Big Cypress fox squirrel ( Sciurus niger avicennia ) ecology and habitat use in a cypress dome swamp-pine forest mosaic

AbstractForested wetlands are in decline, as are many species that are obligate residents. Big Cypress fox squirrels (BCFS; Sciurus niger avicennia ) are a threatened endemic to wet pine and cypress forests in southwestern Florida. The region is characterized by development resulting in habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and hydrological change that influence the quality of these wet forests. Through radiotelemetry and field observations, we examined the ecology and habitat use of BCFS in a natural cypress dome-pine forest mosaic. BCFS selected cypress domes for food and nests throughout the year. Cypress dome habitats were the only habitat type to be used more than available; however, the availability of nearby pine forest was also important. Home ranges were large relative to other tree squirrels, with male home ranges exceeding female ranges. Males overlapped more females than males, while sharing similar food preferences and use patterns with females, suggesting that the sexual dimorphism in home range size is related to mate searching. Roads and oil extraction pads were used less frequently than expected and were incorporated into home ranges less than randomly generated features. The importance of cypress domes within the wet forests and grasslands of Big Cypress National Preserve demonstrates the value of maintaining this delicate mosaic.

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Habitat use by female western roe deer (Capreolus capreolus): influence of resource availability on habitat selection in two contrasting years

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z10-070 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 88 (11) ◽

pp. 1052-1062 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

M. Pellerin ◽

C. Calenge ◽

S. Saïd ◽

J.- M. Gaillard ◽

H. Fritz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Resource Availability ◽

Roe Deer ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Capreolus Capreolus ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Distribution Of Resources ◽

The Relationship ◽

Selection Of

In most previous studies of habitat selection, the use of a given habitat type is assumed to be directly proportional to its availability. However, the use and (or) the selection of a given habitat may be conditional on the availability of that habitat. We aim here to (i) identify the environmental variables involved in habitat selection, (ii) identify classes of individuals with similar patterns of habitat selection, and (iii) assess whether habitat use changes with changing availability of habitat types, within monthly home ranges of female western roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus (L., 1758)). We found that some females adjust their habitat use according to the distribution of resources within habitats. Females with similar home ranges in terms of resource quantity and quality showed similar patterns of habitat selection. Differences in habitat use between 2 years with contrasting resource availability showed that temporal changes of environmental conditions influenced the pattern of habitat selection by female roe deer. Habitat selection also differed between periods of the life cycle likely because of contrasted energy requirements. This study shows that the relationship between habitat use by herbivores and habitat availability is nonproportional, and that the availability of resources influences use mostly at intermediate values.

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Habitat use by sympatric female mallards and American black ducks breeding in a forested environment

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-204 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (9) ◽

pp. 1538-1542 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Chris P. Dwyer ◽

Guy A. Baldassarre

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Black Duck ◽

Disturbed Areas ◽

Forested Areas ◽

American Black ◽

The Difference

There has been much speculation regarding whether breeding mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and American black ducks (A. rubripes) use similar habitat types in forested areas, which could lead to increased interspecific contact. To study this issue, we used radiotelemetry during 1990–1991 on sympatric female mallards and black ducks breeding in the western Adirondack Mountains of New York. Mallard and black duck pairs occupied the general area at a density of 0.7 and 0.6/km2, respectively. Black duck home ranges tended to be larger than those of mallards, although the difference was not significant. Habitat composition within the home ranges of mallards and black ducks was similar, upland forest being the dominant habitat type, followed by wetlands, disturbed areas, and active residential sites. Within home ranges, mallards and black ducks were similar in their use of four major wetland habitat types. Our data suggest that undisturbed forest and habitat use within such areas may not serve as an isolating mechanism between breeding mallards and black ducks.

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Towards a habitat model for the New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae in Tasmania ? population vegetation associations and an investigation into individual habitat use.

