Habitat selection and use by a hybrid of white and Tibetan eared pheasants in eastern Tibet during the post-incubation period

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Lu ◽  
Guang Mei Zheng

We investigated habitat selection and use by a recently discovered hybrid of the white eared pheasant (Crossoptilon crossoptilon) and Tibetan eared pheasant (Crossoptilon harmani) in the forests of eastern Tibet (93°39'E, 32°24'N) during the post-incubation period in 1995. The frequency of encountering molted feathers was used as an indicator of the relative abundance of eared pheasants in order to analyze patterns of habitat selection and use. Forests on south-facing slopes, dominated by the hollyleaf-like oak (Quercus aquifolioides) and Tibetan juniper (Sabina tibetica), were the habitats preferred by eared pheasants. North-facing slopes with coniferous forest, which is the most preferred habitat of eared pheasant species in other areas, were completely avoided, probably because moisture-heat conditions there are beyond the birds' physiological tolerance. We conclude that climatic conditions are the main determinant of macrohabitat selection by eared pheasant species. In preferred habitats, oak and juniper woodland accounted for a larger proportion of home ranges of family flocks. Daily movements of a flock might cover a large altitudinal range, from the base of the mountain to the area above tree line, with an apparent preference for sites that can be used for foraging and dusting.

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (12) ◽  
pp. 1337-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Schaefer ◽  
Nicolas Morellet ◽  
Dominique Pépin ◽  
Hélène Verheyden

Accounting for spatial scale is essential for understanding habitat selection, but few studies have used spatial statistics to reveal the characteristic scale at which organisms respond to their environment. We studied habitat selection by GPS-tracked red deer ( Cervus elaphus L., 1758) in the Pyrenees Mountains, France, by applying a geostatistical model that compares autocorrelation of a resource between used and available sites to uncover the scale at which animals assess habitat. Using an artificial landscape, we demonstrated that the model can handle discrete habitat classes. Based on conventional hierarchical analysis, deer selected for open habitat, especially meadow, and avoided coniferous forest, more strongly at the coarse level of the home range than GPS locations. Home ranges exhibited generally lower autocorrelation in elevation and meadow habitat than random locations within the population range, indicative of preference for high habitat heterogeneity. Mean maximum discrepancy in autocorrelation, which was more pronounced at the level of the home range than GPS locations, occurred at 830 m for meadow habitat and at 1511 m for elevation, suggesting that red deer responded to their environment at this scale. Our study demonstrates how spatial statistics can serve as an instructive complement to conventional approaches to habitat selection.


2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 527-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Sadoti ◽  
K. T. Vierling

Nonideal habitat selection occurs when preferred habitat attributes differ from those associated with increased fitness. These mismatches have been widely studied in open cup-nesting birds, but the relationship between habitat-associated preferences and fitness in cavity-nesting birds has received relatively little attention. We studied patterns of preference and fitness during 2006–2007 in an Idaho, USA, population of Red-naped Sapsuckers ( Sphyrapicus nuchalis S.F. Baird, 1858). Using a suite of nonparametric tests, we examined the associations between habitat attributes and both nesting-area preferences and nest productivity (number of fledglings per pair) across four spatial scales. Nest productivity was associated with tree- and cavity-scale attributes, whereas preference was associated with attributes of home ranges. Live trees and southeasterly oriented cavities had higher nest productivity but were not preferred. Microclimates in nests with these attributes may enhance nestling survival, whereas nonpreference for these attributes may be due to energetic constraints in some individuals. Additional studies comparing patterns of nonideal habitat selection between open-cup nesters and cavity nesters should advance our understanding of how life-history characteristics influence selection patterns.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse N. Popp ◽  
David N. C. McGeachy ◽  
Josef Hamr

Seasonal habitat selection by the reintroduced Burwash elk population, approximately 30 km south of Sudbury, Ontario, has been analysed in order to assist in the development of future management. Twenty-five adult females were radio-collared and tracked 1–3 times a week for 3 years. The most prominent patterns included selection of intolerant hardwood forests (trembling aspen, white birch, and balsam poplar) during all seasons, while Great Lakes-St. Lawrence pines (white and red pine dominated stands) were used less than expected based on availability for all seasons. The selection patterns are likely associated with seasonal climatic conditions and forage preferences. Because the selection behaviours displayed here varied greatly from other elk habitat studies, it is suggested that managers consider the importance of population-specific habitat studies before developing related strategies.


Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuchang Liang ◽  
Aili Kang ◽  
Nathalie Pettorelli

AbstractWe tested a series of hypotheses on drivers of habitat selection by the Vulnerable wild yak Bos mutus, combining distribution-wide sighting data with species distribution modelling approaches. The results indicate that climatic conditions are of paramount importance in shaping the wild yak's distribution on the Tibetan Plateau. Habitat selection patterns were seasonal, with yaks appearing to select areas closer to villages during the vegetation-growing season. Unexpectedly, our index of forage quantity had a limited effect in determining the distribution of the species. Overall, our results suggest that expected changes in climate for this region could have a significant impact on habitat availability for wild yaks, and we call for more attention to be focused on the unique wildlife in this ecosystem.


