scholarly journals Wild Steps in a Semi-wild Setting? Habitat Selection and Behavior of European Bison reintroduced to an Anthropogenic Landscape

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pil Birkefeldt Møller Pedersen ◽  
Joanna B. Olsen ◽  
Brody Sandel ◽  
Jens-Christian Svenning
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
European Bison ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Release Area

AbstractRecently, several wild or semi-wild herds of European bison have been reintroduced across Europe. It is essential for future successful bison reintroductions to know how the European bison use different habitats, which environmental parameters drive their habitat selection, and whether their habitat use and behavioural patterns in new reintroduction sites differ from habitats where European bison have been roaming freely for a long time.Here, we address these questions for a 40-ha enclosed site that has been inhabited by semi-free ranging European bison since 2012. The site, Vorup Meadows, is adjacent to the Gudenå river in Denmark and consists of human-modified riparian meadows. During 2013 we monitored the behavioural pattern and spatial use of the 11 bison present and in parallel carried out floristic analyses to assess habitat structure and food quality in the enclosure. We tested habitat use and selection against environmental parameters such as habitat characteristics, plant community traits, topography, and management area (release area vs. meadow area) using linear regression and spatial models.The bison herd had comparable diurnal activity patterns as observed in previous studies on free-roaming bison herds. Topography emerged as the main predictor of the frequency of occurrence in our spatial models, with high-lying drier areas being used more. Bison did not prefer open areas over areas with tree cover when accounting for habitat availability. However, they spent significantly more time in the release area, a former agricultural field with supplementary fodder, than expected from availability compared to the rest of the enclosure, a meadow with tree patches. We wish to increase awareness of possible long-term ethological effects of the release site and the management protocols accomplished here that might reduce the ecological impact by the bison in the target habitat, and thereby compromise or even oppose the conservation goals of the conservation efforts.

scholarly journals The influence of habitat use on harvest vulnerability of cow elk (Cervus canadensis)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242841
Author(s):  
Maksim Sergeyev ◽  
Brock R. McMillan ◽  
Kent R. Hersey ◽  
Randy T. Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Hunting Season ◽  
Cervus Canadensis

Pressure from hunting can alter the behavior and habitat selection of game species. During hunting periods, cervids such as elk (Cervus canadensis) typically select for areas further from roads and closer to tree cover, while altering the timing of their daily activities to avoid hunters. Our objective was to determine the habitat characteristics most influential in predicting harvest risk of elk. We captured 373 female elk between January 2015 and March 2017 in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and surrounding area of central Utah, USA. We determined habitat selection during the hunting season using a resource selection function (RSF) for 255 adult cow elk. Additionally, we used a generalized linear mixed model to evaluate risk of harvest based on habitat use within home ranges (3rd order selection) as well as the location of the home range on the landscape to evaluate vulnerability on a broader scale. Female elk selected for areas that reduced hunter access (rugged terrain, within tree cover, on private land). Age, elevation and distance to roads within a home range were most influential in predicting harvest risk (top model accounted for 36.2% of AIC weight). Elevation and distance to trees were most influential in predicting risk when evaluating the location of the home range (top model accounted for 42.1% of AIC weight). Vulnerability to harvest was associated with proximity to roads. Additionally, survival in our landscape decreased with age of femaleelk.

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

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 919-924 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Responses of small mammals to habitat characteristics in Southern Carpathian forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Maria Benedek ◽  
Ioan Sîrbu ◽  
Anamaria Lazăr
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractCompared to Northern Carpathians, the small mammal fauna of Southern Carpathian forests is poorly known, with no data on habitat use; our study seeks to fill this gap. To this end, we conducted a survey in the Southern Carpathians for five years, assessing habitat use by small mammals in forests along an elevational gradient. Trapping was done using live traps set in transects at elevations between 820 and 2040 m. For each transect we evaluated variables related to vegetation structure, habitat complexity, and geographical location. We considered abundance, species composition and species richness as response variables. The rodents Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus and the shrew Sorex araneus were common and dominant. Their abundance were positively correlated with tree cover, the best explanatory variable. Responses to other variables were mixed. The strong divergence in the relative habitat use by the three most abundant species may act as a mechanism that enables their coexistence as dominant species, exploiting the same wide range of habitat resources. Overall, habitat use in our study area was similar to that reported from Northern Carpathians, but we found also important differences probably caused by the differences in latitude and forest management practices.

