Home range and habitat use by pacas in a montane tropical forest in Bolivia

ABSTRACT We studied the home range and habitat use of paca (Cuniculus paca) in a rural agricultural community in the Alto Beni region, in La Paz department, Bolivia, where game meat is the main source of protein for a large portion of local inhabitants. We captured and radio collared five individual paca (4 females and 1 male), which were followed for six months in 2012 to estimate home range of the individuals and assess their habitat use and selection. The total mean home range (95% Minimum Convex Polygon) was 2.26 ha (SD = 0.80), and ranged from 1.5 to 2.96 ha. The mean female home range (2.04 ha) was smaller than the male´s (2.95 ha). Pacas used two (crops and fallows) of the three available habitats (secondary forest patches), and appeared to positively select crops over the other two. The importance of crops may be linked to the type of agriculture conducted in the area (i.e. mainly cacao in agroforestry systems), which may offer more food and shelter for pacas. Given that, the importance of habitats may change seasonally; this topic should be examined in future studies. Our results suggest that agroforestry systems may be important for the species since they offer a variety of food resources throughout the year.

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Summer-Autumn home range and habitat use of the Hastings River mouse Pseudomys oralis (Rodentia: Muridae).

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am06005 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 39 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

P. D. Meek ◽

S. L. Radford ◽

B. L. Tolhurst

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

New South ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Short Term ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Nest Sites ◽

South Wales ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean

Individuals from a population of Hastings River mouse (Pseudomys oralis) were radio tracked in a short-term investigation of home range, habitat use and movement patterns in Marengo State Forest on the northern tablelands of New South Wales. Results were assessed in the context of conservation and management of this threatened species and compared to research in other parts of the species? distribution. The mean summer-autumn home range (Minimum Convex Polygon) of five animals that met the home range asymptote was 0.78�ha, the minimum home range for fourteen mice was 0.72�ha, while median home range for males was 0.8�ha and females 0.53�ha. There was no significant difference in home range size between sexes. Habitat data indicated that fallen logs, including tree head and butt residue following logging, are important refuge and nest sites, even when rocks and hollows are available. A diversity of fern and other ground plant species (including grasses) was important habitat for the species, microhabitat consisting predominantly of sedge and rush was not favoured.

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Home range, movement and habitat utilisation of the Carpentarian rock-rat (Zyzomys palatalis) in an isolated habitat patch

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr03025 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 327 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Helen Puckey ◽

Milton Lewis ◽

David Hooper ◽

Carrie Michell

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Central Area ◽

Limited Resource ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Habitat Patch ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Core Areas ◽

The Mean

Radio-telemetry was used to examine the home range, movement and habitat utilisation of the critically endangered Carpentarian rock-rat (Zyzomys palatalis) in an isolated habitat patch in the Gulf of Carpentaria hinterland over a 13-month period. Two home-range estimators were used in the study, (i) minimum convex polygon (MCP) and (ii) fixed Kernel (KL), the latter also being used to estimate core areas of activity. Based on a total sample size of 21 individuals, the mean MCP home range was 11 165 m2, similar to the mean KL home range of 10 687 m2. Core areas were, on average, 11.9% of the KL home-range estimate. There was no significant difference in the size of home range or core area of males and females. Juveniles had a significantly smaller home range than adults. Home ranges and, to a lesser degree, core areas were non-exclusive, with multiple areas of overlap (averaging 41% and 38% respectively) within and between all age and gender categories, but especially between males and between juveniles. Movement frequencies showed that animals made many short forays in a central area close to the arithmetic home-range mean and far fewer long forays of distances greater than 100 m from the central area. The spatial and temporal activity of Z. palatalis was concentrated in, but not confined to, the 'valley' and 'slope' habitats, with fewer movements of rats onto the surrounding 'plateau'. Resource selection analyses showed that Z. palatalis tended to prefer valley and slope habitats over the plateau and that the proportion of point locations was significantly higher for adults in the slope habitat and for juveniles in the valley habitat. Most home ranges were centred on the ecotone between these two habitat types. Although isolated and spatially limited, these habitat patches provide high-quality resources for dense populations of Z. palatalis. This study exemplifies a species' attempt to make efficient use of a limited resource in an otherwise hostile environment. Even small declines in habitat area or quality due to their vulnerability to fire would impact upon many animals.