The Condor ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 566-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Seamans ◽  
R.J. Gutiérrez

Abstract Abstract. Understanding the effect of habitat alteration on avian behavior is important for understanding a species' ecology and ensuring its conservation. Therefore, we examined the relationship between Spotted Owl habitat selection and variation in habitat in the Sierra Nevada. We estimated habitat selection by modeling the probability of territory colonization (γ), territory extinction (ε), and breeding dispersal in relation to the amount of mature conifer forest within and among territories. Alteration of ≥20 ha of mature conifer forest (coniferous forest with >70% canopy cover dominated by medium [30.4–60.9 cm dbh] and large [>60.9 cm dbh] trees) within individual territories (n  =  66) was negatively related to territory colonization and positively related to breeding dispersal probability. Although territory extinction was negatively related to the amount of mature conifer forest, it was not clear whether this relationship was due to variation of mature conifer forest within or among territories. Although modeling results for territory colonization and extinction generally supported the hypothesis that individuals are “ideal” when selecting a habitat in the sense that they settle in the highest-quality site available, we did not find a clear benefit in terms of habitat quality for Spotted Owls that exhibited breeding dispersal.


Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pelayo Acevedo ◽  
Miguel Prieto ◽  
Pablo Quirós ◽  
Isabel Merediz ◽  
Lucía de Juan ◽  
...  

We provide a temporal overview (from 2012 to 2018) of the outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) in the cattle and badger populations in a hot-spot in Asturias (Atlantic Spain). We also study the badger’s spatial ecology from an epidemiological perspective in order to describe hazardous behavior in relation to TB transmission between cattle and badgers. Culture and single intradermal tuberculin test (SITT) were available for cattle as part of the National Program for the Eradication of TB. A field survey was also carried out in order to determine the paddocks and buildings used by each farm, and the information obtained was stored by using geographic information systems. Moreover, eighty-three badgers were submitted for necropsy and subsequent bacteriological studies. Ten badgers were also tracked, using global positioning system (GPS) collars. The prevalence of TB in cattle herds in the hot-spot increased from 2.2% in 2012 to 20% in 2016; it then declined to 0.0% in 2018. In contrast, the TB prevalence in badgers increased notably (from 5.55% in 2012–2015 to 10.64% in 2016–2018). Both cattle and badgers shared the same strain of Mycobacterium bovis. The collared badgers preferred paddocks used by TB-positive herds in spring and summer (when they were more active). The males occupied larger home ranges than the females (Khr95: males 149.78 ± 25.84 ha and females 73.37 ± 22.91 ha; Kcr50: males 29.83 ± 5.69 ha and females 13.59 ± 5.00 ha), and the home ranges were smaller in autumn and winter than in summer. The averages of the index of daily and maximum distances traveled by badgers were 1.88 ± (SD) 1.20 km and 1.99 ± 0.71 km, respectively. One of them presented a dispersive behavior with a maximum range of 18.3 km. The most preferred habitat was apple orchards in all seasons, with the exception of winter, in which they preferred pastures. Land uses and landscape structure, which have been linked with certain livestock-management practices, provide a scenario of great potential for badger–cattle interactions, thus enhancing the importance of the badgers’ ecology, which could potentially transmit TB back to cattle in the future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 120-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannu Tikkanen ◽  
Seppo Rytkönen ◽  
Olli-Pekka Karlin ◽  
Tuomo Ollila ◽  
Veli-Matti Pakanen ◽  
...  

The Condor ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 795-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Tietz ◽  
Matthew D. Johnson

Abstract We investigated selection of stopover habitat by juvenile Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) during fall migration at a site along the northern California coast. The study site vegetation consisted mainly of coniferous forest (pine [Pinus] and spruce [Picea]), with interspersed patches of broadleaf forest (willow [Salix] and alder [Alnus]) in poorly drained swales. For 26 birds captured and radio-tracked in 2002 and 2003, the average minimum stopover duration was 8.9 ± 1.0 days. For 20 of these birds with a sufficient number of locations, the average home range size was 1.9 ± 0.3 ha. Thrushes showed no overall pattern of selection for forest type within the study area or for forest type used inside their home range. Fat and lean birds selected forest types similarly within the study area and their home ranges. However, locations occupied by lean birds had twice as much huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) shrub cover and were 1.3 times more concealed by vegetation than locations occupied by fat birds. There were 2.5 times more huckleberries at occupied than random locations, and locations occupied by lean birds had 2.1 times more berries overall than those frequented by fat birds. Fecal analyses confirmed that huckleberries were a commonly consumed food (70% of sampled thrushes), but also revealed that thrushes ate arthropods (87%) and wax myrtle (Myrica californica) bracteoles (43%). The overall lack of forest type selection coupled with differences between fat and lean birds in selection for cover and fruit abundance suggests that fat level may influence microsite selection.


2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Watson ◽  
Kelly R. McAllister ◽  
D. John Pierce

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document