Spring habitat selection of sables in Daxing'an Mountains

This paper studies the habitat selection of sables (Martes. zibellina) in spring adopting radio-tracking and GPS (Global Positioning System) in Daxing’an Mountains of China. Sables liked mature and elder forest, but it avoided uncovered and young growth land. In spring sables had strong selection to medium cover-degree forest, but it avoided widen ground and especial high cover-degree forest. On the contrary sables didn’t have the strong selection to shrubs cover-degree, but strong selection to dominant tree species, slope degree and slope direction, especially sable liked medium and lower slope. At the same time, sables had the strong selection to the log’s density and the crown’s cover-degree. Generally it avoided high elevation and lower slope land.

Identifying important habitats for waterbird conservation at a Greek Regional Nature Park

Background:Small coastal wetlands are vital sites for wintering waterbirds.Identifying important habitats is critical for managing waterbirds effectively.The Vourkari inlet is a small coastal wetland located near the capital Athens,within the most urbanized and industrialized area of Greece.We aimed at identifying the most important habitats for waterbirds at the Vourkari inlet during winter.Methods:Data about habitat use and availability were collected for 14 waterbird species and for seven habitat classes.Habitat selection(Manly’s selection ratio),overlap indices(Pianka’s niche overlap index)and null models were calculated.Results:All the studied waterbird species selected available habitats nonrandomly.Shallow waters(0–2 m),were used by 13 waterbirds and selected by five waterbirds.Pools and channels were used and selected by 10 species.Mud was used by nine species and selected by six species.Mud with rocky substrate was used by nine species and selected by eight species.Medium(2–4 m)and deep(4–6 m)open water habitats were used by seven species and selected by four species.Halophytic vegetation was used by six species and selected by two species.Several habitats were selected by nationally important populations:mudflat habitats(i.e.,mud,mud with rocky substrate and pools and channels)by Common Redshanks(Tringa totanus),halophytic vegetation by Little Egrets(Egretta garzetta),shallow waters by Common Shelducks(Tadorna tadorna)and medium and deep waters by Sandwich Terns(Thalasseus sandvicencis),whilst shallow waters and mudflat habitats were preferred by a possibly internationally important population of Mediterranean Gulls(Ichthyaetus melanocephalus).Although overlap in habitat use between species was generally low,null models indicated habitat sharing and a lack of competition.Conclusions:Waterbirds coexisted in the absence of competition for habitats at Vourkari,where they mostly used and preferred shallow water and mudflats.Small coastal wetlands are numerous,both in Greece and worldwide,therefore our findings would be useful as a basis for comparisons,both temporal at the inlet and spatial with other sites,that would help assess the importance of habitats and improve management strategies to benefit waterbirds,especially in areas with similar Mediterranean-type habitats and climate.

Year-round multi-scale habitat selection by Crested Tit(Lophophanes cristatus)in lowland mixed forests(northern Italy)

Determining how animals respond to resource availability across spatial and temporal extents is crucial to understand ecological processes underpinning habitat selection.Here,we used a multi-scale approach to study the year-round habitat selection of the Crested Tit(Lophophanes cristatus)in a semi-natural lowland woodland of northern Italy,analysing different habitat features at each scale.We performed Crested Tit censuses at three different spatial scales.At the macrohabitat scale,we used geolocalized observations of individuals to compute Manly's habitat selection index,based on a detailed land-use map of the study area.At the microhabitat scale,the trees features were compared between presence and absence locations.At the foraging habitat scale,individual foraging birds and their specific position on trees were recorded using focal animal sampling.Censuses were performed during both the breeding(March to May)and wintering(December to January)seasons.At the macrohabitat scale,the Crested Tits significantly selected pure and mixed pine forests and avoided woods of alien plant species,farmlands and urban areas.At the microhabitat scale,old pine woods with dense cover were selected,with no significant difference in the features of tree selection between the two phenological phases.At the foraging habitat scale,the species was observed spending more time foraging in the canopies than in the understorey,using mostly the portion of Scots Pine(Pinus sylvestris)canopies closer to the trunk in winter,while during the breeding period,the whole canopy was visited.Overall,breeding and wintering habitats largely overlapped in the Crested Tit.Based on our findings,lowland Crested Tits can be well defined as true habitat specialists:they are strictly related to some specific coniferous woodland features.Noteworthily,compared to other tit species,which normally show generalist habits during winter,the Crested Tit behaves as a habitat specialist also out of the breeding season.Our study stressed the importance of considering multi-scale(both spatial and phenological)habitat selection in birds.

