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1.
We developed large-scale spatially explicit models to predict the distribution of suitable habitat patches for the Greater rhea (Rhea americana), a near-threatened species, in two areas of central Argentina with different land use: a grassland area (ca. 4943 km2) mainly devoted to cattle grazing and an agro-ecosystem area (ca. 4006 km2) mostly used for crop production. The models were developed using logistic regression and were based on current records of Greater rhea occurrence coupled with remote sensing data, including land cover and human presence variables. The habitat suitability maps generated were used to predict the suitable habitat patch structure for wild rhea populations in each area. Fifty-one percent of the total grassland area was suitable for the species, being represented by a single large patch that included 62% of the individual locations. In the agro-ecosystem, only 28% of the total area was suitable, which was distributed among four patches. Seventy percent of rhea observations were in suitable habitat, with all rheas grouped in the largest patch. Conservation efforts for preserving wild rhea populations should be focused on maintaining habitats similar to grasslands, which are less profitable for landowners at present. Consequently, the protection of the pampas grasslands, a key habitat for this species as well as for others with similar habitat requirements, will demand strong conservation actions through the reconciliation of interests between producers and conservationists, since the proportion of croplands is increasing. 相似文献
2.
In recent years, predictive habitat distribution models, derived by combining multivariate statistical analyses with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, have been recognised for their utility in conservation planning. The size and spatial arrangement of suitable habitat can influence the long-term persistence of some faunal species. In southwestern Victoria, Australia, populations of the rare swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus) are threatened by further fragmentation of suitable habitat. In the current study, a spatially explicit habitat suitability model was developed for A. minimus that incorporated a measure of vegetation structure. Models were generated using logistic regression with species presence or absence as the dependent variable and landscape variables, extracted from both GIS data layers and multi-spectral digital imagery, as the predictors. The most parsimonious model, based on the Akaike Information Criterion, was spatially extrapolated in the GIS. Probability of species presence was used as an index of habitat suitability. A negative association between A. minimus presence and both elevation and habitat complexity was evidenced, suggesting a preference for relatively low altitudes and a vegetation structure of low vertical complexity. The predictive performance of the selected model was shown to be high (91%), indicating a good fit of the model to the data. The proportion of the study area predicted as suitable habitat for A. minimus (Probability of occurrence ?0.5) was 11.7%. Habitat suitability maps not only provide baseline information about the spatial arrangement of potentially suitable habitat for a species, but they also help to refine the search for other populations, making them an important conservation tool. 相似文献
3.
Ignacio Jiménez 《Biological conservation》2005,125(4):491-503
Logistic regressions were used to study the relationship between habitat variables and the use of tropical watercourses by the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus at Northeastern Costa Rica and Southern Nicaragua. Presence of manatees in watercourses was assessed through direct and reported sightings of individuals and feeding signs on aquatic vegetation. Indirect methods provided good approximations to the actual distribution that could not have been achieved through direct observations or aerial surveys. Best multivariate models showed that manatees were most present in watercourses that presented abundant aquatic vegetation, warm, and clear waters, high forest cover, and are wider than those where the species is absent. Although habitat variables that explain habitat use of manatees differed for the two sectors found within the study area, manatees preferred lagoons to other watercourses in both areas. These findings point to forest clearing on the shores as a threat for manatee conservation. Habitat variables are excellent predictors of manatee presence, and predictive models as those developed in this study can help assess potential distribution of manatees in areas where this information is lacking as well as to assist identify potential reintroduction areas. 相似文献
4.
The pale-headed brush-finch (Atlapetes pallidiceps) is threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, but very little is known about its ecological requirements. We used multiple logistic regression to study habitat selection of this species at landscape, territory, and nest site scales in order to make recommendations about effective management. Habitat selection by the sympatric stripe-headed brush-finch (Buarremon torquatus) was examined with the same methods in order to analyse interspecific resource partitioning and potential competition. The pale-headed brush-finch selected semi-open habitat types with intermediate scrub heights, and avoided forests. Nest sites depended on the presence of vines or bamboo. By contrast, the stripe-headed brush-finch chose dense habitat with low ground cover under tall vegetation and avoided semi-open habitat. The two species had overlapping territories but differed significantly in microhabitat use and the use of vegetation strata. We found no convincing evidence that the stripe-headed brush-finch displaces the pale-headed brush-finch from optimal habitat. The preservation of semi-open scrubland maintained by low-intensity grazing is suggested for future conservation of the pale-headed brush-finch. 相似文献
5.
