Home range,population density,and habitat utilization of the Sichuan Jay (Perisoreus internigrans)

We assessed habitat preference and population status of the Sichuan Jay (Perisoreus internigrans),a poorly known Chinese endemic bird,at two sites (Zhuoni and Jiuzhaigou) in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau between 2001 and 2004.Mean group size was 3.8 jays.Each group occupied a mean home range of 42.0 ha during the breeding season,and the mean internest distance was 2.7 km.These data indicated that the jays used less than ten percent of the available habitats and occurred at an overall density of only 0.6 jays per km2.Radio-tracked Sichuan Jays had a strong preference for mature montane coniferous forests and avoided areas dominated by shrubs,while the utilization of young conifers,grassland,and human residential habitat types did not differ significantly from the values expected from the home-range availabilities of these habitats generally.

Activity Pattern and Habitat Use of Shorebirds in an Artificial Wetland Complex:A Case Study of Breeding Pied Avocet in the Yellow River Delta,China

With the loss of substantial natural wetlands in coastal zones,artificial wetlands provide alternative habitats for many shorebirds.Scientific management of artificial wetlands used by shorebirds plays an important role in maintaining the stability of shorebird population.Satellite tracking technique can obtain high-precision location information of individuals day and night,providing a good technical support for the study of quantitative relationship between waterfowls and their habitats.In this study,satellite tracking method,Remote Sensing(RS)and Geographic Information System(GIS)technology were used to analyze the activity pattern and habitat utilization characteristics of Pied Avocet during breeding period in an artificial wetland complex in the Yellow River Delta(YRD),China.The results showed that the breeding Pied Avocets had a small range of activity,with a total core and main home range of 33.10 km^(2) and 216.30 km^(2),respectively.This species tended to forage in the pond and salt pan during the day and night,respectively,with an unfixed staying time in the breeding ground.The distance between breeding ground and feeding ground was less than 6 km.It is emphasized that in addition to improving the conditions of the remaining natural habitats,effective managing artificial habitats is a priority for shorebird conservation.This research could provide reference for the management of artificial wetlands in coastal zones and supply technique support for the protection of shorebirds and their habitats,and alleviate human-bird conflicts and sustainable development of coastal zones.

A new methodology for computing birds＇ 3D home ranges

Background： So far, studies of avian space use are mostly realized in 2D, with the vertical dimension ignored. We propose here a new, relatively simple and computationally reasonable method for the estimation of volumetric （i.e. 3D） avian home ranges.Methods： Through accurate GPS data-loggers, we collected 25,405 GPS points on Lesser Kestrels＇ （Fdlco noumonni） space use during the nestling period in one main colony in Italy.We applied our 3D home range estimator to the whole GPS dataset, and also separately to diurnal and nocturnal GPS points.Results： The 3D colony home range resulted equal to 28.12 km3. By considering daytime and night-time separately, the volumetric home ranges resulted considerably different.Conclusions： Our 3D home range estimator, because of its intuitive and straightforward properties, can easily capi-talize on the datasets offered by modern biotelemetry （data-loggers, light detection and LIDAR sensors） and enhance conservation strategies for mitigating anthropogenic impacts on bird species. Its applications embrace, but are not limited to, more accurate estimates of collision risk with power lines, aircrafts and wind farms, and increased knowledge of birds＇space requirements in order to persist in their distribution areas.

Factors Influencing Home Ranges of the Qinghai Toad-headed Lizard(Phrynocephalus vlangalii)on the Dangjin Mountain,Gansu