Telemetric Data Reveals Ecolgoically Adaptive Behavior of Captive Raised Chinese Giant Salamanders When Reintroduced into Their Native Habitat

Little is known about the ecology of the Chinese Giant Salamander(Andrias davidianus), a critically endangered species. Such information is needed to make informed decisions concerning the conservation and management of this species. Four A. davidianus raised in a pool were released into their native habitat on 04 May 2005 and were subsequently radio-tracked for approximately 155–168 days. Following their release, the giant salamanders traveled upstream in search of suitable micro-habitats, and settled after 10 days. Later, a devastating summer flash flood destroyed the salamanders' dens, triggering another bout of habitat searching by the animals. Eventually, the salamanders settled in different sections of the stream where they remained until the end of the study. On average, each habitat searching endeavor took 7.5 days, during which a giant salamander explored a 310 m stretch of stream with a surface area of about 1157 m2 and occupied 3.5 temporary dwellings. Each giant salamander spent an average of 144.5 days in semi-permanent micro-habitats, and occupied territories that had a mean size of 34.75 m2. Our results indicate that the Chinese giant salamander responds to habitat disturbance by seeking new habitats upstream, both water temperature and water level affect the salamander's habitat searching activity, and the size of the salamander's semi-permanent territory is influenced by the size of the pool containing the animal's den.

Site-specific and seasonal variation in habitat use of Eurasian otters(Lutra lutra)in western China:implications for conservation

As a top predator,the Eurasian otter(Lutra lutra)is an indicator of healthy freshwater ecosystems and a flagship species for conservation.Once widespread in China,the species is now distributed mainly in the upper reaches of the great rivers of western China.However,a lack of knowledge on local otter populations continues to hinder their conservation in China.Here,we conducted a detailed study on habitat use of Eurasian otters in Yushu City and Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in western China using transect surveys.At both study sites,otters preferred to defecate on large rocks close to or protruding from the river and about 50 cm above the waterline.In Yushu,no spraints were found along the 5 km river bank section in the downtown area,with otters preferring sprainting sites with natural banks,riparian zones,and lower human population density.However,this pattern was not obvious at Tangjiahe,where river transformation and human disturbance are minor.Otter river use intensity was negatively correlated with elevation and human population density in Yushu in both seasons.In Tangjiahe,otter river use intensity was positively correlated with prey mass and flow rate and negatively correlated with human population in spring,but positively correlated with human population and negatively correlated with flow rate in autumn.These results reflect the flexible habitat use strategies of otters at different sites,underlining the necessity to study otters living in different regions and habitat types.We provide suggestions for river modification and call for more site-specific studies to promote otter conservation in China.

Assessing site-safeguard effectiveness and habitat preferences of Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) at their stopover sites within the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using GPS/ GSM telemetry