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am07018 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 137 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

B.T, Lazenby ◽

T. Pye ◽

A. Richardson ◽

S.A. Bryant

Keyword(s):

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Strong Association ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Habitat Model ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Historic Sites ◽

Similarities And Differences ◽

Study Sites

Sixteen study sites across the known north-south range of Pseudomys novaehollandiae in Tasmania were live trapped, and measures of floristic presence and abundance were recorded at each site. Multivariate analysis was used to quantify similarities and differences in plant assemblages at each of the study sites; these included historic sites (sites where P. novaehollandiae had been confirmed to be present 12 years previously) and sites supporting vegetation known to have supported the mouse elsewhere in its range, but from which it had not been recorded. A strong association between P. novaehollandiae capture sites and the occurrence and abundance of the plants Aotus ericoides, Hypolaena fastigiata, Lepidosperma concavum and Xanthorrhoea spp. was found. Nine individual P. novaehollandiae were radio-tracked on one study area to investigate whether the apparent habitat preferences of P. novaehollandiae observed at the population/site level were reflected by individual habitat use. Two individuals were on occasion radio-located in a She-oak stand, a habitat type not typically associated with populations of P. novaehollandiae. Burrow sharing and overlap of home ranges were recorded. Results are interpreted with a view to developing an effective predictive habitat model for P. novaehollandiae in Tasmania.

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Macropod habitat use and response to management interventions in an agricultural - forest mosaic in north-eastern Tasmania as inferred by scat surveys

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr10116 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 103 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Natasha L. Wiggins ◽

David M. J. S. Bowman

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Native Forest ◽

Plantation Forest ◽

Deposition Rates ◽

Late Autumn ◽

Management Interventions ◽

North Eastern ◽

Forest Mosaic

Context Native pest herbivores often require population numbers to be controlled in landscape settings where agricultural, plantation forests and native forests are juxtaposed. The Tasmanian pademelon Thylogale billardierii and the red-necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus are among the most abundant native pest herbivore species in Tasmania. Aims We aimed to determine the habitat use of pademelons and wallabies in response to (i) environmental and seasonal variation, and (ii) two different wildlife management interventions (shooting and fencing) in an agricultural–forest mosaic in north-eastern Tasmania. Methods Macropod abundance before and after shooting and fencing management interventions were estimated by changes in the rate of deposition of faecal pellets (scats per unit area per time interval) on an array of permanent transects that were stratified across three habitat types (agricultural land, plantation forest, and native forest). An experiment was also conducted to determine the endurance of fresh scats in the three habitats. Key results More than 90% of scats remained undecomposed for over five months, and more than 50% of scats remained undecomposed for over 11 months across the study site. Decomposition rates were significantly influenced by habitat type, specifically, highest in agricultural land and lowest in native forest for both species. Scat deposition rates showed that species abundance was influenced by habitat type and season. Macropod abundance was highest in agricultural land and lowest in native forest. Compared with summer and early autumn, pademelon scat abundance significantly decreased in late autumn and spring on agricultural land but showed no change for plantation forest or native forest. Wallaby scats showed similar seasonal trends for all three habitats, lower in late autumn and spring compared with summer and early autumn. Following each of the management interventions, macropod scat deposition rates decreased predominantly on agricultural land. This effect decreased with increasing distance from intervention loci. Conclusions We demonstrate that scat monitoring provides a useful survey technique for the assessment of macropod habitat use, and show that macropods select for agricultural habitats. Shooting and fencing interventions reduced the use of agricultural habitats, but this effect was localised. Implications A whole-landscape perspective is required when assessing the impacts of management interventions on pest populations. Results highlight the formidable challenges in controlling native herbivores in habitat mosaics, given the localised effects of management interventions and the importance of environmental and seasonal factors as drivers of habitat use.

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Beavers, Bugs and Chemistry: A Mammalian Herbivore Changes Chemistry Composition and Arthropod Communities in Foundation Tree Species

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12070877 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 877

Author(s):

Rachel M. Durben ◽

Faith M. Walker ◽

Liza Holeski ◽

Arthur R. Keith ◽

Zsuzsi Kovacs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Castor Canadensis ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Woody Species ◽