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Bimodal habitat use in brood parasitic Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) revealed by GPS telemetry

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/uky019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 136 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Csaba Moskát ◽

Miklós Bán ◽

Attila Fülöp ◽

Judit Bereczki ◽

Márk E Hauber

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Cuculus Canorus ◽

Utilization Distribution ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Reed Beds ◽

Male And Female ◽

Distribution Maps

Abstract Obligate brood parasitic birds have evolved a rare avian strategy for reproduction by laying eggs in the nests of other species. In doing so, their breeding ranges, but not necessarily their foraging habitats, have become intimately related to the nesting territories of their hosts. We studied home range sizes and distribution patterns in Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) on their breeding grounds in central Hungary, where cuckoos parasitize only Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in channel-side reed-beds at a high frequency (>50%). The geographic coordinates of tagged cuckoos were monitored by high-precision, remotely downloadable non-Platform Terminal Transmitter global positioning system (GPS) loggers, attached to 9 females and 6 males. Our results revealed bimodal use of habitat patches: (1) the home ranges of male and female cuckoos were packed densely along the channels where the hosts breed, and their distribution maps had high overlaps between sexes; (2) ~71% of cuckoos also visited nearby woodland patches, presumably for foraging, where the host species was not present. The size of cuckoo home ranges varied to an unusually great extent: 0.3–185 km2 as calculated by the minimum convex polygon method (85%), or 1–17 km2 when calculated by the more suitable kernel density estimation (KDE) method (Utilization Distribution 85%) for patchy habitats. Male and female cuckoos had similar home range sizes as estimated by the KDE method, consisting of 1–4 areas within the 2 habitat types of channel reed-beds and woodlands. No preference was revealed for night roosting locations between the 2 habitats or sexes. Female cuckoos were more likely to use reed-beds in the afternoons, when females parasitize host nests. Remote downloadable GPS methods offer an effective way of tracking cuckoos across large areas, but the estimation of home range sizes requires caution due to this species’ patchy and disconnected habitat use.

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Home range area may vary considerably in relation to habitat contamination in two African terrapins from pristine and oil polluted habitats

Amphibia-Reptilia ◽

10.1163/156853806777239896 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 255-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Polluted Area ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

General Hypothesis ◽

Pristine Area ◽

Nesting Sites ◽

The Mean ◽

Polygon Method

AbstractHome range and nesting habitat were studied in two sympatric pelomedusid terrapins (Pelusios niger and Pelusios castaneus) from two study areas in the Niger Delta (Nigeria, West Africa), one with pristine habitat conditions and one which was polluted by a oil spill event some years before. Seventy-seven individuals (38 P. niger and 39 P. castaneus) were radiotracked, each for more than 60 days, and their home range was calculated by the minimum convex polygon method, with 95% of the point locations per individual. The mean home range size of females was significantly larger in the polluted area than in the pristine area in both P. niger and P. castaneus, and the mean home range size of female P. niger was significantly larger than that of female P. castaneus in the polluted area, but not in the pristine area. The mean home range size of males was significantly larger in the polluted area than in the pristine area in P. niger but not in P. castaneus, and the mean home range size of male P. niger was significantly larger than that of male P. castaneus in the polluted area but not in the pristine area. Radiotracked females of both species showed a clear preference for nesting sites situated along ponds and not along the banks of the river, on sandy soil, often with abundant vegetation around. Some females of both species deposited their eggs at greater distances from water bodies in the polluted area than in the pristine area. The comparative evidence of these patterns indicates consistent responses of the two species to the altered habitat, which further supports the general hypothesis that habitat pollution has seriously affected the ecological strategies of these terrapin species.

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Forest aboveground biomass stock and resilience in a tropical landscape of Thailand

10.5194/bg-2019-280 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Nidhi Jha ◽

Nitin Kumar Tripathi ◽

Wirong Chanthorn ◽

Warren Brockelman ◽

Anuttara Nathalang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Laser Scanning ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Recovery Process ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Forest Landscape ◽