Home range is an important ecological parameter reflecting the suita bility of animal habitats.To study the size and factors influencing the home ranges of the Qinghai toad-headed lizard(Phr ynocephalus vlangalii)in different habitats,from July to September 2020,we radio-tagged and tracked 15 individuals in each of sites distributed at high(3600 m)and low(2600 m)altitudes on the Dangjin Mountain,Gansu Province,northwest China.We calculated home range size using the 100%minimum convex polygon method,and analyzed the influence of inherent lizard characteristics and external environmental factors.Our results revealed that for both high-and lowaltitude lizard populations,the sizes of home ranges were positively correlated with lizard body mass.Moreover,after eliminating the effect of body mass as a covariable,we established that the home ranges of high-altitude lizards(5255.1±1103.8 m^(2))were larger than those of the low-altitude lizards(2208.1±348.7 m^(2)).Lizards in the high-altitude population were also characterized by longer daily suitable activity times and spent significantly more time in full sunlight than those in the low-altitude population.Furthermore,the food resources for lizards in low-altitude habitats were more abundant than those in high-altitude habitats In conclusion,we established that P.vlangalii lizards inhabiting high-altitude sites had larger home ranges than conspecific lizards distributed at a lower altitude,which was associated not only with endogenous factors,such as body mass,but also with habitat-related environmental factors,such as the quality of thermal resources and availability of food.

Approximating home ranges of humpback and fin whales in Drake Passage and Antarctica

Identifying home ranges—those areas traversed by individuals in their normal foraging,mating,and parenting activities—is an important aspect of cetacean study.Understanding these ranges facilitates identification of resource use and conservation.Fin and humpback whales occur in Antarctica during the austral summer,but information regarding their home ranges is limited.Using opportunistically collected whale sighting data from eight consecutive summer seasons spanning 2010–2017,we approximate the home ranges of humpback and fin whales around Drake Passage(DRA),West of Antarctic Peninsula(WAP),South Shetland Islands(SSI),an area northwest of the Weddell Sea(WED),and around the South Orkney Islands(SOI).Approximate home ranges are identified using Kernel Density Estimation(KDE).Most fin whales occurred north and northwest of the SOI,which suggests that waters near these islands support concentrations of this species.Most humpback whales were observed around the SSI,but unlike fin whales,their distributions were highly variable in other areas.KDE suggests spatial segregation in areas where both species exist such as SOI,SSI,and WPA.Partial redundancy analysis(pRDA)suggests that the distributions of these species are more affected by spatial variables(latitude,longitude)than by local scale variables such as sea surface temperature and depth.This study presents a visual approximation of the home ranges of fin and humpback whales,and identifies variation in the effects of space and environmental variables on the distributions of these whales at different spatial scales.

A new general index of home range overlap and segregation:the Lesser Kestrel in Southern Italy as a case study

Background:There is increasing interest in evaluating home-range overlap(or,otherwise,segregation)between bird species,and between or within bird populations,to inform spatial planning.So far,studies of home-range overlap typically make use of comparisons between pairs of individuals,populations or species,and return a matrix of pairwise overlaps(e.g.,percent overlaps).However,when the number of individuals,populations or species to be compared is elevated,an overlarge overlap matrix is difficult to interpret from an ecological viewpoint.Methods:We propose here a new,conceptually simple and computationally efficient index(general overlap index;GOI)for the ready computation within GIS of home range overlap of an arbitrarily large number(i.e.,n≥2)of individuals,populations or species.Whatever the number of home ranges to be compared,GOI always returns a single score between 0 and 100.As a case study,we applied our index to 24,074 GPS points of 10 Lesser Kestrels(Falco naumanni)in order to estimate within-colony and between-colony overlaps in two neighboring colonies in Southern Italy.Results:Within-colony overlap was elevated for both colonies(96.41%at Cassano delle Murge,n=5 individuals;81.38%at Santeramo in Colle,n=5 individuals),while between-colony overlap was low(19.12%;n=2 colonies)and,after a randomization procedure,more spatially-segregated than expected by chance.Conclusions:Modern biotelemetry offers huge amounts of data describing the space use of animal species.The use of intuitive and straightforward indices,like GOI,can be useful to promptly extract ecological information from such an amount of data(e.g.detecting change in space use over successive years,evaluating the reliability of various home-range estimators).