Juvenile Growth ◽

Arthropod Community ◽

Riparian Ecosystems ◽

Arthropod Communities ◽

The Impact

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and cottonwoods (Populus spp.) are foundation species, the interactions of which define a much larger community and affect a threatened riparian habitat type. Few studies have tested the effect of these interactions on plant chemistry and a diverse arthropod community. We experimentally examined the impact of beaver foraging on riparian communities by first investigating beaver food preferences for one cottonwood species, Fremont cottonwood (P. fremontii S. Watson), compared to other locally available woody species. We next examined the impact of beaver foraging on twig chemistry and arthropod communities in paired samples of felled and unfelled cottonwood species in northern Arizona (P. fremontii) and southwestern Colorado (narrowleaf cottonwood, P. angustifolia James, and Eastern cottonwood, P. deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall). Four major patterns emerged: (1) In a cafeteria experiment, beavers chose P. fremontii six times more often than other woody native and exotic species. (2) With two cottonwood species, we found that the nitrogen and salicortin concentrations were up to 45% greater and lignin concentration 14% lower in the juvenile resprout growth of felled trees than the juvenile growth on unfelled trees (six of seven analyses were significant for P. fremontii and four of six were significant for P. angustifolia). (3) With two cottonwood species, arthropod community composition on juvenile branches differed significantly between felled and unfelled trees, with up to 38% greater species richness, 114% greater relative abundance and 1282% greater species diversity on felled trees (six of seven analyses with P. fremontii and four of six analyses with P. angustifolia were significant). The above findings indicate that the highest arthropod diversity is achieved in the heterogenous stands of mixed felled and unfelled trees than in stands of cottonwoods, where beavers are not present. These results also indicate that beaver herbivory changes the chemical composition in 10 out of 13 chemical traits in the juvenile growth of two of the three cottonwood species to potentially allow better defense against future beaver herbivory. (4) With P. deltoides, only one of five analyses in chemistry was significant, and none of the four arthropod community analyses were significant, suggesting that this species and its arthropod community responds differently to beaver. Potential reasons for these differences are unknown. Overall, our findings suggest that in addition to their impact on riparian vegetation, other mammals, birds, and aquatic organisms, beavers also may define the arthropod communities of two of three foundation tree species in these riparian ecosystems.

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Influence of habitat on home-range size in the short-beaked echidna

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo11098 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 46 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jenny Sprent ◽

Stewart C. Nicol

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Spatial Ecology ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Location Data ◽

Significant Negative Relationship ◽

Solitary Species

The size of an animal’s home range is strongly influenced by the resources available within it. In productive, resource-rich habitats sufficient resources are obtainable within a smaller area, and for many species, home ranges are smaller in resource-rich habitats than in habitats with lower resource abundance. Location data on 14 male and 27 female echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) fitted with tracking transmitters, in the southern midlands of Tasmania, were used to test the influence of habitat type on home-range size. We hypothesised that as woodland should offer more shelter, food resources and refuges than pasture, echidnas living in woodland would have smaller home ranges than those living in pasture areas. We found significant differences between the sexes. Male echidnas had a significantly larger mean home range than females and a quite different relationship between home-range size and habitat type from females. There was no relationship between the proportion of woodland within male home ranges and home-range size whereas female echidnas had a highly significant negative relationship. This suggests that home-range size of female echidnas is highly influenced by the amount of woodland within it, but the home-range size of male echidnas is controlled by factors other than habitat. This pattern is consistent with the spatial ecology of many other solitary species with a promiscuous mating system. The home ranges of females are scaled to encompass all necessary resources for successfully raising their young within a minimal area, whilst the large home ranges of males are scaled to maximise access to females.

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Snowmobile Effects on Movements of White-tailed Deer: A Case-study

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892900002216 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 45-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Ronald G. Eckstein ◽

Thomas F. O'Brien ◽

Orrin J. Rongstad ◽

John G. Bollinger

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Odocoileus Virginianus ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges

The effects of snowmobile traffic on the winter home-ranges, movements, and activity patterns, of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), were studied during two winters in northern Wisconsin. There were no significant differences in home-range size and habitat use of the Deer in areas with and without snowmobiling. However, snowmobiling caused some Deer to leave the immediate vicinity of the snowmobile trail. Deer were most affected when they were within 61 m of the snowmobile trail.

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Habitat use by mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni determined using stem bite diameters at point of browse, bite rates, and time budgets in the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/czoolo/59.6.707 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 59 (6) ◽

pp. 707-717 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Solomon A. Tadesse ◽

Burt P. Kotler

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

National Park ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Time Budgets ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Wildlife Species ◽

