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1
Komatsu, Takashi, Munetoshi Maruyama, and Takao Itino. "Two Cleptoparasitic Ant Crickets (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) That Share Similar Host Ant Species Differentiate Their Habitat Use in Areas of Sympatry in Japan." Sociobiology 62, no. 3 (September 30, 2015): 364. http://dx.doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v62i3.655.
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Myrmecophilus crickets (Myrmecophilidae, Orthoptera) are typical ant guests. In Japan, about 10 species are recognized on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic frameworks. We focused on two of these species, M. kinomurai and M. kubotai, and compared their host and habitat use. Previous work based on a limited sampling effort suggested that these two species share some ant species as hosts, but that their habitat (open versus shaded) preferences differ. Here, on the basis of exhaustive sampling across Japan, we confirmed that M. kinomurai and M. kubotai do not differ in their host ant preferences: both prefer formicine ants as hosts. As for habitat preferences, M. kubotai occurred significantly more often in open habitats than in shaded ones (P < 0.05). In contrast, M. kinomurai showed no habitat preference in areas where M. kubotai did not occur. However, M. kinomurai showed an obvious preference for shaded environments in areas of sympatry with its potential competitor M. kubotai. This pattern suggests that interspecific competition between M. kinomurai and M. Kubotai is a factor causing habitat differentiation in areas of sympatry.
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Nsor, Collins Ayine, Emmanuel Acquah, Grace Mensah, Vincent Kusi-Kyei, and Samuel Boadi. "Avian Community Structure as a Function of Season, Habitat Type, and Disturbance, in Mole National Park, Northern Region (Ghana)." International Journal of Ecology 2018 (June 19, 2018): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2045629.
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The study assessed factors that influenced bird-habitat preference, diversity, and spatial distribution in Mole National Park. Birds were identified using point count sampling method, while ordination techniques were performed to determine the influence of environmental factors on bird-habitat preference. A total of 4951 individuals belonging to 131 species were identified across the four habitat types in the wet (n= 3033) and dry (n= 1648) seasons. Despite the high abundance and richness of birds in the woodland and shrubland habitats, grassland habitat was the most diverse, due to the high spatial evenness distribution of the birds. Bushfire, patchiness, and animal trampling were the key environmental determinants in bird assemblages and habitat preferences and accounted for 62.02% and 81.82% variations in the two seasons. Rarer birds like White-Backed Vulture (NT) and White-Headed Vulture (CR), Bateleur Eagle (NT), and Woolly-Necked Stork (VU), with high conservation concern, suggest intensification of conservation effort, while the dominance of Sahel Bush-sparrow was probably due to their broad range habitat preferences and ability to adapt to environmental conditions across these habitats. These species could be used as indicators of habitat quality, if future scenarios restrict their movement or distribution in narrow range habitats.
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Halliday, William D., Caroline Bourque, and Gabriel Blouin-Demers. "Food quality influences density-dependent fitness, but not always density-dependent habitat selection, in red flour beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)." Canadian Entomologist 151, no. 6 (August 5, 2019): 728–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/tce.2019.47.
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AbstractDensity-dependent habitat selection models inherently rely on the negative relationship between population density and mean fitness in different habitats. Habitats differing in quality, such as different food sources or habitat structure, can have different strengths of density-dependent relationships, which can then affect patterns of density dependence in habitat selection. We tested the hypothesis that density dependence in fitness dictates the patterns in density-dependent habitat selection: individuals should prefer higher-quality habitat over lower-quality habitat. We used controlled experiments with red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)) to measure density dependence of fitness and to examine density-dependent habitat selection by beetles in wheat (Triticum Linnaeus (Poaceae)), corn (Zea mays Linnaeus (Poaceae)), and soy (Glycine max (Linnaeus) Merrill (Fabaceae)) flour habitats. Despite large differences in fitness between habitats (fitness was the highest in wheat flour, lower in corn flour, and zero in soy flour), beetles showed only weak preference for wheat over corn flour and for corn over soy flour, but showed strong preference for wheat over soy flour. These preferences were the strongest at low density. This study gives insight into the relationship between habitat quality and density-dependent habitat selection in flour beetles.
