Urbanization and exotic species are major threats to the conservation of forest-dependent wildlife species. Some emblematic species, indicators of habitat quality for the conservation of other spe- cies, might success...Urbanization and exotic species are major threats to the conservation of forest-dependent wildlife species. Some emblematic species, indicators of habitat quality for the conservation of other spe- cies, might successfully be reintroduced within cities when habitat restoration and pest manage- ment programs are combined. We studied the landscape resource selection of juvenile kaka Nestor meridionalis tracked with Global Positioning System （GPS） units and released into the predator- free reserve of Zealandia in Wellington city, New Zealand. Kaka moved beyond the predator exclu- sion fence into urban suburbs. The home range size and areas of high use estimated using local convex hull （a-LoCoH） ranged from 20 to 240 ha and 2 to 21 ha, respectively. Using resource selec- tion functions and model selection we found that native forest patches and urban areas close to the reserve were selected by kaka to establish their home ranges. At a lower scale of selection （i.e., se- lection of habitats within home ranges）, kaka selected the same habitat, but not necessarily those close to the reserve. Native forest patches throughout the city can facilitate the dispersal of individ- uals, while the reserve provides protection and opportunities for supplementary feeding. Urban areas might have been selected due to the placement of feeders in private backyards. Survival of forest-dwelling species in cities requires careful urban planning and management to provide the necessary habitat patches, refugia, and food sources.展开更多
文摘Urbanization and exotic species are major threats to the conservation of forest-dependent wildlife species. Some emblematic species, indicators of habitat quality for the conservation of other spe- cies, might successfully be reintroduced within cities when habitat restoration and pest manage- ment programs are combined. We studied the landscape resource selection of juvenile kaka Nestor meridionalis tracked with Global Positioning System （GPS） units and released into the predator- free reserve of Zealandia in Wellington city, New Zealand. Kaka moved beyond the predator exclu- sion fence into urban suburbs. The home range size and areas of high use estimated using local convex hull （a-LoCoH） ranged from 20 to 240 ha and 2 to 21 ha, respectively. Using resource selec- tion functions and model selection we found that native forest patches and urban areas close to the reserve were selected by kaka to establish their home ranges. At a lower scale of selection （i.e., se- lection of habitats within home ranges）, kaka selected the same habitat, but not necessarily those close to the reserve. Native forest patches throughout the city can facilitate the dispersal of individ- uals, while the reserve provides protection and opportunities for supplementary feeding. Urban areas might have been selected due to the placement of feeders in private backyards. Survival of forest-dwelling species in cities requires careful urban planning and management to provide the necessary habitat patches, refugia, and food sources.
