Patterns of Microhabitat Use Among Four Species of Darters in Three Appalachian Streams

1994 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve R. Chipps ◽  
William B. Perry ◽  
Sue A. Perry
Keyword(s):  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Appalachian Streams

scholarly journals Quantifying Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri) Hunting Behavior through Community Science

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Emily R. Urquidi ◽  
Breanna J. Putman
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Ontogenetic Shift ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Hunting Behavior ◽  
Crotalus Oreganus ◽  
Community Science

It is increasingly important to study animal behaviors as these are the first responses organisms mount against environmental changes. Rattlesnakes, in particular, are threatened by habitat loss and human activity, and require costly tracking by researchers to quantify the behaviors of wild individuals. Here, we show how photo-vouchered observations submitted by community members can be used to study cryptic predators like rattlesnakes. We utilized two platforms, iNaturalist and HerpMapper, to study the hunting behaviors of wild Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes. From 220 observation photos, we quantified the direction of the hunting coil (i.e., “handedness”), microhabitat use, timing of observations, and age of the snake. With these data, we looked at whether snakes exhibited an ontogenetic shift in behaviors. We found no age differences in coil direction. However, there was a difference in the microhabitats used by juveniles and adults while hunting. We also found that juveniles were most commonly observed during the spring, while adults were more consistently observed throughout the year. Overall, our study shows the potential of using community science to study the behaviors of cryptic predators.

Microhabitat use of different age groups of snake-eyed skink and Eastern green lizard

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dániel Kovács ◽  
István Kiss
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Management ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Carpathian Basin ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Environmental Niche ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
Lacerta Viridis ◽  
First Time

Although Ablepharus kitaibelii and its subspecies are wide-spread, being distributed from the Carpathian Basin through the Balkans to Iraq, their habitat and environmental niche is poorly known. Ablepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri is almost entirely limited to the Carpathian Basin, and is amongst the most strictly protected and least known reptiles of Central and Eastern Europe. The main aim of our study was to determine habitat use preferences of different age groups of A. kitaibelii fitzingeri and Lacerta viridis. The occurrence of green lizard was determined by the abundance of refugia rather than by the naturalness of grasslands. The snake-eyed skink prefers semi-natural grasslands with abundant tussock-forming grass or sedge species, avoiding densely shrubby places. For the first time, we show that woodland mosaics lacking shrubs and temporary grasslands next to forest edges are important for the species. Microhabitat use by snake-eyed skink varies with age group; adults preferring shady edge zones rich in leaf litter and shadier grassland spots provided by woodland mosaics, whereas juveniles were found in natural, more open grasslands far from forest edges and in woodland mosaics with dense shrubby understory. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the ecological needs of A. kitaibelii fitzingeri. Our methodology could be adapted to other species and subspecies of Ablepharus. Based on our results, it is important to reconsider habitat management activities, which should not be limited to shrub control: the main goal should be the development of a diverse habitat structure.

Differences in microhabitat selection patterns between a remnant and constructed landscape following management intervention

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose W. Valdez ◽  
Kaya Klop-Toker ◽  
Michelle P. Stockwell ◽  
Loren Fardell ◽  
Simon Clulow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Microhabitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Creation ◽  
Litoria Aurea ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Detection Probabilities ◽  
Future Management

Context Achieving successful conservation outcomes in habitat creation and reintroductions requires an understanding of how species use their habitat and respond to these interventions. However, few initiatives directly compare microhabitat selection between remnant and managed habitats to measure effectiveness and evaluate outcomes. Probability of detection is also rarely included in studies on microhabitat use, which may lead to erroneous conclusions if detectability varies between variables. Methods In this study, we used the endangered green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) to compare differences in microhabitat-use patterns in both a remnant and a constructed habitat. A detectability study was also conducted to determine detection probabilities among microhabitats. Key results Aquatic vegetation was used more than expected in both the remnant and constructed habitats, and rock piles were utilised less than expected in the constructed habitat, despite their recommendation in most habitat templates. We found that detection probabilities altered the outcomes of abundance estimates for nearly all the measured microhabitat variables. Conclusions Future management for this species should focus on providing high proportions of aquatic vegetation. Furthermore, although rock piles have been utilised greatly in past L. aurea habitat creation, placing large rocks on a managed site is expensive and time consuming. Future management initiatives may need to focus on providing smaller proportion of rocks, which would be a more appropriate use of resources. Implications With conservation management projects increasing over the next few decades, understanding habitat use before implementing strategies should be a priority as it will provide important insights and inform decision-making for optimum habitat creation and restoration. Furthermore, accounting for detectability in microhabitat use studies is essential to avoid wrong conclusions that may negatively affect the success of ecological management strategies.

Microhabitat use and migration distance of an endangered grassland amphibian

2013 ◽  
Vol 158 ◽  
pp. 80-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Searcy ◽  
Emilio Gabbai-Saldate ◽  
H. Bradley Shaffer
Keyword(s):  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Migration Distance ◽  
And Migration

Exposure to climate change drives stability or collapse of desert mammal and bird communities

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 371 (6529) ◽  
pp. 633-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Riddell ◽  
K. J. Iknayan ◽  
L. Hargrove ◽  
S. Tremor ◽  
J. L. Patton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Mojave Desert ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Species Occupancy ◽  
Mammal Communities

High exposure to warming from climate change is expected to threaten biodiversity by pushing many species toward extinction. Such exposure is often assessed for all taxa at a location from climate projections, yet species have diverse strategies for buffering against temperature extremes. We compared changes in species occupancy and site-level richness of small mammal and bird communities in protected areas of the Mojave Desert using surveys spanning a century. Small mammal communities remained remarkably stable, whereas birds declined markedly in response to warming and drying. Simulations of heat flux identified different exposure to warming for birds and mammals, which we attribute to microhabitat use. Estimates from climate projections are unlikely to accurately reflect species’ exposure without accounting for the effects of microhabitat buffering on heat flux.

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