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Thomas, Nunia, Clare Morrison, Linto Winder, and Craig Morley. "Spatial distribution and habitat preferences of co-occurring vertebrate species: Case study of an endangered frog and an introduced toad in Fiji." Pacific Conservation Biology 17, no. 1 (2011): 68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110068.
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Wildlife management, particularly the conservation of threatened species, often involves habitat management and an understanding of species preferences. Much ecological data used to establish rare and endangered species distributions and/or habitat associations exists in the form of point counts which often violates the assumptions of commonly used statistical techniques. In this study, the spatial distribution and habitat preferences of an endangered, endemic frog (Platymantis vitianus — Fiji ground frog) and an introduced toad (Rhinella marina — cane toad) were observed and mapped on a 60 ha island using a grid of 232 sampling points with 50 × 20 m spacing. The Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) analytical tool demonstrated that despite the wide range of habitats present on Viwa Island, both ground frogs and cane toads displayed clear and defined macrohabitat preferences. Whilst both species showed a strong preference for Inocarpus fagifer forests, there was little overlap in other habitat types with the ground frogs preferring more densely vegetated forest habitats and cane toads preferring more open habitat types close to both permanent and temporary water sources. Within the I. fagifer forests, there was no evidence of overlap in the distributions of the two species. The spatial pattern evident indicates that cane toad and ground frog populations co-exist, probably due to similar habitat preferences. However, a more detailed study on the interactions between the two species within their natural environment is needed to determine the nature and magnitude of the impact of the cane toad on the ground frog.
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Robinson, B. G., K. W. Larsen, and H. J. Kerr. "Natal experience and conspecifics influence the settling behaviour of the juvenile terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare." Canadian Journal of Zoology 89, no. 8 (August 2011): 661–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z11-030.
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Cues used by dispersing juveniles to assess habitat quality can be based on public information available to all individuals or on private information obtained from experience in the natal habitat. The presence of conspecifics (public information) and natal habitat quality (private information) have been shown to influence habitat preferences in many species, but the relative importance of these two cue types is seldom investigated. We examined whether habitat quality relative to the natal habitat had a stronger influence on the settling decisions of the juvenile terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille, 1804), than sign of conspecifics. We raised juvenile A. vulgare in either high- or low-quality habitats and then observed how the presence of conspecific sign influenced their preference for each of these habitats. When conspecific sign was absent, juveniles preferred high-quality habitat, regardless of their natal habitat. When the low-quality habitat was treated with conspecific sign, juveniles born on low-quality habitat continued to prefer the high-quality habitat, but juveniles raised on high-quality habitat displayed no preference. This suggests juvenile isopods respond to these cues hierarchically: they first search for habitats higher in quality than their natal habitat and then cue into conspecific sign when the preferred habitat is unavailable.
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Egan, Scott P., Glen R. Hood, and James R. Ott. "Testing the Role of Habitat Isolation among Ecologically Divergent Gall Wasp Populations." International Journal of Ecology 2012 (2012): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/809897.
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Habitat isolation occurs when habitat preferences lower the probability of mating between individuals associated with differing habitats. While a potential barrier to gene flow during ecological speciation, the effect of habitat isolation on reproductive isolation has rarely been directly tested. Herein, we first estimated habitat preference for each of six populations of the gall waspBelonocnema treataeinhabiting eitherQuercus virginianaorQ. geminata. We then estimated the importance of habitat isolation in generating reproductive isolation betweenB. treataepopulations that were host specific to eitherQ. virginianaorQ. geminataby measuring mate preference in the presence and absence of the respective host plants. All populations exhibited host preference for their native plant, and assortative mating increased significantly in the presence of the respective host plants. This host-plant-mediated assortative mating demonstrates that habitat isolation likely plays an important role in promoting reproductive isolation among populations of this host-specific gall former.
