scholarly journals Temperature shapes movement and habitat selection by a heat-sensitive ungulate

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse M. Alston ◽  
Michael J. Joyce ◽  
Jerod A. Merkle ◽  
Ron A. Moen
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Gps Telemetry ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Influence Of Temperature On ◽  
Step Selection Function ◽  
Warming World ◽  
Step Selection

AbstractContextWarmer weather caused by climate change poses increasingly serious threats to the persistence of many species, but animals can modify behavior to mitigate at least some of the threats posed by warmer temperatures. Identifying and characterizing how animals modify behavior to avoid the negative consequences of acute heat will be crucial for understanding how animals will respond to warmer temperatures in the future.ObjectivesWe studied the extent to which moose (Alces alces), a species known to be sensitive to heat, mitigates heat on hot summer days via multiple different behaviors: (1) reduced movement, (2) increased visitation to shade, (3) increased visitation to water, or (4) a combination of these behaviors.MethodsWe used GPS telemetry and a step-selection function to analyze movement and habitat selection by moose in northeastern Minnesota, USA.ResultsMoose reduced movement, used areas of the landscape with more shade, and traveled nearer to mixed forests and bogs during periods of heat. Moose used shade far more than water to ameliorate heat, and the most pronounced changes in behavior occurred between 15°C and 20°C.ConclusionsResearch characterizing the behaviors animals use to facilitate thermoregulation will aid conservation of heat-sensitive species in a warming world. The modeling framework presented in this study is a promising method for evaluating the influence of temperature on movement and habitat selection.

scholarly journals Raptor migration in an oceanic flyway: wind and geography shape the migratory route of grey-faced buzzards in East Asia

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 171555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Nourani ◽  
Kamran Safi ◽  
Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi ◽  
Hiroyoshi Higuchi
Keyword(s):  
East Asian ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Least Cost Path ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Wind Support ◽  
Step Selection Function ◽  
Atmospheric Factors ◽  
Step Selection

Flapping flight is relatively costly for soaring birds such as raptors. To avoid costly flight, migrating raptors generally avoid flying over water. As a result, all but one of the global raptor migration flyways are largely over land. The East Asian oceanic flyway for raptors is the exception. Raptor species using this flyway migrate by island-hopping, flying over open ocean for distances of up to 300 km between islands. We used satellite telemetry data for grey-faced buzzards Butastur indicus , a species that dominates the southern part of the flyway, to investigate the geographical and atmospheric factors responsible for the suitability of this flyway for raptor migration. Using a combination of least-cost path analysis and a step selection function, we found that the occurrence of numerous islands and also suitable wind support along the oceanic flyway are responsible for route selection in grey-faced buzzards. These results confirm the role of islands, but also wind, in shaping the East Asian oceanic flyway of long-distance raptor migration.

Inferring the effects of landscape structure on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) movements using a step selection function

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 603-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Coulon ◽  
Nicolas Morellet ◽  
Michel Goulard ◽  
Bruno Cargnelutti ◽  
Jean-Marc Angibault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Step Selection Function ◽  
Step Selection

Connectivity among subpopulations of louisiana black bears as estimated by a step selection function

2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1347-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph D. Clark ◽  
Jared S. Laufenberg ◽  
Maria Davidson ◽  
Jennifer L. Murrow
Keyword(s):  
Black Bears ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Step Selection Function ◽  
Step Selection

scholarly journals Analysis of local habitat selection and large-scale attraction/avoidance based on animal tracking data: is there a single best method?

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Mercker ◽  
Philipp Schwemmer ◽  
Verena Peschko ◽  
Leonie Enners ◽  
Stefan Garthe
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Statistical Hypothesis ◽  
Type I ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Selection Models ◽  
Animal Tracking ◽  
Step Selection

Abstract Background New wildlife telemetry and tracking technologies have become available in the last decade, leading to a large increase in the volume and resolution of animal tracking data. These technical developments have been accompanied by various statistical tools aimed at analysing the data obtained by these methods. Methods We used simulated habitat and tracking data to compare some of the different statistical methods frequently used to infer local resource selection and large-scale attraction/avoidance from tracking data. Notably, we compared spatial logistic regression models (SLRMs), spatio-temporal point process models (ST-PPMs), step selection models (SSMs), and integrated step selection models (iSSMs) and their interplay with habitat and animal movement properties in terms of statistical hypothesis testing. Results We demonstrated that only iSSMs and ST-PPMs showed nominal type I error rates in all studied cases, whereas SSMs may slightly and SLRMs may frequently and strongly exceed these levels. iSSMs appeared to have on average a more robust and higher statistical power than ST-PPMs. Conclusions Based on our results, we recommend the use of iSSMs to infer habitat selection or large-scale attraction/avoidance from animal tracking data. Further advantages over other approaches include short computation times, predictive capacity, and the possibility of deriving mechanistic movement models.

