Habitat selection reveals state-dependent foraging trade-offs in a temporally autocorrelated environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 162-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison E. Bannister ◽  
Douglas W. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Choice ◽  
Risk Allocation ◽  
Folsomia Candida ◽  
Controlled Experiments ◽  
Safe Alternative ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Soil Arthropod ◽  
Moist Habitat

We use theories of risk allocation to inform trade-offs between foraging in a rich and risky habitat versus using a poor but safe alternative. Recent advances in the theory predict that the length of exposure to good or bad conditions governs risk allocation, and thus habitat choice, when patterns of environmental risk are autocorrelated in time. We investigate the effects of these factors with controlled experiments on a small soil arthropod (Folsomia candida). We subjected animals to nine temporally autocorrelated 16-day feeding treatments varying in both the proportion (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75) and duration (short, medium and long intervals) of time when food was present and absent. We assessed foraging trade-offs by the animals' choice of occupying a risky dry habitat with food (rich) versus a safe moist habitat with no food (poor). Irrespective of autocorrelation in conditions, the proportion of time spent with no food primarily determined habitat selection by these collembolans. Our results imply an energetic threshold below which F. candida are forced to forage in rich and risky habitat despite the possibility of mortality through desiccation. The link to energetic thresholds suggests the possibility of employing state-dependent habitat selection as a leading indicator of habitat change.

FOLSOMIA CANDIDA(COLLEMBOLA): A “Standard” Soil Arthropod

2005 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle T. Fountain ◽  
Steve P. Hopkin
Keyword(s):  
Folsomia Candida ◽  
Soil Arthropod ◽  
Standard Soil

Evaluating trade-offs between forage, biting flies, and footing on habitat selection by wood bison (Bison bison athabascae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 254-261
Author(s):  
R.J. Belanger ◽  
M.A. Edwards ◽  
L.N. Carbyn ◽  
S.E. Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Bison Bison ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Forage Availability ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Wood Bison ◽  
Insect Harassment ◽  
Biting Fly

Habitat selection is a behavioural process that ultimately affects animal fitness. Forage availability and predation risk are often studied in the context of habitat selection for large ungulates, while other biological and environmental factors such as insect harassment and footing are less studied. Here we examine trade-offs in summer habitat selection between forage availability for wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads, 1898) with that of biting-fly harassment and soil firmness, which affects activity budgets and predation risk, respectively, and contrast this to winter when flies are absent and soils frozen. Using path analysis, we demonstrate that graminoid availability was not related to habitat selection in summer, but was positively related to habitat selection in winter. Habitat selection in summer was negatively related to biting-fly abundance and positively related to firmer footing. Our results suggest that bison observe trade-offs in summer between maximizing forage intake and minimizing harassment from that of biting flies, while avoiding areas of soft substrates that affect locomotion and vulnerability to predators. In contrast, during the winter, bison focus on areas with greater graminoid availability. Although forage is a key aspect of habitat selection, our results illustrate the importance of considering direct and indirect effects of multiple biological and environmental factors related to ungulate habitat selection.

Trading off safety against food: state dependent habitat choice and foraging in crucian carp

Oecologia ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars B. Pettersson ◽  
Christer Br�nmark
Keyword(s):  
Crucian Carp ◽  
Habitat Choice ◽  
State Dependent

Aquaria Experiments On Habitat Choice of Littoral Shrimps of the Faroe Islands

Crustaceana ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matz Berggren
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Red Algae ◽  
Habitat Choice ◽  
Faroe Islands ◽  
Light Conditions

AbstractAn experiment was performed in habitat choice of littoral shrimps from the Faroe Islands. All shrimps were collected in the algal zone, where they have different choice of habitat. This experiment shows that some species of shrimps have a very significant habitat choice under light conditions (Eualus gaimardii, Hippolyte varians and Lebbeus polaris). Between Hippolyte varians and Eualus pusiolus, competition in habitat selection may take place among 'Leaf-like' red algae. During dark most shrimps move around and do not stay at any specific habitat.

Voles looking for an edge: habitat selection across forest ecotones

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 2174-2183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R Kingston ◽  
Douglas W Morris
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Edge Effect ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Selection Effect ◽  
Habitat Model ◽  
The Other ◽  
Controlled Experiments ◽  
Habitat Boundaries ◽  
Forest Habitats ◽  
Null Expectation