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Stirling, Ian, Dennis Andriashek, and Wendy Calvert. "Habitat preferences of polar bears in the western Canadian Arctic in late winter and spring." Polar Record 29, no. 168 (January 1993): 13–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400023172.
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ABSTRACTBetween late March and May, from 1971 through 1979, we surveyed 74,332 km2 of sea-ice habitatin the eastern Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf in the western Canadian Arctic. We defined seven sea-ice habitat types and recorded sightings of polar bears and their tracks in each to determine their habitat preferences. 791 bears (including cubs) and 6454 sets of tracks were recorded. 42.3%, 39.7%, and 15.6% of the bears were seen on floe-edge, moving ice, and drifted fast-ice habitats, respectively. Significant differences in habitat preferences were shown by bears of different sexes and age classes. Adult females accompanied by cubs of the year were the only group that showed a strong preference for fast ice with drifts, probably because they could feed adequately there while avoiding adult males that might prey upon their cubs. The highest densities of seals are found in floe-edge and moving ice habitats and this likely explains the predominance of bears there. Lone adult females and females with two-year-old cubs, adult males, and subadult males were found two and one-half to four times more frequently than predicted in floe-edge habitat. Since there are no data to suggest seals are more abundant along the floe edge than in moving ice habitat, the preference of these groups of adult polar bears for the floe edge in spring may be related to reproductive behavior.
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Tadesse, Solomon A., and Burt P. Kotler. "Habitat Choices of Nubian Ibex (Capra Nubiana) Evaluated with A habitat Suitability Modeling and Isodar Analysis." Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution 56, no. 1 (May 6, 2010): 55–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1560/ijee.56.1.55.
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The value of a habitat for a forager may be affected by habitat characteristics related to food availability, energetic costs of foraging, predation costs, and the foraging opportunities available in other habitats. Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) are stout, sure-footed social wild goats that inhabit arid landscapes with steep terrain. We investigated their habitat selection behavior using indicators to (1) develop a habitat suitability index (HSI) model that would account for the variation in the activity densities of Nubian ibex across habitat types and seasons, (2) apply the isodar technique to look for density-dependent habitat selection behavior in Nubian ibex, and (3) investigate the proximate environmental factors that correlate to relative activity densities of Nubian ibex. We determined relative densities of the ibex by recording sightings of animals along standard walking transects. We incorporated the habitat variables that had greatest influence on the densities of Nubian ibex into habitat suitability index models for both spring and summer seasons.The HSI models revealed that Nubian ibex most preferred open cliff face habitat offering safety during the spring season, but their habitat preference shifted towards an area with watered gardens ("grave area habitat") during the summer season. Significant isodars were only obtained for the summer season comparisons between grave area versus cliff face, and between grave area versus plateau habitats. The slopes of the isodars suggest that the grave area habitat is 10.5 and 7.6 times more productive than the plateau and the cliff face habitats, respectively. Our results suggest that the relative abundances and habitat preferences of Nubian ibex varied with the seasonal availability of habitat resources, extent of predation risks, and human nuisance disturbances across the landscape. We recommend that wildlife managers dealing with the conservation and protection of the endangered Nubian ibex should focus on the various ecological and anthropogenic factors governing the habitat selection and preferences.
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Hartung, Sarah C., and Jeffrey D. Brawn. "Effects of Savanna Restoration on the Foraging Ecology of Insectivorous Songbirds." Condor 107, no. 4 (November 1, 2005): 879–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/107.4.879.