scholarly journals Richness, composition and trophic groups of an avian community in the Pernambuco Endemism Centre, Alagoas, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 1207-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
GUILHERME S. TOLEDO-LIMA ◽  
PHOEVE MACARIO ◽  
RACHEL M. DE LYRA-NEVES ◽  
BRUNO P. TEIXEIRA ◽  
LUIZ A.F. DE LIMA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Trophic Groups ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Avian Community ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Surrounding Matrix

In northeastern Brazil, the reduction of the natural forest cover to a series of small, isolated fragments has had negative consequences for the local avian fauna, in particular, a loss of the more specialized species, while the populations of some generalists have tended to increase. The present study focuses on the composition and trophic groups of a bird community on a farm in the northeastern Brazilian state of Alagoas. Monthly surveys were conducted between November 2008 and October 2009, based on mist-netting and systematic observations. Overall, 112 species were recorded, of which 76 were associated with the two forest fragments surveyed, while all the others were observed exclusively in the surrounding matrix of pasture and orchards. The bird community presented a predominance of insectivorous species, followed by omnivores. However, specialized trunk-creeping and understory insectivores accounted for only around 15% of the species in this feeding category. The reduced diversity of other guilds and species with more specialized diets, and the complete absence of sensitive species such as large parrots and raptors, reflects the severe fragmentation and degradation of the local forests, which has greatly reduced the availability of dietary resources and breeding sites.

scholarly journals Habitat selection when killing primary versus alternative prey species supports prey specialization in an apex predator

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Cristescu ◽  
S Bose ◽  
LM Elbroch ◽  
ML Allen ◽  
Heiko Wittmer
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Apparent Competition ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Alternative Prey ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus Columbianus ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Selection Of

© 2019 The Zoological Society of London Many predators specialize on one or several prey species that they select from the range of potential prey. Predator specialization on primary versus alternative prey is driven in part by encounter rates with prey and a predator’s habitat selection. Although habitat selection changes with behavioural state, this has not been well-recognized in the resource selection function (RSF) literature to date, often because auxiliary data on the predator’s behavioural states (e.g. hunting) are absent. We monitored habitat selection of pumas Puma concolor in a multi-prey system in northern California, where pumas specialized on black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. We employed multiple RSF analyses on different datasets to test the following three hypotheses: (1) Pumas utilize habitats in proportion to their availability; (2) Pumas select specific habitat features when killing black-tailed deer, their primary prey; (3) Pumas do not select distinct habitats from those identified under hypothesis 1 when killing alternative prey. We found that pumas in our study selected for specific habitats and habitat features in general, but that their selection was more pronounced when killing black-tailed deer. In summer, kill sites of deer were associated with rugged terrain, but gentle slopes and northerly aspects. In winter, pumas killed deer at low elevations, on gentle slopes and on northerly and westerly aspects. Overall, evidence suggested that pumas tracked their primary prey across seasonal migrations, which were short in distance but resulted in pronounced changes in elevation. When killing alternative prey, pumas showed little evidence of habitat selection, suggesting they may kill alternative prey opportunistically. Our results hold implications for how data should be partitioned when modelling baseline habitat selection of predators, hunting habitat selection and predation risk for prey species, as well as for how we model ecological processes such as apparent competition.

scholarly journals What wild dogs want: habitat selection differs across life stages and orders of selection in a wide-ranging carnivore

BMC Zoology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M. K. O’Neill ◽  
Sarah M. Durant ◽  
Rosie Woodroffe
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Order Selection ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Wild Dogs ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Background Habitat loss is a key threat to the survival of many species. Habitat selection studies provide key information for conservation initiatives by identifying important habitat and anthropogenic characteristics influencing the distribution of threatened species in changing landscapes. However, assumptions about the homogeneity of individual choices on habitat, regardless of life stage, are likely to result in inaccurate assessment of conservation priorities. This study addresses a knowledge gap in how animals at different life stages diverge in how they select habitat and anthropogenic features, using a free-ranging population of African wild dogs living in a human-dominated landscape in Kenya as a case study. Using GPS collar data to develop resource selection function and step selection function models, this study investigated differences between second order (selection of home range across a landscape) and third order (selection of habitat within the home range) habitat selection across four life history stages when resource requirements may vary: resident-non-denning, resident-heavily-pregnant, resident-denning and dispersing. Results Wild dogs showed strong second order selection for areas with low human population densities and areas close to rivers and roads. More rugged areas were also generally selected, as were areas with lower percentage tree cover. The strength of selection for habitat variables varied significantly between life stages; for example, dispersal groups were more tolerant of higher human population densities, whereas denning and pregnant packs were least tolerant of such areas. Conclusions Habitat selection patterns varied between individuals at different life stages and at different orders of selection. These analyses showed that denning packs and dispersal groups, the two pivotal life stages which drive wild dog population dynamics, exhibited different habitat selection to resident-non-breeding packs. Dispersal groups were relatively tolerant of higher human population densities whereas denning packs preferred rugged, remote areas. Evaluating different orders of selection was important as the above trends may not be detectable at all levels of selection for all habitat characteristics. Our analyses demonstrate that when life stage information is included in analyses across different orders of selection, it improves our understanding of how animals use their landscapes, thus providing important insights to aid conservation planning.

