Space use and resource selection of bobcats in the Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia

ABSTRACTBobcats are an apex predator and a species of socio-cultural importance in the central Appalachian Mountains. Despite their importance, knowledge of bobcat spatial ecology in the region is sparse. We examined space use and resource selection of bobcats in the Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia during 3 biological seasons: breeding (January-March), kitten-rearing (April-September), and dispersal (October-December). We observed sex effects on all space use metrics, with male seasonal areas of use (SAU) approximately 3 times larger than female SAUs and male movement rates 1.5 times higher than females during all seasons. We found no seasonal effect on SAU size for either sex. Female movement rates increased during the kitten-rearing season, and male movement rates increased during the dispersal season. We examined seasonal bobcat resource selection at 2 hierarchical scales, selection of home ranges within the landscape (2nd order) and selection of locations within home ranges (3rd order). Female bobcats exhibited 2nd order selection for higher elevations and deciduous forest and avoidance of fields. Males exhibited 2nd order selection for higher elevations and fields. Male 2nd order selection appears to be driven largely by the spatial distribution of females, which is mediated through the valley and ridge topography of the study area. Sample size precluded 3rd order analysis for females, however males exhibited 3rd order selection for higher elevations, fields, and deciduous forest. Resource selection patterns varied seasonally for both sexes, possibly driven by seasonal shifts in prey availability. Our findings highlight the importance of forested ridges to bobcats in the region. Our findings also illustrate the differences in space use between sexes, which future research efforts should consider. Further research should investigate seasonal shifts in bobcat prey selection, which may further explain the seasonal resource selection shifts we observed, and highlight potential implications for prey species.

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Effects of Bait on Male White-Tailed Deer Resource Selection

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11082334 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 2334

Author(s):

James T. Johnson ◽

Richard B. Chandler ◽

L. Mike Conner ◽

Michael J. Cherry ◽

Charlie H. Killmaster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Transmission ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Space Use ◽

Second Order ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Order Selection ◽

Short Term ◽

Third Order

Bait is often used to increase wildlife harvest susceptibility, enhance viewing opportunities, and survey wildlife populations. The effects of baiting depend on how bait influences space use and resource selection at multiple spatial scales. Although telemetry studies allow for inferences about resource selection within home ranges (third-order selection), they provide limited information about spatial variation in density, which is the result of second-order selection. Recent advances in spatial capture-recapture (SCR) techniques allow exploration of second- and third-order selection simultaneously using non-invasive methods such as camera traps. Our objectives were to describe how short-term baiting affects white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) behavior and distribution. We fit SCR models to camera data from baited and unbaited locations in southwestern Georgia to assess the effects of short-term baiting on second- and third-order selection of deer during summer and winter surveys. We found little evidence of second-order selection during late summer or early winter surveys when camera surveys using bait are typically conducted. However, we found evidence for third-order selection, indicating that resource selection within home ranges is affected. Concentrations in space use resulting from baiting may enhance disease transmission, change harvest susceptibility, and potentially bias the outcome of camera surveys using bait.

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Home range size, space use and resource selection of griffon vultures in an insular environment

Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1111/jzo.12868 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

S. M. Xirouchakis ◽

C. Grivas ◽

G. Andreou ◽

E. Georgopoulou

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Selection Of

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Spacing, movements, and habitat selection of the river otter in boreal Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-175 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (7) ◽

pp. 1314-1324 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

D. G. Reid ◽

T. E. Code ◽

A. C. H. Reid ◽

S. M. Herrero

Keyword(s):

Lontra Canadensis ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Adult Males ◽

Movement Rates ◽

River Otters ◽

Aquatic Mammal ◽

Adult Females ◽

Two Factors ◽

Bog Lakes ◽

Selection Of

Seasonal spacing patterns, home ranges, and movements of river otters (Lontra canadensis) were studied in boreal Alberta by means of radiotelemetry. Adult males occupied significantly larger annual home ranges than adult females. Males' ranges overlapped those of females and also each other's. In winter, home ranges of males shrank and showed less overlap. Otters often associated in groups, the core members typically being adult females with young, or adult males. Otters tended to be more solitary in winter. In winter, movement rates of all sex and age classes were similar, and much reduced for males compared with those in other seasons. These data indicated a strong limiting effect of winter ice on behaviour and dispersion. We tested the hypothesis that otters select water bodies in winter on the basis of the suitability of shoreline substrate and morphology for dens with access both to air and to water under ice. Intensity of selection was greatest in winter, with avoidance of gradually sloping shorelines of sand or gravel. Adults selected bog lakes with banked shores containing semi-aquatic mammal burrows, and lakes with beaver lodges. Subadults selected beaver-impounded streams. Apart from human harvest, winter habitats and food availability in such habitats are likely the two factors most strongly limiting otter density in boreal Alberta.