scholarly journals Fine-scale habitat selection of Chilean dolphins (Cephalorhynchus eutropia): interactions with aquaculture activities in southern Chiloé Island, Chile

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Ribeiro ◽  
Francisco A. Viddi ◽  
José Luís Cordeiro ◽  
Thales R.O. Freitas
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Behavioural Determinants ◽  
Entire Study Area ◽  
Selection Of

Fine-scale habitat selection of Chilean dolphins was studied between January and April 2002 through shore-based theodolite tracking in order to investigate the environmental and behavioural determinants of habitat use, and to evaluate the interactions between this species and aquaculture activities in Yaldad Bay, southern Chile. During 293.5 h of effort, movement and habitat selection patterns of dolphins exhibited a significantly concentrated use of only 21% of the entire study area. Correspondence analysis showed that shallow waters (5–10 m), proximity to coast and rivers were the most significant environmental parameters determining fine-scale dolphin distribution patterns, with foraging the most frequently observed activity. Aquaculture activities in the area were observed to affect dolphin habitat use patterns by restricting space available for biologically important dolphin behaviours.

Habitat use by corn mice (Calomys musculinus) in cropfield borders of agricultural ecosystems in Argentina

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Simone ◽  
Cecilia Provensal ◽  
Jaime Polop
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Small Rodent ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Calomys Musculinus ◽  
Rodent Abundance

Context Calomys musculinus (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) is a small rodent species widely distributed in Argentina and particularly abundant in agroecosystems of the Pampean region, where it is known to select border habitats over cropfields. Aims The aim of the present research was to assess habitat use by C. musculinus in cropfield borders. Assuming that the number of rodent captures in each border reflects the intensity of use, we intended to identify the habitat characteristics that would account for abundance differences among borders. Methods Seasonal trapping sessions were carried out in borders of the rural zone of Chucul, Córdoba. Environmental variables were registered from both field surveys and remote-sensing imagery. Generalised linear models were used to identify the habitat variables associated with C. musculinus habitat use. Key results General fit of the models was fairly good; spring, summer and autumn models explained more than 55% of the variation in C. musculinus abundance among borders. Individual plant species were significant predictors of C. musculinus abundance, but they varied with seasons, whereas tree cover and border width were significant predictors in most seasons studied. In general, rodent abundance was positively associated with peanut and maize crops or maize stubbles and negatively related to soybean or its stubbles. In the coldest seasons, rodent abundance increased with increasing land-surface temperature of the border. Conclusions Border use by C. musculinus appeared to respond to differences in border quality, which seems to be more affected by those environmental characteristics that entail a reduction of the predatory risk rather than by those that involve food supply. Crop-fields may partially afford C. musculinus food requirements. Implications Because C. musculinus is the natural reservoir of a zoonotic agent, the identification of the habitat characteristics affecting rodent population numbers in borders may be of crucial importance for the implementation of ecologically based rodent-management strategies aimed at reducing human–rodent contacts. We suggest that wide borders, particularly those contiguous to maize and peanut cropfields, should be understood as priority sites for the implementation of specific control actions.

Ontogenetic and seasonal shifts in movement and habitat selection of the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Saidee J. Hyder ◽  
Joshua R. Ennen ◽  
Jon M. Davenport
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Convex Polygons ◽  
Macrochelys Temminckii ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover

Abstract We aimed to discern the seasonal movement patterns, home range sizes, and microhabitat associations of subadult Macrochelys temminckii in a West Tennessee population. Because this population was previously monitored (i.e., telemetry and habitat use) as juveniles after the initial release in 2005, studying the movement ecology and habitat use of the same released cohort 12 years later allows for unique comparisons between hatchling and subadult ecology. We used radio telemetry to collect movement and microhabitat data of 16 subadult M. temminckii during one year. Our results suggest that seasonal and ontogenetic variation in movement patterns and habitat selection occur within a cohort of M. temminckii. Compared to juveniles, subadults used deep slough areas with high overstory tree cover and had larger home ranges (100% minimum convex polygons [MCP]). Additionally, as subadults, the mean distance moved (m) varied among seasons and furthest during summer. Subadults used deeper water, with higher temperatures and significantly more tree canopy cover, than random locations. Overall, the home range estimate for subadults (mean MCP ± SE; 1.64 ± 0.57 ha) was greater than for juveniles (0.044 ± 0.021 ha). These home-range estimates and habitat usage patterns were similar to subadults in other studies. The seasonal and ontogenetic variations suggest that habitat heterogeneity is critical to sustain populations of introduced M. temminckii.

scholarly journals Revisiting the functional response in habitat selection for large herbivores: a matter of spatial variation in resource distribution?