The effects of light year-round cattle grazing on tall-herb fen vegetation and wetland molluscs were compared to the effects of non-intervention over a period of four years using grazing exclosures. The distribution of cattle within the area of fen was investigated by plotting the position of the herd at 3-4 day intervals throughout the year. Cattle distributed themselves randomly throughout the fen in spring, autumn and winter, but showed a more aggregated distribution in summer. Grazing reduced the biomass of Phragmites australis and increased stem densities of Glyceria maxima, resulting in a shift of dominance from Phragmites to Glyceria. Plant species-richness was also significantly higher in areas open to grazing.Grazing decreased total densities of molluscs and substantially reduced densities of the rare snail Vertigo moulinsiana. V. moulinsiana was particularly associated with areas of fen that had a high water table and high biomass of ungrazed Carex riparia. However, because of the patchy nature of the grazing, V. moulinsiana survived at reasonably high densities in patches of ungrazed vegetation within the grazing unit. 相似文献
6.
In forest ecosystems where infrequent, severe fires have been an important process in shaping ecosystem structure, understanding the effects of introduced livestock on post-fire recovery of the vegetation is essential for effective forest resource management and preservation. In Nahuel Huapi National Park in northwestern Patagonia, we studied the effects of livestock on the post-fire recovery of a Nothofagus dombeyi-Austrocedrus chilensis forest that was burned in 1999. We experimentally excluded cattle by fencing plots and compared the vegetation characteristics of fenced and unfenced control plots over a 5-year period. Although cattle did not significantly reduce total plant cover or total species richness, they did reduce maximum heights of woody species including the dominant tree species. Chusquea culeou, a tall understory bamboo, can impede establishment and height growth of the dominant tree species. Although C. culeou accounts for the largest percentage of cattle diet, its mean cover and mean maximum height were not strongly affected by cattle. The reduction in the height growth of seedlings of N. dombeyi and Austrocedrus in the unfenced areas implies that presence of cattle in the recently burned areas may contribute to a post-fire transition from tall forest to bamboo-dominated shrubland that is already widespread in this landscape. Thus, these results provide support for the fencing of recently burned Nothofagus and Austrocedrus forests in the national parks for periods long enough to allow the dominant tree species to grow to heights at which they are no longer severely inhibited by cattle browsing. 相似文献
7.
The use of predictive models is continually increasing, but few models are subsequently field-checked and evaluated. This study evaluates the statistical strength and usefulness for conservation purposes of a predictive habitat use model developed for Chalinolobus tuberculatus, a threatened microchiropteran bat species found in the temperate rainforests of New Zealand. The relationship between various environmental variables and the presence/absence of the species was investigated using generalised linear modelling. The model developed was coupled with GIS data to develop maps of predicted occurrence within the West Coast region of New Zealand’s South Island. It was found that distance to forest boundary, slope, presence of Nothofagus, general land cover, variability in mean annual solar radiation, and mean ambient winter minimum temperature were significantly associated with the occurrence of the species. Evaluation of the statistical strength of the distribution model with independent data of species’ occurrence collected at 152 sites found that the C. tuberculatus model showed a moderate ability to predict both species presence and absence (τ(b) coefficient = 0.37). The field detection rate (0.45) using this model was significantly higher than that of historical surveys (0.12). The value of the species habitat model and the need to evaluate its utility in the development of conservation strategies is discussed. 相似文献
8.
During the past century, the Pampas meadowlark Sturnella defilippii underwent a severe population drop and now, it is confined mostly to southern Pampas grasslands. We analyzed the habitat and landscape characteristics associated to the presence of reproductive groups of Pampas meadowlarks in this area. During the 1999 breeding season, we surveyed 89 randomly stratified selected points where we noted the presence/absence of Pampas meadowlarks. For each point we estimated seven habitat variables related to vegetation cover and six landscape variables derived from different maps. We found 11 groups of displaying males, nine of them on natural grassland plots. Multivariate analyses indicate that field type and vegetation cover are the main factors associated to the presence of Pampas meadowlark. Reproductive groups were found preferentially at natural grasslands with high vegetation cover. Habitat loss and intensive grazing of fields appear to be the main factors associated to their sharp population decline and distribution retraction. 相似文献
9.
In common with other farmland species, hares (Lepus spp.) are in widespread decline in agricultural landscapes due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss. We examined the importance of habitat heterogeneity to the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) in a pastoral landscape. We used radio-tracking during nocturnal active and diurnal inactive periods throughout one year. In autumn, winter and spring, hares occupied a heterogeneous combination of improved grassland, providing food, and Juncus-dominated rough pasture, providing refuge. In summer, hares significantly increased their use of improved grassland. This homogeneous habitat can fulfil the discrete and varied resource requirements of hares for feeding and shelter at certain times of year. However, improved grassland may be a risky habitat for hares as silage harvesting occurs during their peak birthing period of late spring and early summer. We therefore posit the existence of a putative ecological trap inherent to a homogeneous habitat of perceived high value that satisfies the hares’ habitat requirements but which presents risks at a critical time of year. To test this hypothesis in relation to hare populations, work is required to provide data on differential leveret mortality between habitat types. 相似文献
10.
