Population Studies of Deer (Odocoileus virginianus, Mazama americana) in Southern Yucatán, Mexico

Aims: Estimate the population density of deer in the municipality of Tzucacab, Yucatán in the periods of 2003-2004, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, determine the use of the habitat by these populations and the sustainability of the deer harvest from the estimated population densities. Study Design: A descriptive and vertical free-living deer population study was carried out in southern Yucatan, Mexico over a three-year period. Methodology: The map of the municipality of Tuzcacab was zoned in quadrants of 36 km2, completing a total of 36 quadrants; Unrestricted random sampling was applied to select seven quadrants in the period from 2003 to 2004 and 18 in each annual period between 2007 and 2009. Population samplings were carried out by applying three population estimation methods: direct sighting in a linear transect of 5 km in length, count of tracks in transect except period 2003-2004 and faecal pellets group count in plots. The evaluation of the use of habitat was carried out using the Bonferroni intervals, from the data of faecal pellets count. The evaluation of the deer harvest was carried out using the sustainable harvest model. Results: The population densities were different in each method, the density by the excreta count was 4.63 ± 2.49 deer / km2 in 2003-2004, 0.294 ± 0.198 deer / km2 in 2007-2008, and in the year 2008-2009 was 0.419 ± 0.0000085 deer / km2. Habitat use in 2007-08 and 2008-2009 was higher in the tropical forest, lower in agriculture and similar to that expected in secondary succession forest (acahual). The values of sustainable harvest, taking as a value the density per count of excreta in the plot because it showed the highest statistical precision, in the period 2003-04 it is sustainable, but in the period from 2007 to 2009 it is not sustainable. Conclusion: The population densities of deer (O. virginianus and M. americana) in Tuzcacab by means of the excreta count method, have decreased significantly. The habitat use preference is the tropical forest. The deer harvest in the period from 2007 to 2009 is not sustainable.

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A Pilot Study on Home Range and Habitat Use of Chinese Goral (Naemorhedus Griseus): Exploring GPS Tracking Data in Cliff Landscape by Three Estimation Methods

10.21203/rs.3.rs-597882/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

yang teng ◽

Shupei TANG ◽

lai heda meng ◽

Liji Wu ◽

Zhiqing HAN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Gps Tracking ◽

Tracking Data ◽

Size Estimation ◽

Range Estimation ◽

Lower Altitude ◽

Effective Conservation

Abstract Home range size estimation is a crucial basis for developing effective conservation strategies and provides important insights into animal behavior and ecology. This study aimed at analyzing the home range variations, the influence of altitude in habitat selection, and comparing three methods in home range estimation of Chinese gorals (Naemorhedus griseus) living at a cliff landscape. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the annual home range sizes of individual animals but there was no difference in their seasonal home range sizes based on GPS tracking data of five female Chinese gorals from February 2015 to September 2018. The monthly home ranges decreased dramatically in May, June and July due to birth-giving. Notable seasonal variations were found in the micro-habitats of the Chinese gorals, as reflected by the altitude they inhabit, with higher altitude habitats used in spring and lower altitude habitats used in winter. Additionally, the altitude of monthly habitats was lowest in January, which may indicate an adaptation to low air temperature. We also found differences between estimation methods, namely minimum convex polygon (MCP), kernel density estimation (KDE) and α-local convex hull (α-LoCoH), with seasonal home range sizes derived from α-LoCoH being substantially smaller than those derived from MCP and KDE. In conclusion, our findings filled the gaps in home range study for this endangered species and contributed to effective conservation strategies. Considerations shall have to be given to the variations in home range estimation caused by different methods when dealing with rugged habitats, so as to make sure that any interpretation concerning the habitat use of the targeted species made on basis of such results would be meaningful and valid.

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Habitat use of jaguar (Panthera onca) in a tropical forest in northern Quintana Roo, Mexico

Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad ◽

10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2186 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 90 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Dulce María Ávila-Nájera ◽

Marco Antonio Lazcano-Barrero ◽

Cuauhtémoc Chávez ◽

Sergio Pérez-Elizalde ◽

Barbara Tigar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Tropical Forest ◽

Quintana Roo ◽

Panthera Onca

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A Pilot Study on Home Range and Habitat Use of Chinese Goral (Naemorhedus Griseus): Exploring GPS Tracking Data in Cliff Landscape by Three Estimation Methods

10.21203/rs.3.rs-597882/v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yang Teng ◽

Shupei TANG ◽

Dalai Menghe ◽

Liji Wu ◽

Zhiqing HAN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Gps Tracking ◽

Tracking Data ◽

Size Estimation ◽

Range Estimation ◽

Lower Altitude ◽

Effective Conservation

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Scats can reveal the presence and habitat use of cryptic rock-dwelling macropods

