Drivers of habitat quality for a reintroduced elk herd

Autor: Quinlan, Braiden A., Rosenberger, Jacalyn P., Kalb, David M., Abernathy, Heather N., Thorne, Emily D., Ford, W. Mark, Cherry, Michael J.
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Scientific Reports. 12
ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25058-9
Popis: Understanding spatiotemporal variation in habitat quality is essential for guiding wildlife reintroduction and restoration programs. The habitat productivity hypothesis posits that home range size is inversely related to habitat quality. Thus, home range size may be used as a proxy for habitat quality and can identify important land cover features for a recovering species. We sought to quantify variation in home range size across the biological cycle (seasons) for a reintroduced elk (Cervus canadensis) population in southwestern Virginia, USA and quantify habitat quality by linking home range sizes to the land cover types they contain using linear mixed-effects models. We found mean home range size was largest during late gestation for female elk. Additionally, throughout the year, smaller home ranges were associated with larger proportions of non-forested habitats whereas forested habitats were generally the opposite. However, both presumed poor- and high-quality habitats influenced female elk space use. Our approach revealed spatial variation in habitat quality for a recovering elk herd, demonstrated the importance of non-forested habitats to elk, can guide decisions regarding the location of future elk reintroduction programs, and serve as a model for evaluating habitat quality associated with wildlife reintroductions. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources [F18AF00664]; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program Published version Funding for this project was provided by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to Virginia Tech using Wildlife Restoration funds (award F18AF00664) provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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