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Abstract We studied the foraging behavior of insectivorous songbirds during the breeding season at four sites in Illinois, each with restored open-canopy savanna habitat (65% mean canopy closure) and closed-canopy forests (89% mean canopy closure). We sampled and compared apparent tree species preference, foliage layer preference, and proportional use of different prey-attack maneuvers in the two habitats. In closed-canopy forests, three of nine songbird species foraged in black oak (Quercus velutina) and white oak (Q. alba) more than expected based on availability, and foraged less than expected in shade-tolerant trees such as sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and red elm (Ulmus rubra). Four species also displayed apparent preferences for black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). In contrast, songbirds used tree species according to availability in open-canopy habitat. We observed apparent preferences for the shrub and subcanopy vegetation layers (0–5 m and 6–10 m) in open-canopy habitat and apparent preferences for the subcanopy and lower canopy vegetation layers (6–10 m and 11–15 m) in closed-canopy forests. Relative use of prey-attack maneuvers in open versus closed-canopy habitat was significantly different for the Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) and the Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), but not for foliage-gleaning species. These results suggest that restoration of oak savannas has important effects on the habitat use and foraging ecology of selected insectivorous birds.
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Zielke, Luisa, Nicole Wrage-Mönnig, Jürgen Müller, and and Carsten Neumann. "Implications of Spatial Habitat Diversity on Diet Selection of European Bison and Przewalski´s Horses in a Rewilding Area." Diversity 11, no. 4 (April 18, 2019): 63. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d11040063.
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In Europe, the interest in introducing megaherbivores to achieve ambitious habitat restoration goals is increasing. In this study, we present the results of a one-year monitoring program in a rewilding project in Germany (Doeberitzer Heide), where European bison (Bison bonasus) and Przewalski´s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) were introduced for ecological restoration purposes. Our objectives were to investigate diet and habitat preferences of Przewalski´s horses and European bison under free-choice conditions without fodder supplementation. In a random forest classification approach, we used multitemporal RapidEye time series imagery to map the diversity of available habitats within the study area. This spatially explicit habitat distribution from satellite imagery was combined with direct field observations of seasonal diet preferences of both species. In line with the availability of preferred forage plants, European bison and Przewalski´s horses both showed seasonal habitat preferences. Because of their different preferences for forage plants, they did not overlap in habitat use except for a short time in the colder season. European bison used open habitats and especially wet open habitats more than expected based on available habitats in the study area. Comparative foraging and feeding niches should be considered in the establishment of multispecies projects to maximize the outcome of restoration processes.
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Muliani, Muliani, Asriyana Asriyana, and Muhammad Ramli. "Preferensi Habitat Ikan Gabus [Channa striata (Bloch 1793)] di Perairan Rawa Aopa, Sulawesi Tenggara." Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia 26, no. 4 (October 27, 2021): 546–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.18343/jipi.26.4.546.
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The use of habitat by fish is closely related to efforts to find the best conditions for the survival of these fish. This study aims to analyze the habitat preferences of Striped snakehead in Rawa Aopa waters, Southeast Sulawesi. This research was conducted from November 2018 to February 2019 in the waters of Swamp Aopa Southeast Sulawesi. Fish collection using traps. The constancy and fidelity index determined the preference of striped snakehead for habitat type. A total of 1024 striped snakehead fish were caught during the study with a length range of 200,0-420,0 mm and 69,0-596,0 g weight. Striped snakehead measuring 200-367 mm were consistent in occupying habitats with a slightly dense to dense water plant density, while sizes 368-388 and 389-430 mm were consistent in habitats with sparse water plant density. The preference level of striped snakehead fish size 389-430 mm to habitats with rare aquatic plants is very high (Fij = 6). Therefore, the size can be used as an indicator of habitats with the rare aquatic plant category. The preference for 200-367 mm striped snakehead fish in dense aquatic plant habitats indicates that these habitats are foraging, growing, and protective zones.
Keywords: Channa striata, fish habitat, Rawa Aopa, Southeast Sulawesi, stripe snakehead
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Johnson, Ashley M., Shannon Stanis, and Rebecca C. Fuller. "Diurnal lighting patterns and habitat alter opsin expression and colour preferences in a killifish." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280, no. 1763 (July 22, 2013): 20130796. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.0796.