Focal Animal ◽

Northern Edge ◽

Browse Species ◽

Invasive Techniques

Abstract We studied the habitat use of mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni in the northern edge of the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. The aims of this study were to: (1) measure and quantify habitat-specific stem bite diameters of mountain nyala foraging on common natural plant species in two major habitat types (i.e. grasslands versus woodlands), and (2) quantify the bite rates (number of bites per minute) and the activity time budgets of mountain nyala as functions of habitat type and sex-age category. We randomly laid out three transects in each habitat type. Following each transect, through focal animal observations, we assessed and quantified stem diameters at point of browse (dpb), bite rates, and time budgets of mountain nyala in grasslands versus woodlands. Stem dpb provide a measure of natural giving-up densities (GUDs) and can be used to assess foraging costs and efficiencies, with greater stem dpb corresponding to lower costs and greater efficiencies. The results showed that stem dpb, bite rates, induced vigilance, and proportion of time spent in feeding differed between habitats. In particular, mountain nyala had greater stem dpb, higher bite rates, and spent a greater proportion of their time in feeding and less in induced vigilance in the grasslands. In addition, adult females had the highest bite rates, and the browse species Solanum marginatum had the greatest stem dpb. Generally, grasslands provide the mountain nyala with several advantages over the woodlands, including offering lower foraging costs, greater safety, and more time for foraging. The study advocates how behavioural indicators and natural GUDs are used to examine the habitat use of the endangered mountain nyala through applying non-invasive techniques. We conclude that the resulting measures are helpful for guiding conservation and management efforts and could be applicable to a number of endangered wildlife species including the mountain nyala.

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A 28-years-long monitoring study suggests heavy decline and habitat shifts in three populations of a Mediterranean tortoise species

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/15707563-bja10014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (1) ◽

pp. 21-35

Author(s):

Lorenzo Rugiero ◽

Massimo Capula ◽

Daniele Dendi ◽

Fabio Petrozzi ◽

Massimiliano Di Vittorio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Linear Models ◽

Central Italy ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Thermal Ecology ◽

Ecological Studies ◽

Monitoring Study ◽

Testudo Hermanni ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Long-term ecological studies are important for understanding wild populations’ dynamics and processes and the actual factors that can determine their decline. Here, we report the results of a 28-years-long (1992–2019) monitoring of three distinct populations of a tortoise, Testudo hermanni, in Central Italy, with an emphasis on their population abundance trends and on the eventual variation in their habitat use across years and among the study areas. Samplings were conducted by Visual Encounter Survey (VES) methodology, and using a suite of statistical analyses including correlations and Generalized Linear Models analyses. Our data showed a statistically significant decline in tortoise sightings through time, and concurrently also a variation in habitat use by tortoises. In all the three study areas, we observed a significant increase of tortoise sighting frequency in the habitat type characterized by high (>taller than 200 cm) shrubby and wooded vegetation. Since our analyses revealed no significant change in the habitat type availability by year in each study area, we suggest that T. hermanni was increasingly selecting closed vegetation spots throughout the years. We hypothesize that this observed trend of shift in habitat selection could be due to lowering their body temperatures to prevent overheating. So, the selection of more covered spots would be a thermal ecology adaptive consequence of the ongoing global warming.

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Distribution and Habitat Use by Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in a Coffee-Dominated Landscape of Southern India

Tropical Conservation Science ◽

10.1177/1940082918822599 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 194008291882259 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Vinod Krishnan ◽

Mavatur Ananda Kumar ◽

Ganesh Raghunathan ◽

Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Southern India ◽

Crop Damage ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

High Concentration ◽

Coffee Plantations ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Forest Mosaic

Understanding the impacts of land-use mosaics on elephant distribution and the patterns of habitat use is essential for their conservation in modified landscapes. We carried out a study in 205 villages, covering 610 km2 of plantation–agriculture–forest mosaic of Hassan–Madikeri divisions in southern India, an area of intense human–elephant interactions. We monitored elephant movements, crop damage incidents, and human casualties on a daily basis for a 2-year period (2015–2017) to understand the patterns of elephant distribution across the landscape and habitat-use patterns, resulting in 1,117 GPS locations across six major habitats. Elephants were distributed across the landscape in the first year, but a high concentration of locations were noticed toward northern part of the study area during the second year, owing to clear felling of trees and installation of barriers around coffee plantations, causing an overall shift in their distribution. Investigations into habitat use by elephants revealed that during the day, elephants preferred monoculture refuges of acacia, eucalyptus, and so on, and forest fragments, avoiding reservoir, coffee, roads, and habitations. At night, agricultural lands were used more frequently while moving between refuges compared with forest fragments and habitations. Seasonally, forest fragments and agriculture were used significantly more during dry and wet, respectively. Across years, use of monoculture refuges and coffee increased with a corresponding decrease in the use of forest fragments and agriculture. In areas devoid of forest habitats, retention of monoculture refuges which provide shelter for elephants and facilitating free movement through open habitats may help minimize human–elephant conflict and promote coexistence in such land-use mosaics.

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