We searched for the presence of "edge effects" in the occupation of adjacent boreal-forest habitats by red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi). First, we reviewed four models that differ in their predictions of abundance at habitat boundaries. Three of the models predicted an edge effect, while the so-called matrix or habitat model served as a null expectation. We then developed a protocol to detect, objectively, the ecotone between two habitats that is necessary to differentiate among the four models. The protocol revealed both abrupt and gradual ecotones along transects crossing conifer to cutover and conifer to deciduous habitats. Though vole density was almost always higher on one side of the ecotone than on the other, we were unable to detect an edge effect of any kind. Vole density within ecotones was intermediate to that on each side (refuting the existence of an ecotone effect). There were also no differences in the pattern of density between abrupt and gradual ecotones (refuting the existence of a permeability effect), and no consistent pattern of vole density away from either type of ecotone (refuting the existence of a habitat-selection effect). Simulations that manipulated vole densities along the transects suggested, however, that the habitats may have been too similar to allow a habitat-selection effect to be detected. We suspect that our result will be common to moderately generalised species, and we recommend that controlled experiments be carried out to evaluate the conditions under which habitat-selecting species may exhibit edge effects.

Microhabitat selection in the potentially endangered wolf spider Donacosa merlini (Araneae, Lycosidae): implications for spider conservation

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1280-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Fernández-Montraveta ◽  
M. Cuadrado
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Wolf Spider ◽  
Distribution Area ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Trade Offs

Habitat quality affects many components of animal fitness and animals are expected to be distributed in the space accordingly. Mismatch between habitat preferences and fitness may relate to scale-dependent effects and trade-offs between costs and benefits of moving to high-quality habitats. We investigated the effects of habitat quality and habitat selection in Donacosa merlini Alderweireldt and Jocqué, 1991, a burrowing wolf spider included in the Spanish Invertebrates Red Data Book. Particularly, we compared burrow size and density and analysed the relationship between burrow presence and vegetation at two different scales. At a regional scale, we found strong differences in burrow size and density. Burrow density affected burrow aggregation, which was utmost under mean densities. At both spatial scales, burrows were found at relatively clear (or low-covered) patches, as scrubs were lower and nearest vegetation was farther from burrows than randomly expected. Our results suggest habitat selection and effects of habitat quality on the life history of D. merlini. In spite of the recent expansion of the species distribution area, our data support the need for suitable habitat management programs. Information about ecological requirements is paramount to correctly assess spider conservation status. This topic has received little attention in spite of the diversity and the relevance of spider ecological roles.

Habitat selection by roe deer and sheep: does habitat ranking reflect resource availability?

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 776-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atle Mysterud ◽  
Per Kristian Larsen ◽  
Rolf Anker Ims ◽  
Eivind Østbye
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Antipredator Behavior ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ovis Aries ◽  
Domestic Sheep ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Habitat ranking is often assumed to reflect food availability, but habitat selection may involve trade-offs, for example, between selecting for food or cover. We tested whether the habitat selection of 27 radio-collared European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and 10 free-ranging domestic sheep (Ovis aries) on a forest range in southern Norway reflected resource availability. We predicted that ruminants of different feeding types would use habitats according to the main forage class, but that antipredator behavior might remove the correlation between habitat selection and food availability, thus making temporal and spatial scaling crucial. As predicted, habitat selection by sheep was highly correlated with grass availability on both the home-range and study-area scales. The habitat ranking of roe deer habitat selection did not correlate with the availability of herbs on either scale, but rather was correlated with the availability of canopy cover. We found a clear effect of temporal scale on habitat selection by roe deer. During summer, roe deer used forest habitats with more forage to a greater extent when they were active than when they were inactive, and tended to use habitats with greater availability of herbs at night. We conclude that scale-dependent trade-offs in habitat selection may cause inconsistent habitat rankings when pooled across temporal and spatial scales.

scholarly journals GPS tracking reveals landfill closures induce higher foraging effort and habitat switching in gulls

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam P. Langley ◽  
Stuart Bearhop ◽  
Niall H.K. Burton ◽  
Alex N. Banks ◽  
Tim Frayling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Habitat Choice ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Larus Fuscus ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Indirect Impacts ◽  
Foraging Movements

Abstract Background Landfills are a major subsidy for some animals, with implications for their life history and demography. Gulls feed extensively on food from landfills and closures are expected to have ecological consequences, but how this influences movement ecology is virtually unknown. Methods We used GPS-tracking to quantify foraging behaviour and habitat choice of lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) breeding at two colonies before and after closure of two nearby landfills. Results Following closure, gulls from both colonies travelled further and for longer to forage. Gulls also changed habitat selection, although this differed by colony - birds from one colony shifted to agricultural habitats, while at the other, increased their use of urban areas. These behavioural responses had no effect on adult body condition but hint at potential direct effects of higher foraging costs and indirect impacts by shifting to new habitats. Conclusions Our results demonstrate how landfill availability influences gull foraging movements and habitat selection. We also emphasize the value of biologging to detect rapid behavioural responses in contrast to more conventional demographic approaches, which is especially important for animals that spend the majority of their lives away from direct observation.

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