Stable seasonal migration patterns in giant pandas

A critical function of animal movement is to maximize access to essential resources in temporally fluctuating and spatially heterogeneous environments.Seasonally mediated resource fluctuations may influence animal movements,enabling them to track changing resource distributions,resulting in annual migration patterns.The conservation-dependent giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca) displays seasonal movement patterns;however,the key factor driving these seasonal migration patterns remains poorly understood.Here,we used GPS tracking collars to monitor the movements of six giant pandas over a 12-year period across different elevations,and performed statistical analysis of seasonal migration directions,routes,habitat revisitation,home range overlap,first arrival events,and stability.Our results revealed a compelling pattern of seasonal migrations that facilitated the ability of the pandas to forage at the appropriate time and place to maximize nutritional intake.Our results indicated that pandas utilize spatial memory to locate reliable food resources,as evidenced by their annual return to the same or similar winter and summer home ranges and the consistently maintained percentage of home range overlap.These novel insights into giant panda foraging and movement ecology not only enhance our understanding of its ability to adapt to nutritionally poor dietary resources but also provide important information for the development of resource utilization-based protection and management strategies.

Hainan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron katsumatae):an endangered and rare tropical forest bird

The Hainan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron katsumatae),the smallest allied species of somber forest peacock pheasants among the taxa of Polyplectron spp.,is a rare tropical forest bird endemic to China,and distributed only in the mountainous region of central and southwestern Hainan Island dominated by evergreen broadleaf forests.By integrating references and unpublished data based on our field surveys,we presented information on species status,distribution and population,habitat and home range,breeding ecology and conservation of the Hainan Peacock Pheasant.Future investigation should focus on its life history traits in relation to vulnerability.Considering its limited distribution and small population size,it has recently been recognized as "Endangered" by the IUCN Red List to prevent loss of this island endemic.

Seasonal movements of American horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus in the Great Bay Estuary,New Hampshire (USA)

The goal of this study was to determine the year round movement patterns of American horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus, in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire （USA） by using acoustic telemetry to track the movements of 37 adult Limulus, for periods ranging from 2 to 31 months. During the winter （December-March） horseshoe crabs moved very little. In the spring, when water temperatures exceeded II^C, horseshoe crabs moved at least 1 km further up into the estuary to shallower subtidal areas about a month prior to spawning. The mean distance traveled during spring migrations was 2.6 ＋ 0.5 （n=20） km up the estuary. Mating occurred in May and June and during these months animals spent most of their time in shallow subtidal areas adjacent to mating beaches. In the summer （July-Augnst）, animals moved 1.5 ± 0.5 （n=26） km down the estuary, towards the ocean, and ranged widely, using extensive portions of the estuary. In the fall （September-November） movement was more limited （0.5 ± 0.5 km; n = 24） while animals settled into wintering locations, where they remained until spring. The mean annual linear range for all animals was 4.5 ± 0.3 km （n =35） and the maximum distance traveled by an individual horseshoe crab within one year was 9.2 km. There was no evidence that any of the horseshoe crabs tracked during this study left the estuary

Roosting Territory of White Ear-Lobed Red Jungle Fowl （Gallus gallus gallus）

RJF （red jungle fowl） （Gallus gallus gallus） is territorial birds. Only males advertise and defend territory by metals of crows and combat fighting in severe cases. Crows are testosterone dependent and use up to 4-5% of their basal metabolic rate. Crows race individual voice signatures which differ in tone, duration and vibration. Crows together with radio-telemetry were used here to locate night roosts of dominant males. Between 2005 and 2009, 10 despots were intensively monitored. Outermost locations of individual＇s roosts were connected to form territory and a distance of 50 m was buffered to individual＇s territory to yield home range. Data indicated strong site fidelity of dominant males. The longest territory tenure was 31 months. The life time territory of males was on average 10.24 ha （±1.73 SE） and a home range was 17.59 ha （±2.15 SE）. Average yearly territory vmcied between 5.48 and 10.88 ha per individual and rarely overlapped. Some roosts were used repeatedly at the same point. In the night, RJF was relatively safe and difficult to approach both vertically and horizontally. Roost site selections were thus a trade-off between security and territory proclamation.

Home range and seasonality of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys

Home range studies are essential for understanding an animal’s behavioral ecology and for making wildlife conservation efficient.The home range of a group of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus bieti Milne-Edwards,1897)was estimated using a global positioning system collar from December 2003 to October 2004 in northern Yunnan Province,China.To measure the ranging area of the study group 1291 animal locations were fixed.Based on the 100%minimum convex polygon method,the home range size was approximately 32.8 km2;based on the grid-cell method it was approximately 17.8 km2 using a 250-m grid and 23.3 km2 using a 500-m grid.We assessed seasonal changes in the home range of this monkey population and found a different ranging pattern of from earlier studies.Daily range size was calculated as 4.80±5.81 ha(mean±standard deviation),with a range of 45.66 ha(0.01–45.67 ha).