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1725-1733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Duparc ◽  
Mathieu Garel ◽  
Pascal Marchand ◽  
Dominique Dubray ◽  
Daniel Maillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Functional Response ◽  
Resource Distribution ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Most habitats are distributed heterogeneously in space, forcing animals to move according to both habitat characteristics and their needs for energy and safety. Animal space use should therefore vary according to habitat characteristics, a process known as the “functional response” in habitat selection. This response has often been tested vis-à-vis the proportion of a habitat category within areas available to individuals. Measuring sought-after resources in landscape where they are continuously distributed is a challenge and we posit here that both the mean availability of a resource and its spatial variation should be measured. Accordingly, we tested for a functional response in habitat selection according to these two descriptors of the resource available for a mountain herbivore. We hypothesized that selection should decrease with mean value of resources available and increase with its spatial variation. Based on GPS data from 50 chamois females and data on the actual foodscape (i.e., distribution of edible-only biomass in the landscape), we estimated individual selection ratio (during summer months) for biomass at the home range level, comparing edible biomass in individual home ranges and the mean and standard deviation of edible biomass in their available range. Chamois being a group-living species, available accessible ranges were shared by several individuals that formed socio-spatial groups (clusters) in the population. As expected, selection ratios increased with the standard deviation of edible resources in each cluster, but unlike our prediction, was unrelated to its mean. Selection of areas richer in resources hence did not fade away when more resources were available on average, a result that may be explained by the need for this capital breeder species to accumulate fat-reserve at a high rate during summer months. Low spatial variation could limit the selection of chamois, which highlights the importance of resource distribution in the process of habitat selection.

scholarly journals Assessing year‐round habitat use by migratory sea ducks in a multi‐species context reveals seasonal variation in habitat selection and partitioning

Ecography ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1842-1858
Author(s):  
Juliet S. Lamb ◽  
Peter W. C. Paton ◽  
Jason E. Osenkowski ◽  
Shannon S. Badzinski ◽  
Alicia M. Berlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Sea Ducks

scholarly journals Flexible modelling of spatial variation in agricultural field trials with the R package INLA

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (12) ◽  
pp. 3277-3293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Lie Selle ◽  
Ingelin Steinsland ◽  
John M. Hickey ◽  
Gregor Gorjanc
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Field Trial ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
R Package ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Wheat Breeding ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Combining Data

Abstract Key message Established spatial models improve the analysis of agricultural field trials with or without genomic data and can be fitted with the open-source R package INLA. Abstract The objective of this paper was to fit different established spatial models for analysing agricultural field trials using the open-source R package INLA. Spatial variation is common in field trials, and accounting for it increases the accuracy of estimated genetic effects. However, this is still hindered by the lack of available software implementations. We compare some established spatial models and show possibilities for flexible modelling with respect to field trial design and joint modelling over multiple years and locations. We use a Bayesian framework and for statistical inference the integrated nested Laplace approximations (INLA) implemented in the R package INLA. The spatial models we use are the well-known independent row and column effects, separable first-order autoregressive ($$\mathrm{AR1} \otimes \mathrm{AR1}$$ AR 1 ⊗ AR 1 ) models and a Gaussian random field (Matérn) model that is approximated via the stochastic partial differential equation approach. The Matérn model can accommodate flexible field trial designs and yields interpretable parameters. We test the models in a simulation study imitating a wheat breeding programme with different levels of spatial variation, with and without genome-wide markers and with combining data over two locations, modelling spatial and genetic effects jointly. The results show comparable predictive performance for both the $$\mathrm{AR1} \otimes \mathrm{AR1}$$ AR 1 ⊗ AR 1 and the Matérn models. We also present an example of fitting the models to a real wheat breeding data and simulated tree breeding data with the Nelder wheel design to show the flexibility of the Matérn model and the R package INLA.

Seasonal variation in coastal marine habitat use by the European shag: Insights from fine scale habitat selection modeling and diet

2017 ◽  
Vol 141 ◽  
pp. 224-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candice Michelot ◽  
David Pinaud ◽  
Matthieu Fortin ◽  
Philippe Maes ◽  
Benjamin Callard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Coastal Marine
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