Background:The Bar-headed Goose(Anser indicus)breeds across the high plains and plateau of Central Asia and winters in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Indian sub-continent.Of the two recognized discrete flyways of the Bar-headed Goose,the Eastern Tibetan Flyway(ETF)is the larger,comprising at least six migration routes.However,we remain ignorant about their migratory connectivity,habitat use and effectiveness of site-safeguard mechanisms set in place for the species.Methods:We tracked 30 ETF Bar-headed Geese from Chinese and Mongolian breeding areas to their wintering grounds using GPS/GSM transmitters,to determine their migration routes and stopover staging patterns within the QTP,overlaying these upon GIS layers of protected area status and habitat type,to model their habitat selection.Results:In total,14 tagged Bar-headed Geese provided information on their entire autumn migration and 4 geese on their entire spring migration.Qinghai Lake marked birds overwintered in the QTP(n=2),geese tagged in Mongolia wintered either in the QTP(n=3)or in India/Bangladesh(n=9),representing three of the migration routes within the ETF.In total,tagged birds staged at 79 different stopover sites within QTP in autumn and 23 in spring,of which 65%(autumn)and 59%(spring)of all fixes fell within the boundaries of either National Nature Reserves(NNRs)or Important Birds Areas(IBAs)in the QTP.Bar-headed Geese predominantly occurred on four land-cover types:grassland(mostly by day),water bodies(at night),wetlands and bare substrates(salt flats,dry lake/river substrates and plough)with little change in proportion.Generalized linear mixed models comparing presence with pseudo-absence data suggested geese strongly selected for wetlands as staging habitat,avoiding bare substrates in spring.Conclusions:Based on our limited observations of these tagged geese,this study is the first to show that the current designated National Nature Reserves in place in the staging areas within the QTP appear adequate to protect this increasing population.In addition,Hala Lake in Qinghai Province and adjacent areas used as initial QTP staging during autumn migration(currently outside of designated as NNRs/IBAs)are recommended for protection,based on their use by tagged birds from this study.Habitat modelling confirmed the importance of natural wetlands as feeding areas and safe areas of open water as roosting places.

Comparing post-release survival and habitat use by captive-bred Cabot's Tragopan(Tragopan caboti) in an experimental test of soft-release reintroduction strategies

Background: Restoring a viable population by reintroduction is the ultimate goal of a large number of ex situ conservation projects for endangered animals. However, many reintroductions fail to establish a population in the wild, partly because released animals cannot acclimate to the native environment of the release site, resulting in very low survival rates. Acclimation training is a technique to resolve this problem, although it does not have positive results in all species. We tested whether acclimation training and soft-release could improve the reintroduction success for captive-bred Cabot's Tragopan(Tragopan caboti), an endangered pheasant in southern China.Methods: Reintroduction of captive-bred Cabot's Tragopan was carried out in the Taoyuandong National Nature Reserve, China from 2010 to 2011. We built a soft-release enclosure for acclimation training in the typical montane habitat of this pheasant. Nine birds were acclimated to the environment of this release site in this cage for more than 50 days before release("trained birds"), while 11 birds remained only in the cage for 3 days prior to release("untrained birds"). Released birds were tagged with a collar radio-transmitter.Results: Post-release monitoring revealed that the survival rate of trained birds was higher than that of untrained birds after 50 days(trained: 85.7%; untrained: 20.0%). Cox regression analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the mortality rates between the trained and untrained birds. In addition, a survey of the habitat of the experimental and the control groups showed significant differences in habitat selection between the groups.Conclusion: Our study suggests that pre-release acclimatization training is an important factor that can lead to improved survival and habitat selection of captive-bred reintroduced tragopans.

Migration and wintering of vulnerable adult Chinese Egrets(Egretta eulophotes)revealed by GPS tracking

Knowledge of migratory bird requirements is critical to developing conservation plans for vulnerable migratory species.This study aimed to determine the migration routes,wintering areas,habitat uses,and mortalities of adult Chinese Egrets(Egretta eulophotata).Sixty adult Chinese Egrets(31 females and 29 males)on an uninhabited offshore breeding island in Dalian,China were tracked using GPS satellite transmitters.GPS locations recorded at2 h intervals from June 2019 to August 2020 were used for analysis.A total of 44 and 17 tracked adults completed their autumn and spring migrations,respectively.Compared with autumn migration,tracked adults displayed more diverse routes,higher number of stopover sites,slower migration speed,and longer migration duration in the spring.Results indicated that migrant birds had different behavioral strategies during the two migratory seasons.The spring migration duration and stopover duration for females were significantly longer than those for males.A positive correlation existed between the spring arrival and spring departure dates,as well as between the spring arrival date and stopover duration.This finding indicated that the egrets that arrived early at the breeding grounds left the wintering areas early and had a shorter stopover duration.Adult birds preferred intertidal wetlands,woodlands,and aquaculture ponds during migration.During the wintering period,adults preferred offshore islands,intertidal wetlands,and aquaculture ponds.Adult Chinese Egrets showed a relatively low survival rate compared with most other common ardeid species.Dead specimens were found in aquaculture ponds,indicating human disturbance as the main cause of death of this vulnerable species.These results highlighted the importance of resolving conflicts between egrets and human-made aquaculture wetlands and protecting intertidal flats and offshore islands in natural wetlands through international cooperation.Our results contributed to the hitherto unknown annual spatiotemporal migration patterns of adult Chinese Egrets,thereby providing an important basis for the conservation of this vulnerable species.