Scale dependency of Liolaemus lizards＇ home range in response to different environmental variables

Animal habitat-use patterns cannot be isolated from scale issues. Consequently, multi-scale studies provide a complete characterization of ecological patterns that can further explain the observed variation. Liolaemus constitutes the world＇s second most speciose lizard genus. In this study, we assessed the relationships between home range size and environmental variables at 3 different spatial scales. The study at a local and regional scale was focused on the habitat specialist Liolaemus multimaculatus. The lizard＇s home range was calculated using the minimum convex polygon method in populations from grassland sites of the coastal sand dunes of the Argentinean Pampas under 2 different conditions, with or without forestations of Acacia Iongifolia. On the other hand, at a geographical scale we considered the evolutionary implications of 20 species of Liolaemus. Home range size, phylogeny, ecological, environmental, and climatic data were ob- tained from the literature and remote sensing. L. multimaculatus home range varied from 12.66 to 570.00 m. Regionally, this species had smaller home ranges in forested habitats （X： 94.02 m2） com- pared with the non-forested sites （X： 219.78m2）. Habitat structure, vegetation types, and food availability would explain the space use at finer scales. When the 20 species of Liolaernus were considered, high mean air temperature and broad thermal amplitudes showed an inverse relationship with home range size. Neither net primary productivity nor phylogeny was good predictors for home range variation at geographical scale. This study highlights the scale dependence of the explicative capability of a set of environmental and intrinsic variables on home range patterns.

Home range variability,spatial aggregation,and excursions of Akodon azarae and Oligoryzomys flavescens in Pampean agroecosystems

Rodents are reservoirs of various types of hantavirus,some of which are agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in humans.Each hantavirus is associated with a single rodent host species but successive spill-over events may eventually lead to host-switching and new species’becoming host of a given pathogen.This study aims to gain an understanding of the spatial ecology of two hantavirus-host species,Akodon azarae,and Oligoryzomys flavescens,by identifying factors modulating their home range sizes and stability,and by evaluating intra-and interspecific spatial aggregation for these species and a third one—Oxymycterus rufus—living in sympatry.For this,eleven capture-mark-recapture surveys were carried out,spanning 22 months.We found that A.azarae males have larger and more mobile home ranges than females,independently of the season.Consequently,males could likely have a more relevant role in the transmission of hantavirus because of their greater exposure both to a higher number of contacts between individuals and viral contamination of the environment.Contrasting,O.flavescens individuals showed negligible displacements of their home range through time,which could limit the range of hantavirus spread in host populations.Since O.flavescens is host to Lechiguanas hantavirus(pathogenic to humans)this result encompasses epidemiological relevance,for it may imply the existence of local foci of infection.Additionally,individuals of both species performed excursions outside their home ranges.These events could enable hantavirus spread over distances beyond the normal range of movements and lead to new hantavirus outbreaks in formerly non-infected rodent populations,favoring the persistence of the virus in nature.

Effects of study area size on home range estimates of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus

Knowledge of an animal＇s home range is a crucial component in making informed management decisions. However, many home range studies are limited by study area size, and therefore may underestimate the size of the home range. In many cases, individuals have been shown to travel outside of the study area and utilize a larger area than estimated by the study design. In this study, data collected by multiple research groups studying bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Florida were combined to determine how home range estimates increased with increasing study area size. Home range analyses utilized photo-identification data collected from 6 study areas throughout the St Johns River （S JR; Jacksonville, FL, USA） and adjacent waterways, extending a total of 253km to the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon in the Indian River Lagoon Estuarine System. Univariate kernel density estimates （KDEs） were computed for individuals with 10 or more sightings （n= 20）. Kernels were calculated for the primary study area （S JR） first, then additional kernels were calculated by combining the S JR and the next adjacent waterway; this continued in an additive fashion until all study areas were included. The 95% and 50% KDEs calculated for the S JR alone ranged from 21 to 35 km and 4 to 19 kin, respectively. The 95% and 50% KDEs calculated for all combined study areas ranged from 116 to 217 km and 9 to 70 km, respectively. This study illustrates the degree to which home range may be underestimated by the use of limited study areas and demonstrates the benefits of conducting collaborative science.