Secondary Forests ◽

Forest Patches ◽

The Mean

Abstract. Half of Asian tropical forests were disturbed in the last century resulting in the dominance of secondary forests in Southeast Asia. However, the rate at which biomass accumulates during the recovery process in these forests is poorly understood. We studied a forest landscape located in Khao Yai National Park (Thailand) that experienced strong disturbances in the last century due to clearance by swidden farmers. Combining recent field and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data, we first built a high-resolution aboveground biomass (AGB) map over 60 km2 of the forest landscape. We then used the random forest algorithm and Landsat time-series (LTS) data to classify landscape patches as non-forested versus forested on an almost annual basis from 1972 to 2017. The resulting chronosequence was then used in combination with the AGB map to estimate forest carbon recovery rates in secondary forest patches during the first 42 years of succession. The ALS-AGB model predicted AGB with an error of 14 % at 0.5-ha resolution (RMSE = 45 Mg ha−1) using the mean top-of-canopy height as a single predictor. The mean AGB over the landscape was of 291 Mg ha−1 showing a high level of carbon storage despite past disturbance history. We found that AGB recovery varies non-linearly in the first 42 years of the succession, with an increasing rate of accumulation through time. We predicted a mean AGB recovery rate of 6.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1, with a mean AGB gain of 143 and 273 Mg ha−1 after 20 and 40 years, respectively. These estimates are within the range of those reported for the well-studied Latin American secondary forests under similar climatic conditions. This study illustrates the potential of ALS data not only for scaling up field AGB measurements but also for predicting AGB recovery dynamics when combined with long-term satellite data. It also illustrates that tropical forest landscapes that were disturbed in the past are of utmost importance for the regional carbon budget and thus for implementing international programs such as REDD+.

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Notes on home range and habitat use of three small carnivore species in a disturbed vegetation mosaic of southeastern Brazil / Notes sur le territoire et l'utilisation de l'habitat de trois espèces de petits carnivores dans une végétation mosaïque perturbée au Sud Est du Brésil

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mamm.70.1-2.52 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 70 (1-2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fernanda Michalski ◽

Peter G. Crawshaw ◽

Tadeu Gomes de Oliveira ◽

Marta Elena Fabián

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Eucalyptus Plantation ◽

Carnivore Species ◽

Male Crab ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Disturbed Habitats

AbstractThe home range and habitat use of three carnivore species was investigated in a disturbed forest of southeastern Brazil. Three jaguarundis ( Herpailurus yagouaroundi ), two crab-eating foxes ( Cerdocyon thous ), and two tayras ( Eira barbara ) were radio-tracked to test the hypothesis that home ranges and habitat use would differ between the proportion of habitat types available. The largest home ranges were those of one male jaguarundi (2047 ha) and the male crab-eating fox (1053 ha). The smallest were those of the females of crab-eating fox (48 ha) and jaguarundi (188 ha). The female jaguarundi was the only individual to show a significant difference between observed and expected habitat use. All species used disturbed habitats (secondary forest, grassland savanna, and Eucalyptus plantation) to varying degrees. Thus, these species showed great flexibility in their use of disturbed habitats.

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Movements and habitat use of the invasive species Lithobates catesbeianus in the valley of the Grote Nete (Belgium)

Belgian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.26496/bjz.2016.44 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 146 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah Descamps ◽

Alain De Vocht

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Lithobates Catesbeianus ◽

Radio Transmitter ◽

American Bullfrog ◽

The Mean ◽

One Year ◽

Eutrophic Ponds ◽

Alluvial Forest

Nine adult American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) were tagged with an internal radio transmitter and tracked during one year in the valley of the Grote Nete (Belgium). The mean ± SD core range area (KDE50) was 15.00 ± 22.41m2. The home range area (KDE95) had a mean ± SD of 429.78 ± 510.97m2. Shores of larger eutrophic ponds and small temporary pools in alluvial forest were chosen as habitat. The total area used (MCP95) had a mean of 11,086.73 ± 12,239.00m2. The study revealed a mean action radius of 270.78 ± 199.17m and individuals moved up to 742m in a single displacement. These results show that the dispersion of the American bullfrog in a valley system such as the Grote Nete can proceed very rapidly. A positive correlation between weight and distance covered within one movement was found, which could suggest that dominant individuals are capable of covering greater distances in search of optimal habitat for reproduction, foraging or hibernation.