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Spatial variation in lighting environments frequently leads to population variation in colour patterns, colour preferences and visual systems. Yet lighting conditions also vary diurnally, and many aspects of visual systems and behaviour vary over this time scale. Here, we use the bluefin killifish ( Lucania goodei ) to compare how diurnal variation and habitat variation (clear versus tannin-stained water) affect opsin expression and the preference to peck at different-coloured objects. Opsin expression was generally lowest at midnight and dawn, and highest at midday and dusk, and this diurnal variation was many times greater than variation between habitats. Pecking preference was affected by both diurnal and habitat variation but did not correlate with opsin expression. Rather, pecking preference matched lighting conditions, with higher preferences for blue at noon and for red at dawn/dusk, when these wavelengths are comparatively scarce. Similarly, blue pecking preference was higher in tannin-stained water where blue wavelengths are reduced. In conclusion, L. goodei exhibits strong diurnal cycles of opsin expression, but these are not tightly correlated with light intensity or colour. Temporally variable pecking preferences probably result from lighting environment rather than from opsin production. These results may have implications for the colour pattern diversity observed in these fish.
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Collado, Miguel Á., Daniel Sol, and Ignasi Bartomeus. "Bees use anthropogenic habitats despite strong natural habitat preferences." Diversity and Distributions 25, no. 6 (February 6, 2019): 924–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12899.
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Grismer, Lee, Perry Wood, Nikolay Poyarkov, Minh Le, Suranjan Karunarathna, Siriwadee Chomdej, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, et al. "Karstic Landscapes Are Foci of Species Diversity in the World’s Third-Largest Vertebrate Genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Reptilia: Squamata; Gekkonidae)." Diversity 13, no. 5 (April 28, 2021): 183. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13050183.
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Karstic landscapes are immense reservoirs of biodiversity and range-restricted endemism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world’s third-largest vertebrate genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkonidae) which contains well over 300 species. A stochastic character mapping analysis of 10 different habitat preferences across a phylogeny containing 344 described and undescribed species recovered a karst habitat preference occurring in 25.0% of the species, whereas that of the other eight specific habitat preferences occurred in only 0.2–11.0% of the species. The tenth category—general habitat preference—occurred in 38.7% of the species and was the ancestral habitat preference for Cyrtodactylus and the ultimate origin of all other habitat preferences. This study echoes the results of a previous study illustrating that karstic landscapes are generators of species diversity within Cyrtodactylus and not simply “imperiled arks of biodiversity” serving as refugia for relics. Unfortunately, the immense financial returns of mineral extraction to developing nations largely outweighs concerns for biodiversity conservation, leaving approximately 99% of karstic landscapes with no legal protection. This study continues to underscore the urgent need for their appropriate management and conservation. Additionally, this analysis supports the monophyly of the recently proposed 31 species groups and adds one additional species group.
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Knotts, Eilea R. "Influences of individual phenotypic traits on the habitat preferences of the sand fiddler crab, Uca pugilator." Behaviour 154, no. 7-8 (2017): 741–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003442.
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Recognizing which phenotypic traits are predictors for habitat choice can have important implications for understanding population dynamics. This study determined whether body size, sex, activity level, or origin habitat affected the preference of the fiddler crab,Uca pugilator, in selecting either a marsh or open mudflat, two habitats differing in risk level and food availability. Combining field and laboratory experiments, this study indicated a significant difference in body size and activity level of crabs between habitats. Further investigation of phenotypic dependency on habitat preference resulted in interactions between origin habitat and carapace width and activity level. When split by origin habitat, habitat preference for the open mudflat was predicted by body size for crabs originating from the open mudflat and by activity level for the crabs originating from theSpartinamarsh. These results suggest that, forU. pugilator, body size plays a large role in the preference for exposed habitat.
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Mameri, Daniel, Corina van Kammen, Ton G. G. Groothuis, Ole Seehausen, and Martine E. Maan. "Visual adaptation and microhabitat choice in Lake Victoria cichlid fish." Royal Society Open Science 6, no. 3 (March 2019): 181876. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181876.