Mitochondrial Haplotypes suggest Genetic Component for Habitat Preference in Blue Crabs

Atlantic blue crabs(Callinectes sapidus)are ecologically and commercially fundamental.Life stages are punctuated with migration.Adults and juveniles live in estuaries and sounds.Larval stages develop in the coastal ocean.Juvenile and adult crabs occupy habitats from high salinities to fresh water.We determined whether maturing juvenile and adult blue crab habitat use is reflected in mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 haplotypes.High salinity crabs had lower haplotype diversity(0.7260±.03900)compared to spawning crabs(0.9841±.00021)and low salinity crabs(0.94154±.00118).Significant pairwise differences in haplotypes were found between high salinity and spawning crabs(Nm=0.26018,p<0.001),and between high salinity and low salinity crabs(Nm=0.19482,p<0.001)indicating a lack of gene flow.Crabs from high salinity had highly significant genetic differentiation compared to spawning crabs(Fst=0.11830,p<0.001)and low salinity crabs(Fst=0.09689,p<0.001).Results support the hypothesis that genetics influence habitat selection.Crab larvae mix in the coastal ocean but occupy specific habitats upon return to sounds and estuaries.These findings have implications for the management of fisheries.

Advances in Terrestrial Mammal Movement Ecology:An Overview

As a research field which is blooming quickly in recent years,movement ecology has been a worldwide concern and interest.However,movement ecology is so comprehensive and complicated that many articles only focus on few aspects or species.As tracking technologies and methods of movement data analysis develop,the abundance of movement data becomes available for demonstrating more scientific facts about animal movement.This article is aimed to summarize the advances of terrestrial mammal movement ecology in the past years to show its critical and potential research fields,as well as trying to ascertain direction of these advances.

Tree-Fall Gaps Effects on Spider(Araneae)Assemblages in an Atlantic Forest Landscape in Northeastern Brazil

The study investigates the effect of spatial and temporal tree-fall gaps structure on spiders’ assemblage in an Atlantic forest fragmented area in Brazil. It was conducted in the Michelin Ecological Preserve-REM (Bahia), 190 ha forest remnant. Samples were collected on leaf-litter (50 × 50 cm) at five tree-fall gaps formations (2), within five adjacent primary forest and five inner edge parcels. During 16 months (between May 2009 and October 2012), 480 m2 leaf-litter samples were collected, from which spiders were extracted using mini-Winkler traps. The observed and estimated richness of spider’s species was higher at the edge

Adult bobcat(Lynx rufus)habitat selection in a longleaf pine savanna

Background:Pine savannas are primarily managed with frequent prescribed fire(≤3 years)to promote diversity of flora and fauna,and to maintain open,park-like conditions needed by species such as the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker(Picoides borealis).However,a knowledge gap exists in our understanding of bobcat(Lynx rufus)habitat selection in longleaf pine savannas and research is warranted to direct our future management decisions.Methods:We examined bobcat habitat selection in a pine savanna managed with frequent fires at two spatial scales(i.e.,study area boundary[hereafter,landscape scale])and annual area of use[95%kernel density;local scale],and assessed effects of prescribed fire on bobcat habitat selection.Specifically,we monitored 45 bobcats(16 males and 29 females)during 2001–2007.Results:We found differential habitat selection by sex.At the landscape scale,female bobcats were closer to mixed pine-hardwoods,young pine,and secondary roads,but farther from mature pine and hardwoods stands relative to males.We found no difference in selection of agriculture,shrub-scrub,and primary roads between sexes.At the annual area of use scale,female bobcats were closer to secondary roads,but farther from agriculture and shrub-scrub relative to males.We found no difference in selection of mature pine,mixed pine-hardwoods,hardwoods,young pine,and primary roads between sexes.Bobcats primarily selected for stands burned≤1.1 years post-fire.Conclusions:Our results show that bobcats exploit a broad range of habitat types in pine landscapes managed with frequent fire and commonly use recently burned stands(≤1.1 year post-fire),suggesting prey in many areas of this system are at risk of bobcat predation.Additionally,we suggest land managers consider scale of selection by bobcats when developing habitat management strategies.

