The spatial scale of habitat selection by red deer

Accounting for spatial scale is essential for understanding habitat selection, but few studies have used spatial statistics to reveal the characteristic scale at which organisms respond to their environment. We studied habitat selection by GPS-tracked red deer ( Cervus elaphus L., 1758) in the Pyrenees Mountains, France, by applying a geostatistical model that compares autocorrelation of a resource between used and available sites to uncover the scale at which animals assess habitat. Using an artificial landscape, we demonstrated that the model can handle discrete habitat classes. Based on conventional hierarchical analysis, deer selected for open habitat, especially meadow, and avoided coniferous forest, more strongly at the coarse level of the home range than GPS locations. Home ranges exhibited generally lower autocorrelation in elevation and meadow habitat than random locations within the population range, indicative of preference for high habitat heterogeneity. Mean maximum discrepancy in autocorrelation, which was more pronounced at the level of the home range than GPS locations, occurred at 830 m for meadow habitat and at 1511 m for elevation, suggesting that red deer responded to their environment at this scale. Our study demonstrates how spatial statistics can serve as an instructive complement to conventional approaches to habitat selection.

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Habitat selection by parturient elk (Cervus elaphus) in agricultural and forested landscapes

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z10-061 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 88 (10) ◽

pp. 968-976 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ryan K. Brook

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Protected Area ◽

Deciduous Forest ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Forage Crops ◽

Resource Managers

I examined the home range and habitat selection of 146 radio-collared female elk ( Cervus elaphus L., 1758) from 2002 to 2005 during the calving period (15 May to 24 June). I determined the proportion of home ranges of parturient cow elk during the calving period and the proportion of birthing sites of elk that were in either forested protected areas or the adjacent fragmented agriculture-dominated matrix in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. Overall, 73% of the minimum convex polygon home ranges were entirely within a protected area, 6% were only on farmland, and 21% included both. Home ranges including farmland and protected area (mean = 17.9 km2) were 3.8 times larger than those entirely inside a protected area (mean = 4.7 km2) or only on farmland (mean = 4.5 km2) (U = –2.79, P = 0.005). Female elk remaining solely in protected areas selected deciduous and mixedwood forest, marsh and fen, and water at the scale of the home range. Elk exclusively on farmland selected forage crops only. At the scale of the birthing site, females on farmland and those in protected areas selected only deciduous forest, and both types avoided agricultural cropland and marsh and fen. Identification of calving habitat will allow resource managers to manage bovine tuberculosis in the population more effectively.

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The Winter Habitat Selection of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Based on a Multi-Scale Model

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10122454 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2454

Author(s):

Yue Sun ◽

Yanze Yu ◽

Jinhao Guo ◽

Minghai Zhang

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Scale Model ◽

Winter Habitat ◽

Multi Scale ◽

Optimal Scale ◽

Scale Models ◽

Selection Of

Single-scale frameworks are often used to analyze the habitat selections of species. Research on habitat selection can be significantly improved using multi-scale models that enable greater in-depth analyses of the scale dependence between species and specific environmental factors. In this study, the winter habitat selection of red deer in the Gogostaihanwula Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia, was studied using a multi-scale model. Each selected covariate was included in multi-scale models at their “characteristic scale”, and we used an all subsets approach and model selection framework to assess habitat selection. The results showed that: (1) Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the response scale of red deer to environmental factors was different among different covariate. The optimal scale of the single covariate was 800–3200 m, slope (SLP), altitude (ELE), and ratio of deciduous broad-leaved forests were 800 m in large scale, except that the farmland ratio was 200 m in fine scale. The optimal scale of road density and grassland ratio is both 1600 m, and the optimal scale of net forest production capacity is 3200 m; (2) distance to forest edges, distance to cement roads, distance to villages, altitude, distance to all road, and slope of the region were the most important factors affecting winter habitat selection. The outcomes of this study indicate that future studies on the effectiveness of habitat selections will benefit from multi-scale models. In addition to increasing interpretive and predictive capabilities, multi-scale habitat selection models enhance our understanding of how species respond to their environments and contribute to the formulation of effective conservation and management strategies for ungulata.