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Notes on home range and habitat use of three small carnivore species in a disturbed vegetation mosaic of southeastern Brazil / Notes sur le territoire et l'utilisation de l'habitat de trois espèces de petits carnivores dans une végétation mosaïque perturbée au Sud Est du Brésil

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mamm.2006.004 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 70 (1-2) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Fernanda Michalski ◽

Peter G. Crawshaw ◽

Tadeu Gomes de Oliveira ◽

Marta Elena Fabián

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Eucalyptus Plantation ◽

Carnivore Species ◽

Male Crab ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Disturbed Habitats

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Home range of stoats (Mustela erminea) in podocarp forest, south Westland, New Zealand: implications for a control strategy

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr00001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 165 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Craig Miller ◽

Mike Elliot ◽

Nic Alterio

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Convex Polygon ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Convex Polygons ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Mustela Erminea ◽

The Mean ◽

Breeding Seasons

The home range of stoats (Mustela erminea) was determined as part of a programme to protect Okarito brown kiwi chicks (Apteryx australis) ‘Okarito’, from predation. Twenty-seven stoats were fitted with radio-transmitters and tracked in two podocarp (Podocarpaceae) forests, in south Westland, New Zealand, from July 1997 to May 1998. Home-range area was determined for 19 animals by minimum convex polygons and restricted-edge polygons, and core areas were determined by hierarchical cluster analysis. The mean home ranges of males across all seasons calculated by minimum convex polygon (210 28 ha ( s.e.)) and restricted-edge polygon (176 29 ha) were significantly larger than those of females across all seasons (89 14 ha and 82 12 ha). The mean home range of males calculated by minimum convex polygon during the breeding season (256 38 ha) was significantly larger than the mean home range pooled across the non-breeding seasons (149 16 ha), whereas that calculated by restricted-edge polygon was not significantly different. The mean home range of females during the breeding season was not significantly different from that in the non-breeding seasons when estimated by either method. Overlap of home ranges was observed within and between sexes in all seasons, with the greatest proportion of home range overlap being male–female. The mean home range of females in spring and summer is used to guide the spacing of control stations.

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Home Range Size and Seasonal Variation in Habitat Use of Aye-Ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) in Torotorofotsy, Madagascar

Folia Primatologica ◽

10.1159/000508620 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 91 (6) ◽

pp. 558-574

Author(s):

Timothy M. Sefczek ◽

Ryan A. Hagenson ◽

Doménico Roger Randimbiharinirina ◽

Jeannin Nicolas Rakotondrazandry ◽

Edward E. Louis

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Resource Availability ◽

Brownian Bridge ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Seasonal Differences ◽

Climatic Fluctuations ◽

Daubentonia Madagascariensis ◽

Undisturbed Forest ◽

Seasonal Shifts

Madagascar’s dramatic climatic fluctuations mean most lemurs adjust behaviors seasonally as resource availability fluctuates. Many lemurs will adopt one of two strategies, a resource maximizer or an area minimizer, when adjusting to seasonal shifts in resource availability. However, it is unknown if and how aye-aye (<i>Daubentonia madagascariensis</i>) ranging behavior is influenced by seasonality. We explored whether habitat use changed seasonally. We followed two aye-ayes, an adult male and an adult female, in the undisturbed forest of Torotorofotsy, Madagascar, from April 2012 to December 2017. We used instantaneous focal-animal sampling to collect behavioral data every 5 min and GPS locations every 20 min. We used the minimum convex polygon (MCP) to determine overall home range, and the Brownian bridge movement model (BBMM) to estimate overall and seasonal home range of the female aye-aye from November 2014 to October 2017. We used Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to determine whether there were significant differences in home range sizes between seasons across years and to examine whether there were seasonal differences in height of invertebrate foraging, generalized linear models to assess seasonal differences in travel rates and nesting locations, and χ<sup>2</sup> tests to determine whether there were differences in forest strata use when foraging on invertebrates. The male’s MCP home range was 2,586 ha, and the female’s MCP home range was 765 ha. The seasonal BBMM for the female varied between 443.6 and 1,010.0 ha, though infant rearing appears to have influenced these values. There were no significant differences in seasonal home range, travel rates, nesting locations, or height of invertebrate feeding. However, canopy level invertebrate foraging occurred more often than understory or ground levels. It appears aye-ayes in this undisturbed forest were not influenced by seasonal shifts and had larger home ranges than any previously reported. These findings may indicate that aye-ayes in an undisturbed forest are resource maximizers, closely linked to invertebrate assemblages.

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