Stability of nest range, home range and movement of the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica) following moderate-intensity fire in a tropical woodland, north-eastern Queensland

Nest use, home-range characteristics and nightly movements by the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica) were examined before and after a low- to moderate-intensity fire in sclerophyll woodland in north-eastern Australia using radio-telemetry. In all, 23 animals were radio-tracked at three-month intervals between February 1995 and May 1996. During November 1995 a low-intensity experimental fire burned the entire home range of most animals. The northern bettong appeared fairly catholic in choice of nest site, with a variety of nest locations and nesting materials used. Prior to the fire, nests were generally located in areas of dense cover, such as the skirts of grass trees (46%) or grass close to a log (29%). After fire removed most ground cover in the nesting areas of most animals, bettongs used remaining shelter such as boulder piles (45%), recently fallen trees (8%) and patches of unburnt vegetation (21%). Nest areas (10.1 ha) of males were significantly larger than those of females (5.4 ha). Home ranges of both sexes were large (59 ha) and most ranges lacked distinct core areas, suggesting that bettongs used all parts of their home ranges equally. High mean rates of nightly movement by the northern bettong indicated that large distances were moved within home ranges during nightly foraging. No significant fire-related changes were detected in home-range size, home-range location, nest-area location or mean rates of nightly movement, suggesting that the northern bettong is well adapted to the low- and medium-intensity fires that characterise its habitat.

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Spatial Response to Linear Infrastructures by the Endangered Golden Lion Tamarin

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d11070100 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 100 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Priscila da Silva Lucas ◽

Milene Alves-Eigenheer ◽

Talitha Mayumi Francisco ◽

James M. Dietz ◽

Carlos Ramón Ruiz-Miranda

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Step Length ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Power Lines ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Lion Tamarin ◽

Golden Lion Tamarin ◽

Linear Infrastructures

Linear infrastructures are a primary driver of economic development. However, they also can negatively affect wildlife by mortality and the barrier effect. In this paper, we address how paved and unpaved roads, high-tension power lines, and gas/oil pipelines affect home range size, core areas, and movement in an endangered primate, the golden lion tamarin (GLT). Location data were recorded using radio telemetry on 16 groups in two protected areas and in privately owned forest fragments. The GLT’s home range, not core area, increased in size for the groups that occupied locations far from linear infrastructures; home range was also significantly influenced by available forest size. None of the home ranges contained a road, but home ranges did contain power lines. GLTs used the surrounding landscape near all types of infrastructure. Movement analysis showed that most of the step lengths (distances between subsequent locations) were less than 100 m between two consecutive locations, but step length was longer for roads and longer for groups in fully forested habitats. Tamarins avoided paved roads when in close proximity to this type of infrastructure; this behavior increased in areas without adequate adjacent forest habitat. Our results show that linear infrastructures differ in their level of impact: roads can act as a barrier, whereas other types of infrastructure have minimal effect on movement and home range. We discuss these differences in impact in terms of structure, maintenance schedules, and edge effects of infrastructure.

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The role of the bandwidth matrix in influencing kernel home range estimates for snakes using VHF telemetry data

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr14233 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 42 (5) ◽

pp. 437 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Javan M. Bauder ◽

David R. Breininger ◽

M. Rebecca Bolt ◽

Michael L. Legare ◽

Christopher L. Jenkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Cross Validation ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Telemetry Data ◽

History Of ◽

Sampling Duration

Context Despite the diversity of available home range estimators, no single method performs equally well in all circumstances. It is therefore important to understand how different estimators perform for data collected under diverse conditions. Kernel density estimation is a popular approach for home range estimation. While many studies have evaluated different kernel bandwidth selectors, few studies have compared different formulations of the bandwidth matrix using wildlife telemetry data. Additionally, few studies have compared the performance of kernel bandwidth selectors using VHF radio-telemetry data from small-bodied taxa. Aims In this study, we used eight different combinations of bandwidth selectors and matrices to evaluate their ability to meet several criteria that could be potentially used to select a home range estimator. Methods We used handheld VHF telemetry data from two species of snake displaying non-migratory and migratory movement patterns. We used subsampling to estimate each estimator’s sensitivity to sampling duration and fix rate and compared home range size, the number of disjunct volume contours and the proportion of telemetry fixes not included in those contours among estimators. Key Results We found marked differences among bandwidth selectors with regards to our criteria but comparatively little difference among bandwidth matrices for a given bandwidth selector. Least-squares cross-validation bandwidths exhibited near-universal convergence failure whereas likelihood cross-validation bandwidths showed high sensitivity to sampling duration and fix rate. The reference, plug-in and smoothed cross-validation bandwidths were more robust to variation in sampling intensity, with the former consistently producing the largest estimates of home range size. Conclusions Our study illustrates the performance of multiple kernel bandwidth estimators for estimating home ranges with datasets typical of many small-bodied taxa. The reference and plug-in bandwidths with an unconstrained bandwidth matrix generally had the best performance. However, our study concurs with earlier studies indicating that no single home range estimator performs equally well in all circumstances. Implications Although we did not find strong differences between bandwidth matrices, we encourage the use of unconstrained matrices because of their greater flexibility in smoothing data not parallel to the coordinate axes. We also encourage researchers to select an estimator suited to their study objectives and the life history of their study organism.