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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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Hierarchical habitat selection by North American porcupines in southern boreal forest

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z05-129 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 83 (10) ◽

pp. 1333-1342 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Patrick Morin ◽

Dominique Berteaux ◽

Ilya Klvana

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Populus Tremuloides ◽

North American ◽

Deciduous Trees ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Trembling Aspen ◽

Eastern Canada ◽

Erethizon Dorsatum ◽

Multi Scale

In habitat-selection studies, a multi-scale approach is considered necessary to ensure that all elements of selection are depicted and that management decisions accurately reflect the needs of the species under study. We examined hierarchy in summer habitat selection in North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum (L., 1758)) in Eastern Canada at the scales of landscape, home range, and single tree. We used radiotelemetry to locate and observe animals visually to record their behaviour and exact location in the habitat. Den use in summer was unexpectedly high for some of our animals, which forced us to use a restricted number of locations per individual for comparison among scales. Although porcupines are generalists at the landscape level, selection patterns appear at the home-range and tree levels. Human-used land and conifer forests were least selected features of home ranges, while deciduous forests dominated by trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and mixed forests were most selected. At the tree scale, trembling aspen was found to be selected over other deciduous trees. However, fruit-producing trees were even more selected. This study shows the importance of a multi-scale approach that includes fine-scale selection.

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Winter survival and habitat use of orphaned and non-orphaned moose calves in southern Quebec

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z88-135 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 919-924 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Hélène Jolicoeur ◽

Michel Crête

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Winter Survival ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Severe Winter ◽

Browse Species ◽

Forage Utilization

Survival, movements, home ranges, habitat selection, and diets of 13 orphaned and 13 non-orphaned moose calves were compared during their first winter. Survival of four other calves that became separated from their mothers was also monitored. The study took place during three winters between December 1978 and April 1983. Overall, winter survival rates between the two groups did not differ. When mortality did occur, it involved solitary (orphaned and separated) calves during a severe winter. Movements and home-range sizes of the two groups were also similar. Biomass of forage on winter sites, forage utilization, and importance of tree cover were similar on sites chosen by orphaned and non-orphaned calves. Minor differences were observed in the order of preference of browse species. Five solitary calves were involved in either temporary or permanent associations with other moose.

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Great Gray Owl home range and habitat selection during the breeding-season

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.2019.5745 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

pp. 90-96

Author(s):

Katherine Gura ◽

Bryan Bedrosian ◽

Anna D. Chalfoun ◽

Susan Patla

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Breeding Habitat ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Effective Management ◽

Density Estimates ◽

Resource Requirements

Identifying resource requirements of under-studied species during key stages such as breeding is critical for effective management. We quantified breeding-season home-range attributes and habitat selection of adult Great Gray Owls across multiple spatial (home-range and within-home-range level) and temporal (nesting and post-fledging; day versus night) scales in western Wyoming, USA. In 2018 and 2019 we outfitted adult male owls (n = 18) with GPS remote-download transmitters and collected hourly location data throughout the breeding season (1 May – 15 September). Using 50% and 95% kernel density estimates (KDE), mean core area was 1.2 km2 and mean home-range size was 6.2 km2 (n = 16). Resource selection analyses incorporated both remotely-sensed and microsite data. We conducted microsite surveys at used and available points within 95% KDE home ranges using a stratified random sample design (n = 661). Determining home-range and breeding habitat requirements will improve density estimates and facilitate the effective management of Great Gray Owls and their habitat. We found differing patterns between habitat selection at the home-range and within-home-range scales. Featured photo by YNP on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/SA17KT

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Home Range Attributes and Habitat Selection of Barred Owls and Spotted Owls in an Area of Sympatry

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/109.4.750 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 750-768 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thomas E. Hamer ◽

Eric D. Forsman ◽

Elizabeth M. Glenn

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Negative Slope ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Strix Varia ◽