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When different genotypes choose different habitats to better match their phenotypes, genetic differentiation within a population may be promoted. Mating within those habitats may subsequently contribute to reproductive isolation. In cichlid fish, visual adaptation to alternative visual environments is hypothesized to contribute to speciation. Here, we investigated whether variation in visual sensitivity causes different visual habitat preferences, using two closely related cichlid species that occur at different but overlapping water depths in Lake Victoria and that differ in visual perception ( Pundamilia spp.). In addition to species differences, we explored potential effects of visual plasticity, by rearing fish in two different light conditions: broad-spectrum (mimicking shallow water) and red-shifted (mimicking deeper waters). Contrary to expectations, fish did not prefer the light environment that mimicked their typical natural habitat. Instead, we found an overall preference for the broad-spectrum environment. We also found a transient influence of the rearing condition, indicating that the assessment of microhabitat preference requires repeated testing to control for familiarity effects. Together, our results show that cichlid fish exert visual habitat preference but do not support straightforward visual habitat matching.
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Tokushima, Hideyuki, and Peter J. Jarman. "Ecology of the rare but irruptive Pilliga mouse, Pseudomys pilligaensis. IV. Habitat ecology." Australian Journal of Zoology 63, no. 1 (2015): 28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo14057.
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We determined preferences of the Pilliga mouse, Pseudomys pilligaensis, for habitat attributes (ground and vegetation cover) through phases of a population irruption, and characterised refuge sites used when environmental conditions were unfavourable. In general, P. pilligaensis preferred areas with substrate dominated by sand and shrubs rather than rock or litter. However, its habitat selection changed with phases of the irruption. In the Increase phase, it showed no strong habitat preferences, perhaps because the abundance of food (seeds) overrode preferences for more stable habitat values. Its sensitivity to habitat variables increased in the Peak phase. In the Low phase, mice preferred ground cover with higher proportions of sand and shrubs, and lower proportions of rock and litter. Regression analyses suggested that sandy substrate is the most important factor for the refuge habitat of P. pilligaensis, perhaps because a sandy surface can support more understorey shrubs which provide seeds and protection from predators, and provides sites for burrows. Judging from areas where P. pilligaensis was caught during the Low phase, water run-on areas could also characterise refuge habitats. However, further studies are needed to define the species’ refuge habitats fully.
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Nemček, Vladimír. "Abundance of raptors and habitat preferences of the common buzzard Buteo buteo and the common kestrel Falco tinnunculus during the non-breeding season in an agricultural landscape (Western Slovakia)." Slovak Raptor Journal 7, no. 1 (January 1, 2014): 37–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/srj-2013-0007.
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Abstract Habitat use and preferences by raptors were studied during three non-breeding seasons (2011-201 3) in an agricultural landscape in western Slovakia. The non-breeding season on agricultural land showed high variation and changes in the cover of habitats related to human activities. The most abundant raptor species were the common buzzard Buteo buteo (L.) (1 52 individuals) and the common kestrel Falco tinnunculus (L.) (78 individuals). The common buzzard preferred alfalfa and avoided ploughed fields. The common kestrel showed a high habitat preference for alfalfa, corn fields, stubbles and fallow. It also avoided ploughed fields and wheat.
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Jacob, Staffan, Estelle Laurent, Bart Haegeman, Romain Bertrand, Jérôme G. Prunier, Delphine Legrand, Julien Cote, et al. "Habitat choice meets thermal specialization: Competition with specialists may drive suboptimal habitat preferences in generalists." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, no. 47 (November 5, 2018): 11988–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1805574115.
