thesis 161 views 275 downloads
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity / AMELIA SYMEOU
Swansea University Author: AMELIA SYMEOU
Abstract
Deforestation and habitat degradation are an increasing threat to wildlife globally. The effects are particularly pronounced in regions where they are compounded by the expansion of human settlements and land-use changes. As behavioural adaptations are often the initial response of wildlife to envir...
| Published: |
Swansea University, Wales, UK
2025
|
|---|---|
| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Master of Research |
| Degree name: | MRes |
| Supervisor: | Shepard, E., Wilson, R., and Borger, L. |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69936 |
| first_indexed |
2025-07-10T10:28:26Z |
|---|---|
| last_indexed |
2025-07-11T05:02:54Z |
| id |
cronfa69936 |
| recordtype |
RisThesis |
| fullrecord |
<?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-07-10T11:28:22.8627997</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>69936</id><entry>2025-07-10</entry><title>The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>2ad94deb511f22d32fb4e4dbec41d055</sid><firstname>AMELIA</firstname><surname>SYMEOU</surname><name>AMELIA SYMEOU</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-07-10</date><abstract>Deforestation and habitat degradation are an increasing threat to wildlife globally. The effects are particularly pronounced in regions where they are compounded by the expansion of human settlements and land-use changes. As behavioural adaptations are often the initial response of wildlife to environmental change, this study explores how human disturbance affects the activity of two sloth species, Choloepus hoffmanni and Bradypus variegatus. By comparing the activity of sloths living in secondary forest habitats and human-impacted forest habitats, the objective is to determine whether sloths exhibit adaptive behaviours in response to habitat degradation and human presence. Tri-axial accelerometer data loggers were fitted to sloths inhabiting secondary forest and human-impacted forest. With this tri-axial accelerometer data, three key locomotive behaviours in sloths – arboreal vertical and horizontal locomotion, and terrestrial locomotion – were identified and quantified. Linear mixed-effects (LME) model analyses of these activity budgets with respect to environmental factors (temperature, precipitation, windspeed) and habitat type indicated significant individual variation in behaviour, with the environmental factors exhibiting limited but notable effects. Individual variability may be explained by reproductive age, genetic differences and/or fine-scale microhabitat characteristics. Bradypus variegatus in human-impacted forest habitats displayed increased levels of nocturnal activity, suggesting a possible adaptive behavioural response to human presence. The response of sloths to human-impacted forest habitat is multifaceted, influenced by anthropogenic disturbance, environmental factors and individual needs, suggesting that activity patterns may be shaped through balancing external pressures and internal constraints. This study highlights the importance of individual variability in shaping sloth behaviour and underscores the need for more comprehensive studies including fine-scale habitat structure to informconservation strategies.</abstract><type>E-Thesis</type><journal/><volume/><journalNumber/><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher/><placeOfPublication>Swansea University, Wales, UK</placeOfPublication><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic/><keywords>Habitat disturbance, Accelerometry, Conservation Ecology, Sloths</keywords><publishedDay>2</publishedDay><publishedMonth>5</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-05-02</publishedDate><doi/><url/><notes>A selection of content is redacted or is partially redacted from this thesis to protect sensitive and personal information.</notes><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><supervisor>Shepard, E., Wilson, R., and Borger, L.</supervisor><degreelevel>Master of Research</degreelevel><degreename>MRes</degreename><apcterm/><funders/><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-07-10T11:28:22.8627997</lastEdited><Created>2025-07-10T11:19:05.8805357</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences</level></path><authors><author><firstname>AMELIA</firstname><surname>SYMEOU</surname><order>1</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>69936__34722__c87ab691aa5f4546a3751535b2457bf3.pdf</filename><originalFilename>2024_Symeou_A.final.69936.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-07-10T11:27:35.5742152</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1629238</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>E-Thesis – open access</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>Copyright: The author, Amelia Symeou, 2024</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807> |
| spelling |