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What wild dogs want: habitat selection differs across life stages and orders of selection in a wide-ranging carnivore

BMC Zoology ◽

10.1186/s40850-019-0050-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Helen M. K. O’Neill ◽

Sarah M. Durant ◽

Rosie Woodroffe

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Human Population ◽

Life Stage ◽

Selection Function ◽

Order Selection ◽

Life Stages ◽

Population Densities ◽

Selection For ◽

Wild Dogs ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Background Habitat loss is a key threat to the survival of many species. Habitat selection studies provide key information for conservation initiatives by identifying important habitat and anthropogenic characteristics influencing the distribution of threatened species in changing landscapes. However, assumptions about the homogeneity of individual choices on habitat, regardless of life stage, are likely to result in inaccurate assessment of conservation priorities. This study addresses a knowledge gap in how animals at different life stages diverge in how they select habitat and anthropogenic features, using a free-ranging population of African wild dogs living in a human-dominated landscape in Kenya as a case study. Using GPS collar data to develop resource selection function and step selection function models, this study investigated differences between second order (selection of home range across a landscape) and third order (selection of habitat within the home range) habitat selection across four life history stages when resource requirements may vary: resident-non-denning, resident-heavily-pregnant, resident-denning and dispersing. Results Wild dogs showed strong second order selection for areas with low human population densities and areas close to rivers and roads. More rugged areas were also generally selected, as were areas with lower percentage tree cover. The strength of selection for habitat variables varied significantly between life stages; for example, dispersal groups were more tolerant of higher human population densities, whereas denning and pregnant packs were least tolerant of such areas. Conclusions Habitat selection patterns varied between individuals at different life stages and at different orders of selection. These analyses showed that denning packs and dispersal groups, the two pivotal life stages which drive wild dog population dynamics, exhibited different habitat selection to resident-non-breeding packs. Dispersal groups were relatively tolerant of higher human population densities whereas denning packs preferred rugged, remote areas. Evaluating different orders of selection was important as the above trends may not be detectable at all levels of selection for all habitat characteristics. Our analyses demonstrate that when life stage information is included in analyses across different orders of selection, it improves our understanding of how animals use their landscapes, thus providing important insights to aid conservation planning.

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Stopover Ecology and Habitat Selection of Juvenile Swainson's Thrushes During Fall Migration Along the Northern California Coast

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/109.4.795 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 795-807 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

James R. Tietz ◽

Matthew D. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Forest Type ◽

Coniferous Forest ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Northern California ◽

Catharus Ustulatus ◽

California Coast ◽

Selection For ◽

Selection Of

Abstract We investigated selection of stopover habitat by juvenile Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) during fall migration at a site along the northern California coast. The study site vegetation consisted mainly of coniferous forest (pine [Pinus] and spruce [Picea]), with interspersed patches of broadleaf forest (willow [Salix] and alder [Alnus]) in poorly drained swales. For 26 birds captured and radio-tracked in 2002 and 2003, the average minimum stopover duration was 8.9 ± 1.0 days. For 20 of these birds with a sufficient number of locations, the average home range size was 1.9 ± 0.3 ha. Thrushes showed no overall pattern of selection for forest type within the study area or for forest type used inside their home range. Fat and lean birds selected forest types similarly within the study area and their home ranges. However, locations occupied by lean birds had twice as much huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) shrub cover and were 1.3 times more concealed by vegetation than locations occupied by fat birds. There were 2.5 times more huckleberries at occupied than random locations, and locations occupied by lean birds had 2.1 times more berries overall than those frequented by fat birds. Fecal analyses confirmed that huckleberries were a commonly consumed food (70% of sampled thrushes), but also revealed that thrushes ate arthropods (87%) and wax myrtle (Myrica californica) bracteoles (43%). The overall lack of forest type selection coupled with differences between fat and lean birds in selection for cover and fruit abundance suggests that fat level may influence microsite selection.

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Personality differences in the selection of dynamic refugia have demographic consequences for a winter-adapted bird

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2020.0609 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 287 (1934) ◽

pp. 20200609

Author(s):

Amy A. Shipley ◽

Jennyffer Cruz ◽

Benjamin Zuckerberg

Keyword(s):

Cold Exposure ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Bonasa Umbellus ◽

Personality Differences ◽

Inclement Weather ◽

Fitness Benefits ◽

Selection For ◽

Linked Selection ◽

Selection Of

For overwintering species, individuals' ability to find refugia from inclement weather and predators probably confers strong fitness benefits. How animals use their environment can be mediated by their personality (e.g. risk-taking), but does personality mediate how overwintering species select refugia? Snow cover is a dynamic winter characteristic that can influence crypsis or provide below-the-snow refugia. We explored how wintering ruffed grouse ( Bonasa umbellus ) selected snow roosting sites, a behaviour that reduces stress and cold exposure. We linked selection for approximately 700 roosts with survival of 42 grouse, and showed that grouse generally selected deeper snow and warmer areas. Grouse found in shallow snow were less likely to survive winter. However, individuals that selected deep snow improved their survival, suggesting that demographic consequences of selecting winter refugia are mediated by differences in personality . Our study provides a crucial, and seldom addressed, link between personality in resource selection and resulting demographic consequences.