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Limited dispersal is classically considered as a prerequisite for ecological specialization to evolve, such that generalists are expected to show greater dispersal propensity compared with specialists. However, when individuals choose habitats that maximize their performance instead of dispersing randomly, theory predicts dispersal with habitat choice to evolve in specialists, while generalists should disperse more randomly. We tested whether habitat choice is associated with thermal niche specialization using microcosms of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, a species that performs active dispersal. We found that thermal specialists preferred optimal habitats as predicted by theory, a link that should make specialists more likely to track suitable conditions under environmental changes than expected under the random dispersal assumption. Surprisingly, generalists also performed habitat choice but with a preference for suboptimal habitats. Since this result challenges current theory, we developed a metapopulation model to understand under which circumstances such a preference for suboptimal habitats should evolve. We showed that competition between generalists and specialists may favor a preference for niche margins in generalists under environmental variability. Our results demonstrate that the behavioral dimension of dispersal—here, habitat choice—fundamentally alters our predictions of how dispersal evolve with niche specialization, making dispersal behaviors crucial for ecological forecasting facing environmental changes.
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Goldingay, Ross L. "General or local habitat preferences? Unravelling geographically consistent patterns of habitat preference in gliding mammals." Forest Ecology and Management 491 (July 2021): 119204. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119204.
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Norton, Melinda A., Kris French, and Andrew W. Claridge. "Habitat associations of the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) at multiple spatial scales." Australian Journal of Zoology 58, no. 5 (2010): 303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo10042.
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This study examined the coarse- and fine-scale habitat preferences of the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, in order to inform the management of this threatened species. Live-trapping was conducted in autumn and spring, from 2005 to 2008, at two sites. Macrohabitat preferences were examined by comparing trap success with numerous habitat attributes at each trap site. In spring 2007 and autumn 2008, microhabitat use was also examined, using the spool-and-line technique and forage digging assessments. While potoroos were trapped in a wide range of macrohabitats, they displayed some preference for greater canopy and shrub cover, and ground cover with lower floristic diversity. While most individuals also displayed preferences for various microhabitat attributes, no clear trends were evident across all individuals. Potoroos displayed some foraging preference for microhabitats with higher shrub cover densities and more open ground cover. Despite extensive fox predation risks, individual potoroos did not all preferentially utilise dense ground cover. Future management of known and potential potoroo habitat should aim to provide effective introduced predator control and enhance the diversity of vegetation attributes while avoiding practices that simplify the habitat.
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Sadoti, G., and K. T. Vierling. "Nonideal habitat selection by a North American cavity excavator: pecking up the wrong tree?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 88, no. 6 (June 2010): 527–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z10-025.
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Nonideal habitat selection occurs when preferred habitat attributes differ from those associated with increased fitness. These mismatches have been widely studied in open cup-nesting birds, but the relationship between habitat-associated preferences and fitness in cavity-nesting birds has received relatively little attention. We studied patterns of preference and fitness during 2006–2007 in an Idaho, USA, population of Red-naped Sapsuckers ( Sphyrapicus nuchalis S.F. Baird, 1858). Using a suite of nonparametric tests, we examined the associations between habitat attributes and both nesting-area preferences and nest productivity (number of fledglings per pair) across four spatial scales. Nest productivity was associated with tree- and cavity-scale attributes, whereas preference was associated with attributes of home ranges. Live trees and southeasterly oriented cavities had higher nest productivity but were not preferred. Microclimates in nests with these attributes may enhance nestling survival, whereas nonpreference for these attributes may be due to energetic constraints in some individuals. Additional studies comparing patterns of nonideal habitat selection between open-cup nesters and cavity nesters should advance our understanding of how life-history characteristics influence selection patterns.
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Hiermes, Meike, Stephanie Reher, Ingolf P. Rick, and Theo C. M. Bakker. "Influence of lighting environment on social preferences in sticklebacks from two different photic habitats. I. mate preferences of wild-caught females." Current Zoology 67, no. 3 (March 13, 2021): 299–308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab008.