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Movement patterns and spatial organisation of the mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae), in central Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr01089 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 339 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Pip Masters

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Average Maximum ◽

High Site ◽

Central Australia ◽

Burrow Use ◽

Solitary Species

Information on the movements, social structure and burrow use of the mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda, was collected using radio-telemetry at two study areas in central Australia, one located near the Granites gold mine in the Tanami Desert and the other located on the edge of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. The average home-range size was not significantly different between the two study areas but home-range size was highly variable amongst individuals, with areas from 1.0 to 14.4 ha being used. The average maximum distance moved was significantly greater for males than for females. Overlap of home ranges was less than 20%, on average, but this was highly variable. There was an average overlap of 14% for females, with a maximum of 67%. The home ranges of males also overlapped, averaging 16.5%, as did those of females and males (19%). D. cristicauda is a solitary species that exhibits high site fidelity and a low propensity for dispersal once a home range has been established.

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Wolverine, Gulo gulo, Home Range Size and Denning Habitat in Lowland Boreal Forest in Ontario

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v124i2.1052 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 124 (2) ◽

pp. 139 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

F. Neil Dawson ◽

Audrey J. Magoun ◽

Jeff Bowman ◽

Justina C. Ray

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

Boreal Forests ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Northwestern Ontario ◽

Selection Of

We conducted the first radio-telemetry study of Wolverines in northwestern Ontario during the winter of 2003-2004 to determine whether home ranges and movements of Wolverines in lowland boreal forest were typical of this species in other ecosystems and to describe reproductive den sites in this habitat type. Seven Wolverines (3 M, 4 F) were radio-tagged and monitored for 31 to 269 (Mean ± SE = 153 ± 35) days using a combination of remotely monitored Argos satellite and conventional aerial telemetry. Male and female 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges (±SE) during December to October were 2,563 (796) km2 and 428 (118) km2, respectively, for combined VHF and Argos locations. A lactating female had a 95% MCP home range of 262 km2. The den site for this female included large boulders and downed trees, similar to dens described for this species in montane ecosystems. Boulder complexes and downed trees may be critical features of wolverine dens in lowland boreal forests. Mean road densities (± SE) within 95% MCP and 50% MCP home ranges were 0.43 (0.13) and 0.33 (0.23) km/km2, respectively, and our results suggest that road densities may affect selection of home ranges by Wolverines. The Wolverine population was a resident, reproductive population. Erratum for table included.

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Home-range size of northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) in relation to habitat and parental attributes

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z03-077 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 81 (6) ◽

pp. 954-961 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

C L Elchuk ◽

K L Wiebe

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Vegetation Type ◽

Ground Cover ◽

Spatial Arrangement ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Core Area ◽

Nest Density ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Colaptes Auratus

Energetic requirements during the breeding season and environmental factors such as food abundance and habitat quality may influence spatial use of the landscape by adult birds. We determined home-range and core-area sizes for 52 adult northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) during the brood-rearing period in 1999 and 2000 in British Columbia. We examined the relationship between home-range size and correlates of energetic demands (age, sex, body size, brood size, nest density, laying attempt). We also examined the association between vegetation type at the landscape scale and ground-cover characteristics at the foraging scale with home-range size, core-area size, and maximum distance flown from the nest to forage. Mean home-range size was 25 ha, with a mean core area of 7 ha. Home-range size was positively related to laying attempt and nearest neighbour distance. No significant relationships were found at the landscape level between vegetation type and home-range size or between ground-cover characteristics and core-area size. However, flickers flew farther to forage in home ranges with tall vegetation and bare ground. Home-range size of flickers may be related to both energetic demands on the adults and on the spatial arrangement of quality foraging patches around the nest site.