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Feed resource selection by Criollo goats browsing a tropical deciduous forest

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an16388 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (12) ◽

pp. 2314 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. Ventura-Cordero ◽

P. G. González-Pech ◽

C. A. Sandoval-Castro ◽

J. F. J. Torres-Acosta ◽

J. Tun-Garrido

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Deciduous Forest ◽

Selection Index ◽

Dry Matter Intake ◽

Tropical Deciduous Forest ◽

Monitoring Method ◽

Biomass Availability ◽

Selection Of

Goats browsing in a tropical deciduous forest (TDF) obtain a large proportion of their diet from a large number of plant species. Nevertheless, the goat’s feed resource selection has not been studied in such an ecosystem. This study aimed to determine whether goats browsing in a TDF display active feed resource selection. Two browsing sites were used (A = 2.2 ha and B = 2.6 ha). The effective availability (g) of all plant species available was measured for each site using 10 m × 20 m exclusion quadrants. Three non-pregnant adult goats (34.9 ± 2.4 kg liveweight) with browsing experience were observed using the continuous bite monitoring method to determine their respective dry matter intake. The selection of different plants was determined using the Jacobs’ selection index (JSI). The goats’ dry matter intake per day was 723 and 310.8 g for Sites A and B, respectively. At both browsing sites, the plant with the highest biomass availability was Gymnopodium floribundum (75.5% and 49.3% for Sites A and B, respectively). Nevertheless, the plant species most actively selected by goats were Eragrostis ciliaris at Site A (JSI = 0.99, P < 0.05) and Mimosa bahamensis at Site B (JSI = 0.96, P < 0.05). Some plant species were not consumed at Sites A and B (three and five species, respectively). In conclusion, feed resource selection was not associated with the biomass availability of the plants selected or refused. Goats were able to show active feed resource selection in the TDF, and this could change according to the characteristics of the browsing site.

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Home Range and Habitat Selection of Female Mountain Nyalas (Tragelaphus Buxtoni) in the Human-Dominated Landscape of the Ethiopian Highlands

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21274/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anagaw Atickem ◽

Matthias Klapproth ◽

Martha Fischer ◽

Dietmar Zinner ◽

Leif Egil Loe

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Night Time ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Background: Human settlement and agricultural activities restrict increasingly the range of large mammals in many cases contributing to declining numbers of ungulates. Here, we studied home range size and habitat selection of female mountain nyalas in the northern end of the Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) (31 km2) surrounded by human settlement. We collected data on space use of seven adult female mountain nyalas equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Home range size was estimated using fixed kernel density and habitat selection was determined by resource selection functions.Results: We found that female mountain nyalas have much smaller (5.7 km2) home ranges than the 19 km2 home range size predicted for a 170 kg, group-living species living in mixed habitats. Home ranges were 30% larger in night time than daytime. We suggest that the night time extension beyond the park boundaries were caused by both push and pull effects. The presumably high livestock and other ungulates grazing pressure within the protected area may cause forage-driven excursions out of the park, in particular during agricultural crop seasons. In addition, mountain nyalas are probably attracted by humans as shields against hyena predation. Resource selection index indicates bush land and forest habitat are the most preferred habitat types while agriculture and human settlements are least preferred habitats.Conclusions: Given that mountain nyalas are found in high density (24 individuals/km2) and the size of the northern part of the Bale Mountain National Park, which is currently under protection by the park authorities for the mountain nyala conservation, is too small for the predicted home range size of large ungulates, we suggest protecting additional area may be needed for the long-term conservation of the endangered mountain nyala.

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Human Resource Selection for Manufacturing System Using Petri Nets

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.791.132 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 791 ◽

pp. 132-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Grzegorz Kłosowski ◽

Arkadiusz Gola ◽

Antoni Świć

Keyword(s):

Computer Simulation ◽

Petri Nets ◽

Human Resource ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Manufacturing System ◽

Computer Modelling ◽

Objective Functions ◽

Proper Selection ◽

Selection For ◽

Selection Of

Proper selection of personnel constitutes a frequent challenge for the management of many enterprises. In this paper the above problem has been defined using three objective functions which required simultaneous optimisation. To solve this problem, computer modelling based on Petri nets was proposed. The model was subjected to iterative computer simulation, during which various variants of workstation assignment were tested. This resulted in the emergence of a variant which best fulfilled the assumed optimisation criteria.

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