Summer rest site selection by Appalachian eastern spotted skunks

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 1295-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Y Y Eng ◽  
David S Jachowski
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Relative Probability ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Drainage Channels ◽  
Unit Increase ◽  
Rest Sites

AbstractEastern spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius) have suffered a dramatic range-wide decline leading to concern that the species is likely vulnerable to extinction, but were recently discovered to persist in a portion of the southern Appalachian Mountains (United States). For 2 years we investigated habitat selection by eastern spotted skunks to develop an understanding of their habitat and conservation needs in northwestern South Carolina. We used a discrete choice modeling framework to evaluate vegetative and topographic features that we predicted would influence rest site selection by male and female spotted skunks. Using VHF telemetry, we tracked 15 spotted skunks (10 males and 5 females) to 215 day-time rest sites between the months of April and August. Spotted skunks selected rest sites in close proximity to drainage channels, where the relative probability of selection decreased 18% and 50% with every 20-m increase in distance to a drainage channel for males and females, respectively. Relative probability of selection by female spotted skunks increased 30% for every one-unit increase in coarse woody debris (CWD), and relative probability of selection by male spotted skunks increased 25% for every 10% increase in understory cover. These results are consistent with previous studies that have identified cover as important for protection from predators; however, we additionally identified CWD and drainage channels as important to habitat selection by spotted skunks. These latter attributes are likely selected based on prey availability, but alternate ecological functions of these features warrant further investigation. Preservation of understory vegetation and CWD within drainage networks might benefit conservation of eastern spotted skunks in the southern Appalachians.

scholarly journals Understanding the Disaster–Migration–Violent Conflict Nexus in a Warming World: The Importance of International Policy Interventions

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Brzoska
Keyword(s):  
Violent Conflict ◽  
Conflict Prevention ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Pertinent Literature ◽  
International Policy ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Current State ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
Policy Fields ◽  
Warming World

The importance and extent of some of the linkages between disasters, migration and violent conflict are not very well understood. There has been controversy in the empirical analytical literature both over core elements of the nexus and over the mechanisms driving it. One reason for the current state of the pertinent literature is the widespread neglect of international policy interventions in the policy fields of disaster risk reduction, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, migration management as well as humanitarian and development assistance. This contribution highlights the importance of international interventions in these fields with respect to elements of the nexus. Based on a brief review of the comparative empirical evidence concerning the disputed links between disasters, migration and violent conflict it demonstrates how international policy interventions are affecting them. The study concludes with a call for more research into the ways in which international policy interventions contribute to shaping the disaster–migration–violent conflict nexus, arguing that a better understanding would enhance the potential for better policies to address its negative consequences.

Landscape context matters when American Woodcock select singing grounds: Results from a reciprocal transplant experiment

The Condor ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J Brenner ◽  
Bill Buffum ◽  
Brian C Tefft ◽  
Scott R McWilliams
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Reciprocal Transplant ◽  
Transplant Experiment ◽  
High Likelihood ◽  
Reciprocal Transplant Experiment ◽  
American Woodcock

Abstract The multiscale nature of habitat selection during the breeding season for migratory birds means that core-use areas (e.g., breeding territories) are selected based on their local habitat features, but these may also be influenced in some way by features within a larger-scale landscape. We conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment to test the hypothesis that habitat selection and movements of male American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) in core-use areas during the breeding season depend on the perceived quality of the surrounding landscape. We captured second-year male woodcocks (n = 19) at high- or low-likelihood of use landscapes in Rhode Island, USA, affixed each with a radio transmitter, relocated them to the opposite type of landscape, and then determined if they returned to their original site of capture or remained in the landscape to which they were relocated. Birds captured in high-likelihood landscapes and moved to low-likelihood landscapes generally returned to their original high-likelihood landscape (5/7, 71%), but birds captured in low-likelihood landscapes and moved to high-likelihood landscapes rarely returned to their original low-likelihood landscape (1/12, 8%). These results support the hypothesis that woodcock assess their surroundings relatively rapidly and subsequently make critical settlement decisions based on landscape composition. Given that woodcock choice is predicted by the woodcock-specific resource selection function, these results also provide support for the use of this tool to guide forest management for woodcock.

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