Feeding habitats of blue sheep(Pseudois nayaur)during winter and spring in Helan Mountains,China

The feeding habitat selection of blue sheep(Pseudois nayaur)was studied by direct observation method in the Helan Mountains,China during winter(from Novembe r to December)and spring(from April to June)from 2003 to 2004.We established 25 line transects to collect information on feeding habitats used by blue sheep.Blue sheep in the study area preferred mountain savanna forests,a habitat dominated by Ulmus glaucescens,with medium tree density(<4 individuals/400 m^(2)),moderate tree height(4-6 m),higher shrub density(>5 individuals/100 m^(2)),higher shrub(>1.3 m),higher food abundance(>50 g),moderate distance to human disturbance(<500 m),and mild distance to bare rock(<2 m).Such habitats characterized by 12 ecological factors were preferred as feeding areas by blue sheep during winter.Similar to habitat selection by the species during winter,blue sheep also showed a preference for mountain savanna with tree dominated by Ulmus glaucescens and medium tree density(<4 individuals/400 m^(2))during spring.Nevertheless,blue sheep preferred medium tree height(<6 m),moderate tree density(5-10 individuals/100 m^(2)),medium shrub height(1.3-1.7 m),higher food abundance(>100 g),moderate altitude(<2000 m),moderate distance to water resource(<500 m),and medium hiding cover(50%-75%)during spring.Selection of the feeding habitats by sheep showed a significant difference in vegetation type,landform feature,dominant tree,tree height,shrub density,distance to the nearest shrub,food abundance,slope direc-tion,slope degree,distance to water resource,and hiding cover between winter and spring.Results of principal com-ponents analysis indicated that the first principal component accounted for 24.493%of the total variance among feeding habitat variance during winter,with higher loadings for vegetation type,dominant tree,tree height,distance to the nearest tree,shrub density,shrub height,altitude,distance to water resource,and distance to human disturbance.In spring,the first principal components explained 28.777%of the vari-ance,with higher loadings for vegetation type,distance to the nearest tree,shrub height,distance to the nearest shrub,food abundance,altitude,and distance to human disturbance.

Summer habitat selection and impacts of human disturbance on leopard cats(Prionailurus bengalensis)

Introduction:As a consequence of habitat loss and degradation,the leopard cat(Prionailurus bengalensis)in China has become endangered and in need of urgent protection.In situ conservation of leopard cats must be based on an understanding of their habitat selection patterns.We studied the summer habitat of leopard cats using line-transect surveys in the northern Taihang Mountain region surrounding Beijing,China.We compared used plots with non-used plots in elevation,tree canopy,and 20 other ecological variables,and used VanderploegScavia’s resource selection index(VSI)to analyze habitat preferences.Outcomes/others:Results show that tree canopy,tree height,tree density,and stump quantity of used plots were significantly lower than non-used plots in summer,and that leopard cats preferred habitats located on northern,flat slopes with lower slope,shrub-dominated,dry soil,and less fallen-wood.Leopard cats had a strong tendency to use habitats near human disturbance areas with moderate levels of disturbance intensity.Conclusion:The results suggest that future conservation efforts should emphasize:(1)strengthening the protection and management of forest fringe shrub habitats to improve summer habitat suitability,and(2)environmental education and animal protection campaigns to promote community biodiversity conservation.

Habitat selection of the Tibetan Snow Cock Tetraogallus tibetanus in the spring in Lhasa

The habitat selection of Tibetan Snow Cocks in shrub vegetation was investigated in Lhasa,Tibet,China,between March and April,2005.Fourteen parameters were measured.These include altitude,slope,slope aspect,slope position,vegetation cover,plant type and other environmental parameters.Results show that Snow Cocks favor foraging in areas where vegetation cover was small and close to the residents’houses.Supplementary food supplied by humans has caused Snow Cocks to decrease their foraging range.Snow Cocks also favor roosting in areas with low vegetation,sparse grass,short grass,large rocks and close to houses.The Snow Cocks’activity in the study areas show a close relationship with human activities.