Dramatic declines in the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, a genetically unique population of small, burrowing rabbits in Northwestern United States, are likely the combined results of habitat degradation and fragmentation, disease, and predation. A critical component of pygmy rabbit habitat includes big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), which constitutes 82-99% of their winter diet and 10-50% of their summer diet. Sagebrush also forms the bulk of hiding cover around burrow sites. Across the range of pygmy rabbits, sagebrush habitat is grazed extensively by cattle. However, grazing has unknown effects on pygmy rabbits inhabiting the remaining, fragmented shrub-steppe habitat. We evaluated the effects of four grazing treatments on the distribution of pygmy rabbit burrows, diets of pygmy rabbits, and quality and quantity of vegetation at Sagebrush Flat in central Washington. Ungrazed areas contained significantly more burrows per unit area than did grazed areas. Vegetation composition and structure differed little among treatments in early summer before annual grazing by cattle. However, cattle grazing in late summer through winter removed about 50% of the grass cover, and reduced the nutritional quality (e.g., increased fiber and decreased protein) of the remaining grass. Although pygmy rabbits ate <2% grasses in winter, grasses and forbs comprised 53% of late summer diets. Because these endangered rabbits avoided grazed areas, removing cattle grazing from key habitat locations may benefit efforts to restore this rabbit in Washington. 相似文献
11.
Studies of the interspecific relationships between alien and native pollinator species can help forecast the success of alien species as well as assess the extent of disturbance to native plant-pollinator interactions. We examined the habitat and flower resource occupancy by the invasive introduced bumble bee Bombus terrestris and three dominant native bumble bees in central Hokkaido, northern Japan, in relation to a landscape factor (forest cover ratio) and flower morphology with respect to the proboscis length of bees. Three years of monitoring the invasive boundary of B. terrestris indicated that this species, which dominates open agricultural areas, probably will not invade the forests in which the native species dominate. This habitat partitioning likely followed the displacement of the natives by the invader in open agricultural lands. In forested areas, the native species partitioned flower resources on the basis of the relationship between proboscis length and the lengths of the corolla tubes of flowers. However, in open agricultural areas, both the long- and short-tubed flowers were primarily visited by the exotic short-tongued B. terrestris, which foraged illegitimately (by nectar robbing) on long-tubed flowers (Trifolium pratense L.) and legitimately on short-tubed flowers (T. repens L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill.). The invasion of B. terrestris into open natural vegetation, in addition to open agricultural areas, has recently been reported in Hokkaido. Even though the exotic and dominant native bumble bees partition their habitat according to landscape factors, the invasive bee has the potential to alter the overall interactions within plant-pollinator systems in the regions of open vegetation on Hokkaido Island. 相似文献
12.
The use of predictive habitat distribution models by land managers in the conservation management of threatened species is increasing. Few models, however, are subsequently field-checked and evaluated. This study evaluates the statistical strength and usefulness for conservation purposes of three predictive habitat models developed for a threatened stag beetle, Hoplogonus simsoni, found in the wet eucalypt forests and mixed/rainforests of north-east Tasmania. The relationship between various environmental variables for which spatial (GIS) information was available and the density, frequency of occurrence and presence/absence of the species was investigated using generalised linear modelling. Models developed were coupled with the GIS data to develop maps of predicted occurrence within the species’ range, grouped into categories of habitat quality. The models found that altitude, aspect, slope, distance to nearest stream and overstorey tree height were significantly associated with the occurrence of the species. Evaluation of the statistical strength of the models with independent data of species’ occurrence collected at 95 sites found that the density model performed poorly with little correlation between predicted and observed densities of the species. The frequency of occurrence model, however, showed a moderate ability to predict both species’ abundance and presence/absence. The presence/absence model had a similar discriminatory ability in predicting presence or absence of H. simsoni, but also showed some potential as an indirect predictor of species’ abundance. Assuming a correlation between relative abundance and habitat quality, the frequency of occurrence predictive model appeared to be the better and more direct discriminator of high quality habitat relative to the other models. The value of species’ habitat models and the need to evaluate their utility in the development of conservation strategies are discussed. 相似文献
13.
The damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale (Charpentier) (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) is threatened throughout Europe. It is listed on the EC Habitats and Species Directive and is the only odonate currently given priority status in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Information about the habitat preferences of this species is required to guide conservation and management programmes. We obtained estimates of density of mature adult C. mercuriale during an intensive mark-release-recapture study over 7.65 km of a water meadow ditch network in the Itchen Valley, Hampshire. Detailed habitat information was also collected, including a variety of physical variables, and data about the in-channel and bankside vegetation. C. mercuriale density and movement were analysed in relation to habitat variables and local population size using Generalized Linear Models. Mean adjacent population density was the single most important factor determining density. However the species was also associated with a number of habitat features, the most important of which were: a channel substrate consisting primarily of silt, wide underwater ledges (berms), in-channel emergent dicots, and bankside monocots. The presence of trees was negatively associated with damselfly density. Mean net lifetime movement was greatest from sections with low density, with smaller than average berms, and with deeper water. The causes and consequences of these findings are discussed in relation to the conservation and management of this rare species. 相似文献
14.
Dune systems are characterized by strong gradients of physical stress, with blowing sand and salt spray decreasing with distance from the ocean, and soil nutrients increasing. In this study we ask how soil microbial community composition and biomass change along transects away from the ocean, and whether these changes are regulated by abiotic stress or by resource availability. We collected bulk soil from under three plant species representative of the dune front, back, and flat: Ammophila breviligulata, Rosa rugosa, and Myrica pensylvanica. The biomass and composition of microbial communities were examined using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis under patches of dominant vegetation, and in paired bare plots. We found that microbial biomass was strongly correlated with soil C, and thus the presence of vegetation. Community composition, on the other hand, varied with abiotic stresses, especially soil salinity. These variables in turn depended on distance from the shore, and were ameliorated in some cases by vegetation. These findings demonstrate that biomass and community composition are influenced by different environmental variables. Thus, relationships between biomass and composition are unlikely to be readily predicted on the basis of a single resource. 相似文献
15.
The endangered Cantabrian capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus cantabricus) has undergone a severe decline during recent decades. Capercaillies require large tracts of mature forest, and are thus sensitive to landscape-level habitat alteration. The high degree of fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances in the habitat of Cantabrian capercaillie suggested that habitat patterns may be related to the population decline. To evaluate this we developed predictive habitat suitability models. We used a geographic information system (GIS) to integrate environmental variables and spatial context into two logistic models, comparing (a) presence vs. pseudo-absence habitat units (General model) and (b) presence vs. abandoned habitat units (Decline model). We obtained low overall habitat suitability and poor connectivity between high-suitability areas. We found evidence that habitat suitability is indirectly related to the process of population decline, and that the relationship between capercaillie presence and habitat configuration goes beyond the local spatial scale and the average size of forest fragments. We suggest that the combination of these two modelling procedures provides a deeper insight into the decline process, differentiating overall optimal and suboptimal areas (General model) and predicting the direction of eventual local extinctions (Decline model). 相似文献
16.
The impact of long-term heavy grazing pressure on montane vegetation and soils was investigated on the Carneddau plateau in North Wales. At this site, historical information suggests that formerly extensive Racomitrium- and Vaccinium-dominated heaths have become degraded and reduced in extent over the last 40-50 years. This coincides with a period when both sheep numbers and atmospheric deposition of nitrogen have greatly increased. Vegetation composition, plant tissue chemistry, soil chemistry and sheep presence were compared between areas of ‘good’ condition Racomitrium and Vaccinium heath and degraded areas. Comparison of species composition data with sheep presence and environmental data showed no significant link between current grazing distribution and species composition in the areas investigated, with all habitats having sheep presence above the recommended maximum for this habitat. Soil chemistry showed several differences between degraded and ‘good’ condition habitats, suggesting that degraded areas had experienced loss of soil organic matter and upper organic horizons. Comparison of soil and vegetation nitrogen content with data from other UK sites suggests a build up of nitrogen has occurred in Carneddau vegetation and soils, possibly related to high levels of nitrogen deposition. It is concluded that restoration of severely degraded areas of montane vegetation may be retarded by deleterious changes in soil properties which could slow recolonisation by montane species. Reductions in stocking density aiming to restore montane communities might have more immediate impact on less degraded areas. 相似文献
17.