Home range and habitat use of male Reeves’s Pheasant(Syrmaticus reevesii)during winter in Dongzhai National Nature Reserve,Henan Province,China

Home range and habitat use of male Reeves’s pheasant(Syrmaticus reevesii)were studied during winter of 2001~2002 and 2002~2003 in the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve,Henan Province.Results from five individuals of Reeves’s pheasant with over 30 relocations,indicated that the average size of home range was 10.03±1.17 hm^(2) by Minimum Convex Polygon method,8.60±0.35 hm^(2) by 90%Harmonic Mean Transformation method,and 9.50±1.90 hm^(2) by 95%Fixed Kernel method.It was observed that the winter range is smaller than that in the breeding season.The mean core area of the home range was found to be 1.88±0.37 hm^(2).Although the habitat composition of the core area varied greatly for individuals,a large part of the habitats used were composed of conifer and broadleaf mixed forests,masson pine forests,fir forests,and shrubs.Habitat use within the study area was non-random,while habitats within home ranges were randomly used.Habitat use was dictated by tree diameter at breast height,shrub height and coverage at 2.0 m.The proximity between forests and shrubs were also found to be important in providing refuge for the birds during winter.Recommendations for conservation management include protecting the existing habitats in Dongzhai National Nature Reserve,increasing suitable habitat for Reeves’s Pheasant through artificial plantations(e.g.firs),and restoring some parts of the large shrub area into forests.

Home ranges and habitat vegetation characters in breeding season of Narcissus Flycatcher and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

The home ranges of the Narcissus Flycatcher(Ficedula narcissina elisae)and the Yellow-rumped Fly-catcher(F.zanthopygia)are measured by radio telemetry in a subalpine forest near Beijing,China.The home range is calculated by 100%Minimum Convex Polygon(MCP),and the area varies from 2,000 to 5,000 m2.The majority of fly-catchers can be found in the bottom of valleys and the under-side of mountains.It is fairly rare for both Flycatcher species to leave their nests more than 70 m.Individuals of the species in pair-banding and nest-detecting periods have larger home ranges than those in incubation and rearing periods.The levels of canopy coverage in the home ranges of Narcissus Flycatchers are significantly higher than that of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers.There are also more tall trees and stumps in the home ranges of Narcissus Flycatchers than in that of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers.The dominant tree species in the home ranges of Narcissus Flycatchers is Dahurian Birch(Betula dahurica),whereas Manchurian Walnut(Juglans mandshurica)is the dominant tree species in the home ranges of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers.

Habitat restoration is the greatest challenge for population recovery of Hainan gibbons(Nomascus hainanus)

Hainan gibbons are among the world’s most critically endangered primates,with a remaining population of only 35 individuals distributed across 5 social groups in the Bawangling Branch of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park,China.Habitat conversion and forest fragmentation over the past 40 years have reduced their geographical distribution by 95%.In the absence of a quantitative assessment of the availability of remaining suitable habitat,it is unclear whether this species can survive to the end of this century.We used behavioral observations,ArcGIS,remote sensing,stereo optical imagery,and MaxEnt modeling to identify patterns of Hainan gibbon range use and compare changes in the distribution of suitable forest types and areas of forest fragmentation over the past 20 years(2000–2020).The results indicate that the combined range of the 5 extant Hainan gibbon groups totaled 14.89 km2.The home range of the smallest group(Group E,3 individuals)was 1.51 km2,which likely represents the minimum home range size for this species.The remaining area of highly suitable and moderately suitable habitat totals 26.9 km2.However,habitat connectivity across the gibbon range is very low(less than 0.5),limiting the ability of Hainan gibbons to move between forest patches.The results of this study indicate that the availability of suitable habitat in Bawangling is insufficient to allow for future Hainan gibbon population growth.Therefore,immediate action must be taken to restore,reforest,and establish ecological corridors to reconnect areas of suitable habitat for these critically endangered gibbons.