Spotted Owls ◽

Barred Owls ◽

Selection Of

Abstract We compared home range areas and habitat selection of radio-marked Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis) and Barred Owls (Strix varia) in an area of sympatry in the northern Cascade Range of Washington in 1986–1989. On average, home ranges of Spotted Owls were 3–4 times larger than ranges of Barred Owls, and there was little overlap of home ranges during the breeding season. Ranges of both species tended to expand during winter. Home range size of both species was negatively correlated with the amount of old forest, but the negative slope of the regression was much steeper for Spotted Owls than for Barred Owls. For both species, home ranges of individual owls typically had high overlap among seasons and years, indicating high site fidelity. Barred Owls generally occupied home ranges at lower elevations than Spotted Owls (mean = 386 ± 27 m vs. 750 ± 68 m). Both species tended to use old forests more than expected, but Spotted Owls tended to use other cover types less than expected, whereas Barred Owls used most other cover types in proportion to their availability. We suggest that Spotted Owls may use larger ranges than Barred Owls because they prey selectively on a few species of nocturnal mammals, whereas Barred Owls forage more evenly across a broad range of prey types, including diurnal and aquatic species. The low overlap of Barred Owl and Spotted Owl home ranges suggests that territorial Barred Owls exclude Spotted Owls from their territories, at least during the breeding season, thus reducing the amount of habitat available to Spotted Owls.

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Movements and habitat selection by wild dogs in eastern Victoria

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am09030 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 23 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Alan Robley ◽

Andrew Gormley ◽

David M. Forsyth ◽

Alan N. Wilton ◽

Danielle Stephens

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Global Positioning System ◽

Canis Lupus ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Canis Lupus Familiaris ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Global Positioning ◽

Wild Dog ◽

Wild Dogs

To investigate movements and habitat selection by wild dogs we attached satellite-linked global positioning system (GPS) units to nine wild dogs (Canis lupus dingo and Canis lupus familiaris) captured in eastern Victoria in summer 2007. Units estimated locations at 30-min intervals for the first six months and then at 480-min intervals for six more months. DNA testing revealed all these wild dogs to be related. Home ranges of males were almost three times larger than those of females (males: 124.3 km2 ± 56.3, n = 4; females: 45.2 km2 ± 17.3, n = 5) and both sexes preferred subalpine grassland, shrub or woodland at the landscape and home-range scales. Wild dogs were recorded more often than expected within 25 m of roads and less often than expected within 25 m of watercourses. Wild dogs displayed higher-velocity movements with shallow turning angles (generally forwards) that connected spatial and temporal clusters comprising slower-velocity, shorter, and sharper turning movements. One wild dog travelled 230 km in 9 days before returning to its home range and another travelled 105 km in 87 days. The home-range sizes reported in this study are much larger than previously reported in south-eastern Australia. This finding, together with previous studies, suggests that the spatial scale at which wild dog management occurs needs to be reconsidered.

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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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New insights on the rarity of the vulnerable Cinereous Warbling-finch (Aves, Emberizidae) based on density, home range, and habitat selection

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.02813 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 795-802

Author(s):

F Marques-Santos ◽

U Wischhoff ◽

M Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Habitat Modification ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Grassland Bird ◽

Cerrado Vegetation ◽

Selection Of

The Cinereous Warbling-finch Poospiza cinerea (Emberizidae) is a Neotropical grassland bird considered rare, with population declining due to habitat loss and classified as vulnerable. However, the species conspicuously remains in several degraded areas, suggesting that it may be favored by these environments. Studies which focus on this species were inexistent until 2012, making questionable any statement about its threaten status. Here we analyzed population density, home range, and habitat selection of two groups of P. cinerea at independent sites that differ in human impact levels. Density was estimated by counting and mapping birds. Kernel density and minimum convex polygon were used to estimate home ranges. Habitat selection was inferred from use and availability of every habitat identified within the home range boundaries. One group positively selected urban tree vegetation, despite the availability of natural habitats in its home range. Based on a review on the literature and our findings, we assume that it is unlikely that P. cinerea is rare owing to habitat degradation, as previously thought. Nevertheless, this species was always recorded around native Cerrado vegetation and thus habitat modification may still threaten this species at some level. It is suggested that this species might be a woodland edge species, but future studies are necessary to confirm this assumption.

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