Carabus variolosus is a highly endangered insect which is listed in the EC Habitats and Species Directive. Detailed knowledge of the habitat requirements of this semi-aquatic woodland carabid beetle is needed if effective conservation and management strategies are to be developed. Previous habitat models have proved to be a successful analytical and predictive tool for the conservation of species. We conducted an intensive study over a two year period on two extant C. variolosus populations in Westphalia (Germany) using live capture pitfall traps. We analysed the distribution of the beetles over their main activity period in relation to a large number of edaphic and vegetation variables in order to estimate habitat suitability models and describe optimum ranges. C. variolosus is restricted to the fringes of water bodies and to areas of high soil moisture that display patches of bare soil, shows a slight preference for sparse tree vegetation, and avoids acidic soil. Temporal and spatial transferability of the statistically significant habitat models indicates their robustness and validity. Based on the results of our study, we suggest management measures for the conservation of C. variolosus, which promote the rehabilitation of natural flood plains of headwater areas. 相似文献
18.
Jon P. Beckmann Kim Murray Renee G. Seidler Joel Berger 《Biological conservation》2012,147(1):222-233
To manage America’s 991,479 km2 (245 million acres) of public BLM lands for such mixed uses as natural resource extraction, wildlife, and recreation requires knowledge about effects of habitat alterations. Two of North America’s largest natural gas fields occur in the southern region of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Wyoming), an area that contains >100,000 wintering ungulates. During a 5-year period (2005–2009), we concentrated on patterns of habitat selection of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) to understand how winter weather and increasing habitat loss due to gas field development impact habitat selection. Since this population is held below a food ceiling (i.e., carrying capacity) by human harvest, we expected few habitat constraints on animal movements – hence we examined fine-scale habitat use in relationship to progressive energy footprints. We used mixed-effects resource selection function models on 125 GPS-collared female pronghorn, and analyzed a comprehensive set of factors that included habitat (e.g., slope, plant cover type) and variables examining the impact of gas field infrastructure and human activity (e.g., distance to nearest road and well pad, amount of habitat loss due to conversion to a road or well pad) inside gas fields. Our RSF models demonstrate: (1) a fivefold sequential decrease in habitat patches predicted to be of high use and (2) sequential fine-scale abandonment by pronghorn of areas with the greatest habitat loss and greatest industrial footprint. The ability to detect behavioral impacts may be a better sentinel and earlier warning for burgeoning impacts of resource extraction on wildlife populations than studies focused solely on demography. Nevertheless disentangling cause and effect through the use of behavior warrants further investigation. 相似文献
19.
Studies in the response of vegetation to predicted future climate change have focussed on vascular plants and are therefore largely unrepresentative of wider botanical diversity (i.e. comprising cryptogams; algae, mosses, liverworts and fungi including lichens). This paper presents a study to predict the response of a cryptogam species, the epiphytic lichen Lecanora populicola, to climate change scenarios. L. populicola is an easily dispersed species that occurs predictably in a widespread habitat, i.e. aspen stands. The study area was geographically constrained to a clean-air region of northern Britain. Thus, using the popular bioclimatic envelope approach, the projected climatic response of L. populicola is not expected to be confounded by air-borne pollution effects, or dispersal and habitat limitation. Non-parametric multiplicative regression was used to describe the response of L. populicola to seven climate variables, and an optimum model projected using UKCIP02 scenarios, comprising two time-frames (2020 s and 2050 s) and two greenhouse gas emission levels (low and high). Model predictions suggest an overall increase in the potential range of L. populicola, and, by association, several other ‘Boreal’ lichen epiphytes. Projected increases in the occurrence of L. populicola are associated with predicted summer drying, and indicate a putative threat to negatively associated ‘oceanic’ lichens. 相似文献
20.
Pierre Defos du Rau Christophe Barbraud Jean-Yves Mondain-Monval 《Biological conservation》2005,125(3):355-367
Studies describing habitat use in animal species need to take into account detectability of individuals in order to reach more robust conclusions. However, the importance of detectability in habitat selection analyses of rare and cryptic species has received little investigation, although robust methods for estimating detectability have been made recently available. Understanding habitat requirements should be an important management tool for the conservation of the red-crested pochard (Netta rufina), a rare duck species in France and Europe. Three different lake samples (82 lakes in total) were conjointly used in 2000 and 2001 to assess the species habitat requirements, using its presence, density and hatching dates as response variables. Risk of false absence was estimated using the double-observer approach at less than 0.001. A robust-design approach produced estimates of individual brood detectability (0.545, SE = 0.053). Observed red-crested pochard densities were adjusted to time dependent detectabilities, and modelled as a function of habitat variables. Habitat fragmentation and low permanent water levels negatively affected brood densities. Interestingly, these variables were not retained when modelling the unadjusted densities. This analysis showed that investigating temporal variation in brood detectability was a crucial prerequisite in the study of this rare species’ habitat requirements. More generally, it strongly suggests that integrating detection probability and its variations in habitat use analyses of cryptic species of conservation concern may be an essential methodological step to reach more valid conclusions on habitat management. 相似文献