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo05074 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 325 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Wendy R. Telfer ◽

Anthony D. Griffiths ◽

David M. J. S. Bowman

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Classification Tree ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Wet Season ◽

Survey Tool ◽

Faecal Pellets ◽

Tropical Environments ◽

The Tropics ◽

Larger Sample

The rock-dwelling macropod species of the tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia, are behaviourally elusive and difficult to observe in their rugged habitats. Hence, little is understood about their ecology. We evaluated the potential of using scats (faecal pellets) as a survey tool for this faunal assemblage by: (1) developing a key to the scats of the species; (2) examining the rates of loss and decomposition of short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis) scats in these tropical environments; and (3) comparing the distribution of scats of P. brachyotis with the species’ use of space and habitats as determined with radio-telemetry. Classification tree modelling discriminated the scats of the seven macropod species, primarily on the basis of width. The reliability of identification was greatly improved with larger sample sizes and inclusion of a habitat parameter. Rates of scat loss and decay were variable and the greatest losses occurred in the wet season, particularly on sandy soils. Scat censuses underestimated the total area used by P. brachyotis but the distribution of scats showed the same broad pattern of habitat use found by radio-telemetry. We conclude that scats can accurately indicate the presence and habitat preferences of rock-dwelling macropod species.

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Effects of livestock on occurrence of the Vulnerable red panda Ailurus fulgens in Rara National Park, Nepal

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605313001403 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 228-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Hari P. Sharma ◽

Jerrold L. Belant ◽

Jon E. Swenson

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Spatial Resolution ◽

National Park ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Faecal Pellets ◽

Red Panda ◽

Ailurus Fulgens ◽

Awareness Raising

AbstractThe Vulnerable red panda Ailurus fulgens is endemic to the Himalayas. Anthropogenic activities, including deforestation, have degraded the species’ habitat but the effects of livestock have not been examined. We assessed the effects of illegal livestock activity on the presence of the red panda in Rara National Park, Nepal. The probability of detecting red panda faecal pellets decreased with livestock occurrence but not with elevation or aspect. The presence of bamboo and proximity to water are important to red pandas but did not influence their habitat use at the spatial resolution evaluated. Livestock grazing in Rara National Park appears to adversely affect the presence of the red panda within its habitat. To reduce illegal livestock grazing we recommend enforcement of existing regulations, that training workshops be held for herders, and awareness-raising and dialogue with residents.

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Ecology of the rufous hare-wallaby, Lagorchestes hirsutus Gould (Marsupialia : Macropodidae) in the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory.I Patterns of habitat use.

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9930457 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 457 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

G Lundie-Jenkins

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Faecal Pellets ◽

Habitat Features ◽

Food Diversity ◽

Local Contraction ◽

Feeding Area ◽

Controlled Burns ◽

Insight Into

A 2-year study was conducted to investigate two aspects of the local distribution of the rufous harewallaby, Lagorchestes hirsutus, in a region of the Tanami Desert. These were: (a) patterns of habitat use in response to changing environmental conditions and (b) environmental parameters influencing 'local' choice of habitat. Counts of faecal pellets and tracks were used to obtain indices of hare-wallaby activity within occupied sites and to gain an insight into the movements by individuals. Local choice of habitat was analysed by assessment of numerous habitat features at occupied and unoccupied sites in the region. Previous surveys over the greater part of the study area provide evidence of a significant local decline and local contraction of range by L. hirsutus during recent times. Hare-wallabies showed seasonal trends in the relative use of different vegetation systems in response to the relative availability of food items within each habitat. The home ranges of hare-wallabies consisted of two distinct areas of activity: a large sparsely used area within the dense Triodia pungens vegetation and a small concentrated feeding area within the neighbouring caliche system. Hare-wallabies were dependent upon a specialised form of spinifex habitat. Patchiness, hummock size, food diversity and the degree of floral senescence affected suitability for hare-wallabies. Within the Tanami Desert site, suitable combinations of these characters were associated with tight mosaics of different regenerative stages after fire. Fire is therefore clearly implicated as an important force in creating a greater diversity of feeding and sheltering habitats for the hare-wallabies in the otherwise uniform spinifex sandplains. There is an obvious role for the application of controlled burns as a means of managing habitats to favour L. hirsutus in the Tanami Desert.