2025-07-10T11:28:22.8627997 v2 69936 2025-07-10 The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity 2ad94deb511f22d32fb4e4dbec41d055 AMELIA SYMEOU AMELIA SYMEOU true false 2025-07-10 Deforestation and habitat degradation are an increasing threat to wildlife globally. The effects are particularly pronounced in regions where they are compounded by the expansion of human settlements and land-use changes. As behavioural adaptations are often the initial response of wildlife to environmental change, this study explores how human disturbance affects the activity of two sloth species, Choloepus hoffmanni and Bradypus variegatus. By comparing the activity of sloths living in secondary forest habitats and human-impacted forest habitats, the objective is to determine whether sloths exhibit adaptive behaviours in response to habitat degradation and human presence. Tri-axial accelerometer data loggers were fitted to sloths inhabiting secondary forest and human-impacted forest. With this tri-axial accelerometer data, three key locomotive behaviours in sloths – arboreal vertical and horizontal locomotion, and terrestrial locomotion – were identified and quantified. Linear mixed-effects (LME) model analyses of these activity budgets with respect to environmental factors (temperature, precipitation, windspeed) and habitat type indicated significant individual variation in behaviour, with the environmental factors exhibiting limited but notable effects. Individual variability may be explained by reproductive age, genetic differences and/or fine-scale microhabitat characteristics. Bradypus variegatus in human-impacted forest habitats displayed increased levels of nocturnal activity, suggesting a possible adaptive behavioural response to human presence. The response of sloths to human-impacted forest habitat is multifaceted, influenced by anthropogenic disturbance, environmental factors and individual needs, suggesting that activity patterns may be shaped through balancing external pressures and internal constraints. This study highlights the importance of individual variability in shaping sloth behaviour and underscores the need for more comprehensive studies including fine-scale habitat structure to informconservation strategies. E-Thesis Swansea University, Wales, UK Habitat disturbance, Accelerometry, Conservation Ecology, Sloths 2 5 2025 2025-05-02 A selection of content is redacted or is partially redacted from this thesis to protect sensitive and personal information. COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Shepard, E., Wilson, R., and Borger, L. Master of Research MRes 2025-07-10T11:28:22.8627997 2025-07-10T11:19:05.8805357 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences AMELIA SYMEOU 1 69936__34722__c87ab691aa5f4546a3751535b2457bf3.pdf 2024_Symeou_A.final.69936.pdf 2025-07-10T11:27:35.5742152 Output 1629238 application/pdf E-Thesis – open access true Copyright: The author, Amelia Symeou, 2024 true eng |
| title |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity |
| spellingShingle |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity AMELIA SYMEOU |
| title_short |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity |
| title_full |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity |
| title_fullStr |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity |
| title_sort |
The effects of human-altered habitats on sloth activity |
| author_id_str_mv |
2ad94deb511f22d32fb4e4dbec41d055 |
| author_id_fullname_str_mv |
2ad94deb511f22d32fb4e4dbec41d055_***_AMELIA SYMEOU |
| author |
AMELIA SYMEOU |
| author2 |
AMELIA SYMEOU |
| format |
E-Thesis |
| publishDate |
2025 |
| institution |
Swansea University |
| college_str |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| hierarchytype |
|
| hierarchy_top_id |
facultyofscienceandengineering |
| hierarchy_top_title |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| hierarchy_parent_id |
facultyofscienceandengineering |
| hierarchy_parent_title |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| department_str |
School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences |
| document_store_str |
1 |
| active_str |
0 |
| description |
Deforestation and habitat degradation are an increasing threat to wildlife globally. The effects are particularly pronounced in regions where they are compounded by the expansion of human settlements and land-use changes. As behavioural adaptations are often the initial response of wildlife to environmental change, this study explores how human disturbance affects the activity of two sloth species, Choloepus hoffmanni and Bradypus variegatus. By comparing the activity of sloths living in secondary forest habitats and human-impacted forest habitats, the objective is to determine whether sloths exhibit adaptive behaviours in response to habitat degradation and human presence. Tri-axial accelerometer data loggers were fitted to sloths inhabiting secondary forest and human-impacted forest. With this tri-axial accelerometer data, three key locomotive behaviours in sloths – arboreal vertical and horizontal locomotion, and terrestrial locomotion – were identified and quantified. Linear mixed-effects (LME) model analyses of these activity budgets with respect to environmental factors (temperature, precipitation, windspeed) and habitat type indicated significant individual variation in behaviour, with the environmental factors exhibiting limited but notable effects. Individual variability may be explained by reproductive age, genetic differences and/or fine-scale microhabitat characteristics. Bradypus variegatus in human-impacted forest habitats displayed increased levels of nocturnal activity, suggesting a possible adaptive behavioural response to human presence. The response of sloths to human-impacted forest habitat is multifaceted, influenced by anthropogenic disturbance, environmental factors and individual needs, suggesting that activity patterns may be shaped through balancing external pressures and internal constraints. This study highlights the importance of individual variability in shaping sloth behaviour and underscores the need for more comprehensive studies including fine-scale habitat structure to informconservation strategies. |
| published_date |
2025-05-02T05:31:19Z |
| _version_ |
1857349253439946752 |
| score |
11.096316 |