Social structure and space use of Amur tigers(Panthera tigris altaica)in Southern Russian Far East based on GPS telemetry data

To better understand the spatial structure of Amur tigers(Panthera tigris altaica)at the southern edge of their range we fitted 14 tigers(6♀♀and 8♂♂)with 15 GPS-Argos collars between 2008 and 2011 in 2 study sites:the Ussuriskii Reserve of southern Sikhote-Alin and the Land of the Leopard National Park in southwest Primorye,Russian Far East.Fixed kernel estimates of male home ranges were larger than those of female home ranges(P<0.05[mean 95%fixed kernel♀=401±205 km2;mean 95%fixed kernel♂=778±267 km2]).The home range size of females varied greatly,but on average was similar to estimates derived from earlier work further north.Low overlap of adjacent home ranges suggested that females retained exclusive territories.Real core areas of females overlapped only slightly,and remained stable over multiple years.The home ranges of adult males were smaller than those of males to the north,and in contrast to previous studies,high overlap among males indicated the absence of territoriality.Nonetheless,real core areas of males did not overlap,suggesting some spatial separation.In comparison to other tiger populations and other areas of the Russian Far East,the sex ratio in our 2 study areas was highly skewed towards males.We believe this skewed sex ratio resulted in the dissolution of territoriality of males due to an inability to defend individual females,with males resorting to scramble competition for mates.Continued monitoring of these sites to determine whether shifts in the sex ratio might result in a return to male territoriality would provide confirmation of our tentative hypothesis.

Distribution of sleeping sites of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus bieti)in the Samage Forest,China

Sleeping site locations are important to free-ranging primate groups.Sites are strategically selected by primates so as to optimize security,comfort and foraging efficiency.Data were collected on the distribution of sleeping sites of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus bieti)between Sep 2005 and Sep 2006 at Gehuaqing in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve,China.We identified 54 sleeping sites,which were used 137 times during the study period.These sleeping sites were distributed throughout the monkey group’s total home range.R.bieti preferred certain sleeping sites over others:63%of the sleeping sites were used 2 or more times in 13 months.Groups reused locations in an unpredictable long-term pattern,but avoided using the same sleeping site on consecutive nights.To reduce the time and energetic costs of travel,monkeys preferred sleeping near commonly used feeding sites.We recorded 124 feeding sites in the home range,which were used 174 times.A total of 27 sleeping sites were also feeding sites,and all remaining sleeping sites were close to feeding sites.There was a positive correlation between the intensity of use of sleeping sites and feeding sites.The present study suggests that the availability and the location of immediate sources of food is a key factor in the choice of sleeping sites.

Assurance of the existence of a trans-boundary population of the snow leopard(Panthera uncia)at Tsagaanshuvuut-Tsagan-Shibetu SPA at the Mongolia-Russia border

The existence of a trans-boundary population of the snow leopard(Panthera uncia)that inhabits the massifs of Tsagaanshuvuut(Mongolia)-Tsagan-Shibetu(Russia)was determined through non-invasive genetic analysis of scat samples and by studying the structure of territory use by a collared female individual.The genetic analysis included species identification of samples through sequencing of a fragment of the cytochrome b gene and individual identification using a panel of 8 microsatellites.The home range of a female snow leopard marked with a satellite Global Positioning System(GPS)collar was represented by the minimum convex polygon method(MCP)100,the MCP 95 method and the fixed kernel 95 method.The results revealed insignificant genetic differentiation between snow leopards that inhabit both massifs(minimal fixation index[FST]),and the data testify to the unity of the cross-border group.Moreover,5 common individuals were identified from Mongolian and Russian territories.This finding clearly shows that their home range includes territories of both countries.In addition,regular movement of a collared snow leopard in Mongolia and Russia confirmed the existence of a cross-border snow leopard group.These data support that trans-boundary conservation is important for snow leopards in both countries.We conclude that it is crucial for Russia to study the northern range of snow leopards in Asia.