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Daytime habitat use and abundance of a freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium yui Holthuis, 1950 (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in tropical forest stream, northern Laos

Crustacean Research ◽

10.18353/crustacea.50.0_151 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (0) ◽

pp. 151-163

Author(s):

Aloun Kounthongbang ◽

Pany Souliyamath ◽

Phonenaphet Chanthasone ◽

Phutsamone Phommachan ◽

Oulaytham Lasasimma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Tropical Forest ◽

Freshwater Shrimp ◽

Forest Stream

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Estimating Sustainable Harvest Rates for European Hare (Lepus Europaeus) Populations

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11102837 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 2837 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Stéphanie C. Schai-Braun ◽

Christine Kowalczyk ◽

Erich Klansek ◽

Klaus Hackländer

Keyword(s):

Population Modeling ◽

Lepus Europaeus ◽

Population Fluctuations ◽

Vital Rates ◽

Sustainable Harvest ◽

Weather Extremes ◽

Population Densities ◽

European Hare ◽

Game Species ◽

Hunting Quotas

Hunting quotas are used to manage populations of game species in order to ensure sustainable exploitation. However, unpredictable climatic events may interact with hunting. We established a population model for European hares (Lepus europaeus) in Lower Austria. We compared the sustainability of voluntary quotas used by hunters—which are derived from hare-specific guidelines—with the actual numbers of hares shot and our recommended quotas for hares, which have been derived from climate and population modeling. We used population modeling based on vital rates and densities to adjust our recommended quotas in order to achieve sustainable harvest. The survival of age classes 1 and 3 had the highest impact on the population growth rate. Population viability analysis showed that a recommended quota with a harvest rate of 10% was sustainable for population densities of 45 hares/km2, and that the threshold for hunting should be raised from 10 hares/km2 so that hare populations with <15 hares/km2 are not hunted. The recommended quota outperformed the voluntary hunting quota, since more hares could be harvested sustainably. Age Class 1 survival was strongly linked with weather: a single year with unfavorable weather conditions (low precipitation) negatively affected population densities. Game species, including the European hare, face increasingly frequent weather extremes due to climate change, so hunting quotas need to be sensitive to frequent population fluctuations.

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Patterns and correlates of movement and site fidelity in individually tagged young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f03-012 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 60 (2) ◽

pp. 193-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Stefán Ó Steingrímsson ◽

James W.A Grant

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Salmon ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Salmo Salar ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Population Regulation ◽

Fish Movement ◽

Population Densities ◽

Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽

Young Of The Year ◽

Study Sites

The literature on stream fish movement offers diverse views on the patterns (restricted vs. nonrestricted), causes (competition vs. habitat use), and consequences (mobile fish of lower vs. equal fitness) of movement. We tagged 320 young-of-the-year Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) (30.155.3 mm), using relatively noninvasive tagging (elastomers) and recovery (snorkeling) techniques, to test these alternative views. Most fish (mean = 63.8%) stayed in the study sites (10120 m) throughout their respective study season (2874 days). Of the resighted fish, 61.8% moved less than 1 m up- or down-stream and only three fish moved more than 10 m, causing extremely leptokurtic movement curves. Movement and site fidelity were weakly affected by habitat use and competition. Fish originally found in slow water moved farther than fish from fast water, whereas fish found at high population densities were more likely to disappear than fish from low densities. Finally, mobile fish grew as fast or faster than more sedentary fish, supporting the idea that movement can be advantageous and is not just a by-product of density-dependent population regulation.

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Influence of pycnocline on settling behaviour of non-spherical particle and wake evolution

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77682-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Magdalena M. Mrokowska

Keyword(s):

Complex Dynamics ◽

Stratified Fluid ◽

Particle Orientation ◽

Spherical Particles ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Structure Evolution ◽

Particle Settling ◽

Faecal Pellets ◽

Fluid Systems ◽

Tightly Coupled

AbstractSettling of non-spherical particles in a stratified fluid exhibits complex dynamics in a low-to-moderate inertia regime. Although this process is involved in a wide variety of phenomena in natural fluid systems, its fundamental mechanisms are still unexplored. Understanding of particle settling in microscale is particularly important to explain challenging problems associated with ecological and biogeochemical processes in the ocean due to the delayed settling of particulate matter at pycnoclines. Here, I explore interactions between disk-shaped particles and a stratified fluid with a density transition. By laboratory experiments, I demonstrate that the settling dynamics of the disk crossing a density transition are tightly coupled with the wake structure evolution, and I observe for the first time in a two-layer ambient configuration a bell-shaped structure that forms on a jet after the wake has detached from the particle. Furthermore, I identify hydrodynamic conditions for the variations of settling velocity and particle orientation instabilities. These findings shed light on particle settling mechanisms necessary to explain dynamics of marine particles such as plankton, faecal pellets, and microplastics and may improve the estimation methods of sedimentation processes in various areas of earth sciences and engineering.

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