Independent effects of woodland loss and fragmentation on Brown Treecreeper distribution |
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| Authors: | Caren B Cooper Jeffrey R Walters |
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| Institution: | Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg,VA 24061, USA |
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| Abstract: | We examined the influence of local habitat and the surrounding landscape on the distribution of Brown Treecreepers in a matrix of woodlands and pastures. Our goals were to: (1) determine the importance and scale of the independent effects of woodland cover and fragmentation on treecreeper distribution, and (2) employ landscape variables to improve models of treecreeper distribution based on local habitat features. Woodland fragmentation was important at a large scale while both woodland cover and fragmentation were important at a smaller scale. Excluding unoccupied sites in highly fragmented landscapes improved the ability of local habitat features to explain Brown Treecreeper distribution, which appeared to be constrained by cavity density. Brown Treecreepers' response to fragmentation at the larger scale may occur because fragmentation disrupts dispersal. Alternatively, their response may be an example of a general phenomenon of fragmentation effects only arising when < 20% of woodland cover remains at a given scale. As fragmentation increases, so does the need to incorporate landscape patterns into wildlife-habitat models. |
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| Keywords: | Habitat loss Fragmentation Landscape models Habitat models Brown Treecreepers |
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