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Home range and den characteristics of the brush-tailed rabbit-rat (Conilurus penicillatus) in the monsoonal tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr05057 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Ronald S. C. Firth ◽

John C. Z. Woinarski ◽

Richard A. Noske

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Fire Regimes ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Northern Territory ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Dry Seasons

Radio-telemetry was used to investigate the home range and den characteristics of the brush-tailed rabbit-rat (Conilurus penicillatus) from three sites in the monsoonal tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia. Radio-tracking was conducted in a series of discontinuous 4–17-day sessions, over a 2-year period. The home ranges of 61 C. penicillatus were estimated using the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and fixed kernel (K95% and K50%) methods. There were no significant differences in home-range size among the three sites or between wet and dry seasons, which suggests that vegetation structure, floristics and season play relatively little role in movements of C. penicillatus. The mean home-range size was 0.79 ± 0.09 ha (MCP estimate) to 0.97 ± 0.12 ha (K95% estimate). The home ranges of males were larger than those of females (mean MCP estimates of 1.07 ± 0.15 and 0.45 ± 0.06 ha respectively). C. penicillatus denned primarily in fallen logs and in hollows of eucalypts and bloodwoods (Corymbia spp.). Rough-barked trees appeared to be preferred. The diameter at breast height (DBH) of den trees varied significantly between the three sites, being greatest at site C1 (34.5 ± 2.4 cm) and least at site C2 (26.1 ± 1.0 cm). Den trees had larger DBH than randomly selected trees at each site. The diameter at the mid-point (DMP) of both den and randomly selected logs were not significantly different between sites. Many individuals used more than one den site per tracking session. The small home ranges of C. penicillatus and its reliance on hollows in trees and logs suggest that this species is very vulnerable to local extinction following long-term annual and destructive fire regimes and land clearing, even in comparatively small patches.

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Factors Affecting Home Ranges of Red Foxes in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia

Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences ◽

10.22353/mjbs.2012.10.06 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (1-2) ◽

pp. 51-58

Author(s):

Tserendorj Munkhzul ◽

◽

Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar ◽

James D. Murdoch ◽

Richard P. Reading ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Intrinsic Factors ◽

Range Dynamics

Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studied using radio-telemetry during 2006–2008 in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, southeastern Mongolia. We captured a total of 12 red foxes (8 females and 4 males) and fi tted them with VHF radio-collars. Marked animals were tracked up to fi ve times a week to estimate home ranges. We also trapped small mammal and insects in different biotopes for 3 years to estimate relative abundance of prey. Our results showed that mean individual home range sizes varied widely and differed among years. There was variation in home ranges between adults versus juveniles, but no signifi cant difference was found between males versus females. In addition, mean home range size did not differ seasonally for pooled years. Variation in home ranges was best explained by a model that included covariates of year and age. We suggest that spatiotemporal changes in resource availability across years infl uenced home range dynamics of red foxes in our study.

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The Effects of Suburban Development and Wolf (Canis lupis) Recolonization on Coyotes (Canis latrans) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.1998.3349 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. 15-19

Author(s):

Stanley Anderson ◽

Doug Wachob ◽

Rachel Wigglesworth ◽

Nathan McClennen

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Canis Latrans ◽

Prey Availability ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Jackson Hole ◽

Agricultural Areas

A comparative study of coyote (Canis latrans) home range, activity, habitat use, and diet in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and residential/agricultural areas surrounding Jackson, Wyoming was begun in May 1998 and will continue until August 1999. Twenty-seven coyotes were captured and fitted with radio collars equipped with activity and mortality sensors. Eleven of the coyotes reside in and around the residential/agricultural areas while 15 of the coyotes range from Moran Junction south to the National Elk Refuge. One coyote has remained in Bridger-Teton National Forest near Upper Slide Lake. Marked coyotes were monitored three times a week in the summer and two times a week during the winter via radio telemetry. Preliminary data suggests that the home range size of coyotes in GTNP is larger than that of coyotes in developed areas. Activity levels appear to be lower in residential/agricultural areas during daylight hours. Coyote diet is currently being assessed via scat dissection, and prey availability was determined using Sherman live traps during the summer and early fall. Habitat use will be determined by overlaying coyote home ranges onto habitat maps. Vegetation plots were conducted in five habitat types (aspen, conifer, grass, riparian, sage) to determine vegetation structure. All of the above methods will be repeated in summer 1999. During winter 1999, telemetry surveys and scat collection will continue. Additionally, snow tracking surveys and coyote observations will be conducted to determine coyote group size and behavior. If time allows, relative density estimates and social organization will be determined. The intention of this study is also to collect baseline data on coyotes before and during wolf (Canis lupus) recolonization of Jackson Hole.

