Spatial distribution of display sites of Grey Peacock-pheasant in relation to micro-habitat and predators during the breeding season

Background: The destruction and fragmentation of forest in Southeast Asia is accelerating biodiversity loss, resulting in a range of management and conservation actions. For some species, a detailed understanding of microhabitat selection is critical for this, especially in the breeding season.Methods: To understand the factors that explain how specific habitats are used by the Grey Peacock-pheasant(Polyplectron bicalcaratum) in the breeding season, we used camera trapping and microhabitat sampling to assess the microhabitat selection of males. We also looked at their interaction with predators in an area of 1200 m May 2013.× 1200 m at the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, between January andResults: We show that display scrapes are situated on flatter open areas with small saplings and some vines, typified by low horizontal understory density. We hypothesise that this allows a trade-off between courtship display and the avoidance of predators. Our study showed that the position of Grey Peacock-pheasant display scrapes regularly overlapped with predators within the same microhabitat. We hypothesise that the species' behavioural responses to temporal variation in predation risk allows them to avoid most predators.Conclusions: Particular microhabitats are required for Grey Peacock-pheasant display. They avoid predators at these places by being active when predators are not.

Comparative sensitivity to environmental variation and human disturbance of Asian tapirs (Tapirus indicus) and other wild ungulates in Thailand

Southeast Asia’s tropical forests suffer the highest rates of deforestation and disturbance of any on Earth,with poorly understood impacts on native fauna.Asian tapirs(Tapirus indicus)are among the least studied of the large mammals in these forests.Using records from 9 camera trap surveys in 7 of the largest(>1000 km2)pro-tected area complexes,we assessed the influence of environmental variation and human-induced disturbance on tapir occurrence.Tapirs were detected at 13%of locations sampled,significantly associated with evergreen for-est(P<0.001).A multiple logistic regression model predicted tapir presence 87%of the time.According to this model,tapir occurrence was positively influenced by annual rainfall and proximity to the forest edge.Howev-er,tapirs may not avoid edges but instead prefer wetter evergreen forest,a habitat type that tended to occur fur-ther from the forest edge at higher elevations in our particular study sites(P<0.001).By comparison,4 other wild ungulate species that share habitats with tapirs showed a range of differing responses.Tapirs are expect-ed to be less sensitive to disturbance because they are not targets for hunting and trade,and are almost entire-ly active at night,so avoid peak traffic periods in parks.Tapir populations in Thailand may be more stable than in other parts of their global range because rates of forest loss have decreased>40%over the past 20 years.We recommend surveys to fill gaps in the understanding of the status in lesser-known protected areas,research to better understand the fine-scale environmental influences on behavior and habitats of tapirs,and other forest un-gulates,and continued legal status for tapirs in the highest category of protection.