Consistent habitat preference underpins the geographically divergent autumn migration of individual Mongolian common shelducks

While many avian populations follow narrow,well-defined"migratory corridors,"individuals from other populations undertake highly divergent individual migration routes,using widely dispersed stopover sites en route between breeding and wintering areas,although the reasons for these differences are rarely investigated.We combined individual GPS-tracked migration data from Mongolian-breeding common shelduck Tadorna tadorna and remote sensing datasets,to in-vestigate habitat selection at inland stopover sites used by these birds during dispersed autumn migration,to explain their divergent migration patterns.We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate population-level resource selection,and generalized linear models to investigate stopover-sit-level resource selection.The population-level model showed that water recurrence had the strongest positive effect on determining birds'occupancy at staging sites,while cultivated land and grassland land cover type had strongest negative effects;effects of other land cover types were negative but weaker,particularly effects of wwater seasonality and presence of a human foot-print,which were positive but weak or non-significant,respectively.Although stopover-site-level models showed variable resource selection patterns,the variance partitioning and cross-prediction AUC scores corroborated high inter-individual consistency in habitat selection at inland stopover sites during the dispersed autumn migration.These results suggest that the geographically wide-spread distribution(and generally rarity)of suitable habitats explained the spatially divergent autumn migrations of Mongolian breeding common shelduck,rather than the species showing flexible autumn staging habitat occupancy.

The problem and promise of scale in multilayer animal social networks

Scale remains a foundational concept in ecology.Spatial scale,for instance,has become a central consideration in the way we understand landscape ecology and animal space use.Meanwhile,scale-dependent social processes can range from fine scale interactions to co-occurrence and overlapping home ranges.Furthermore,sociality can vary within and across seasons.Multilayer networks promise the explicit integration of the social,spatial,and temporal contexts.Given the complex interplay of sociality and animal space use in heterogeneous landscapes,there remains an important gap in our understanding of the influence of scale on animal social networks.Using an empirical case study,we discuss ways of considering social,spatial,and temporal scale in the context of multilayer caribou social networks.Effective integration of social and spatial processes,including biologically meaningful scales,within the context of animal social networks is an emerging area of research.We incorporate perspectives that link the social environment to spatial processes across scales in a multilayer context.

Using machine learning to predict habitat suitability of sloth bears at multiple spatial scales

Background:Habitat resources occur across the range of spatial scales in the environment.The environmental resources are characterized by upper and lower limits,which define organisms’distribution in their communities.Animals respond to these resources at the optimal spatial scale.Therefore,multi-scale assessments are critical to identifying the correct spatial scale at which habitat resources are most influential in determining the specieshabitat relationships.This study used a machine learning algorithm random forest(RF),to evaluate the scaledependent habitat selection of sloth bears(Melursus ursinus)in and around Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve,Madhya Pradesh,India.Results:We used 155 spatially rarified occurrences out of 248 occurrence records of sloth bears obtained from camera trap captures(n=36)and scats located(n=212)in the field.We calculated focal statistics for 13 habitat variables across ten spatial scales surrounding each presence-absence record of sloth bears.Large(>5000 m)and small(1000–2000 m)spatial scales were the most dominant scales at which sloth bears perceived the habitat features.Among the habitat covariates,farmlands and degraded forests were the essential patches associated with sloth bear occurrences,followed by sal and dry deciduous forests.The final habitat suitability model was highly accurate and had a very low out-of-bag(OOB)error rate.The high accuracy rate was also obtained using alternate validation matrices.Conclusions:Human-dominated landscapes are characterized by expanding human populations,changing landuse patterns,and increasing habitat fragmentation.Farmland and degraded habitats constitute~40%of the landform in the buffer zone of the reserve.One of the management implications may be identifying the highly suitable bear habitats in human-modified landscapes and integrating them with the existing conservation landscapes.