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Bandicoots return to Booderee: initial survival, dispersal, home range and habitat preferences of reintroduced southern brown bandicoots (eastern sub species; Isoodon obesulus obesulus)

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr17040 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 132 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

N. M. Robinson ◽

C. I. MacGregor ◽

B. A. Hradsky ◽

N. Dexter ◽

D. B. Lindenmayer

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Body Mass ◽

National Park ◽

Effective Means ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Vegetation Types ◽

Eastern Australia

Context Reintroductions can be an effective means of re-establishing locally extinct or declining faunal populations. However, incomplete knowledge of variables influencing survival and establishment can limit successful outcomes. Aim We aimed to examine the factors (e.g. sex, body mass, release order) influencing the survival, dispersal, home range and habitat selection of reintroduced southern brown bandicoots (eastern subspecies; Isoodon obesulus obesulus) into an unfenced, predator-managed environment in south-eastern Australia (Booderee National Park). Methods Over 2 weeks in May 2016, six female and five male bandicoots were wild-caught in state forest and hard released into the park. Release locations were approximately evenly distributed between three primary vegetation types assessed as suitable habitat: heath, woodland and forest. Bandicoots were radio-tracked day and night for 4 weeks from the initial release date. Key results No mortality was detected. Males dispersed more than twice as far as females (male 704 m, female 332 m), but there was no significant sex bias in home range size. At the landscape scale, bandicoots preferentially selected home ranges that contained heath and avoided forest. Within home ranges, heath and woodland were both favoured over forest. Conclusions Post-release dispersal is sex-biased, but more data are required to determine the influence of other predictors such as body mass and release order. Within the release area, bandicoots favoured non-forest vegetation types. Implications Our study outlines factors influencing the establishment of reintroduced bandicoots. We recommend that future bandicoot reintroductions to Booderee National Park occur within areas of heath and woodland, and that subsequent releases consider the potentially larger spatial requirements and conspecific avoidance among male bandicoots. Our findings contribute new knowledge for improving translocation methods of a nationally endangered medium-sized mammal.

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Size of home range of Tengmalm’s owl (Aegolius funereus) males during breeding season assessed by radio-telemetry in the Jizera Mountains, Czechia

Slovak Raptor Journal ◽

10.2478/srj-2018-0004 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Marek Kouba ◽

Václav Tomášek

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Time Interval ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Aegolius Funereus ◽

The Mean ◽

Tengmalm's Owl

Abstract Animal home ranges are typically characterized by their size, shape and a given time interval and can be affected by many different biotic and abiotic factors. Understanding of animal movements and assessing the size of their home ranges are essential topics in ecology and necessary for effective species protection, especially concerning birds of prey. Using radio-telemetry (VHF; 2.1 g tail-mounted tags) we studied the movements of two Tengmalm’s owl (Aegolius funereus) males during the breeding season 2008 in a mountain area of Central Europe (the Czech Republic, the Jizera Mountains: 50˚ 50’ N, 15˚ 16’ E). We determined their average nocturnal hunting and diurnal roosting home range sizes. The mean hunting home range size calculated according to the 90% fixed kernel density estimator was 251.1 ± 43.2 ha (± SD). The mean roosting home range size calculated according to the 100% minimum convex polygon method was 57.9 ± 15.8 ha (± SD). The sizes of hunting home ranges during breeding in this study coincide with those previously reported by other studies focusing on Tengmalm’s owl males. However, we found the roosting home ranges were smaller in size compared to those previously reported. This result was most probably connected with different habitat structure in our study area, which was severally damaged by air-pollution in the past, thus probably offering fewer suitable hiding-places, for instance from predators. We found the roosting locations were concentrated in the oldest and densest Norway spruce forest patches. We emphasize that these parts of forest stands require the highest possible protection in our study area.

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