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Abstract Ultraviolet (UV) A signals (320–400 nm) are important in mate choice in numerous species. The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly, but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological conditions. Generally, those signals are favored by selection that efficiently reach the receiver. A decisive factor for color signaling is the lighting environment, especially in aquatic habitats, as the visibility of signals, and thus costs and benefits, are instantaneously influenced by it. Although ecological aspects of color signal evolution are relatively well-studied, there is little data on specific effects of environmental UV-light conditions on signaling at these shorter wavelengths. We studied wild-caught gravid female 3-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus of 2 photic habitat types (tea-stained and clear-water lakes), possessing great variation in their UV transmission. In 2 treatments, tea-stained and clear-water, preferences for males viewed under UV-present (UV+) and UV-absent (UV–) conditions were tested. A preference for males under UV+ conditions was found for females from both habitat types, thus stressing the significance of UV signals in stickleback’s mate choice decisions. However, females from both habitat types showed the most pronounced preferences for males under UV+ conditions under clear-water test conditions. Moreover, reflectance measurements revealed that the carotenoid-based orange-red breeding coloration in wild-caught males of both habitat types differed significantly in color intensity (higher in clear-water males) and hue (more red shifted in clear-water males) while no significant differences in UV coloration were found. The differential reflection patterns in longer wavelengths suggest that sticklebacks of both habitat types have adapted to the respective water conditions. Adaptations of UV signals in a sexual context to ambient light conditions in both behavior and coloration seem less evident.
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Mason, Christopher F., and Sheila M. Macdonald. "Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England." Bird Conservation International 9, no. 2 (June 1999): 119–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900002240.
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SummaryThe winter bird assemblage and habitat preferences were studied in a largely arable landscape, dominated by winter cereals, in eastern England in one winter. A total of species was recorded on 70 l-km transects but 11% of transects had no birds. Overall densities were low, Skylark Alauda arvensis being the most abundant species. Bird was highest in the first winter period (October-December). Species richness varied proportion to the available habitat in the first winter period but there was a preference for stubble, grass and tilled land (harrow) in the second winter period (January-February) Skylarks preferred stubbles in the first winter period and stubbles and grass in the second winter period. Some 34% of all birds fed on winter cereals despite a lack of preference for this habitat, while 94% of seed specialists (finches and buntings) were recorded on stubbles. The areas of preferred habitats (stubbles, grass) were probably too limited to allow more than small populations to persist. Only by the widespread adoption of agricultural extensification and/or farming some of the land specifically for conservation benefits can the declines in bird populations on intensively managed arable farmland be reversed.
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Hiermes, Meike, Michael B. Marder, Stephanie Reher, Ingolf P. Rick, Simon Vitt, and Theo C. M. Bakker. "Influence of lighting environment on social preferences in sticklebacks from two different photic habitats. II. Shoaling and mate preferences of lab-bred fishes." Current Zoology 67, no. 3 (April 7, 2021): 309–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoab033.
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Abstract Different environmental conditions may lead to diverse morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations of different populations of the same species. Lighting conditions, for example, vary vastly especially between aquatic habitats, and have been shown to elicit adaptations. The availability of short-wave ultraviolet (UV) light is especially fluctuating, as UV wavelengths are attenuated strongly depending on water properties. The island of North Uist, Scotland, comprises 2 differential habitat types, tea-stained and clear-water lakes, varying considerably in UV transmission. In previous studies, wild-caught 3-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus populations (3 populations of each habitat type) were tested with respect to their shoaling and mate preferences for fish viewed under UV-present and UV-absent conditions. The results revealed a habitat-dependent preference of UV cues during shoal choice (tea-stained populations: preference for UV-absent condition in tea-stained water; clear-water populations: no preference in clear-water) but an overall preference for UV-present conditions during mate choice. To assess genetic influences on these behavioral patterns, similar experiments were conducted with lab-bred F1-generations of the same stickleback populations that were raised in a common environment (i.e. standardized clear-water conditions). Offspring of sticklebacks from tea-stained lakes tended to prefer shoals viewed under UV-absent conditions (only in tea-stained water), while sticklebacks from clear-water lakes showed a significant preference for the shoal viewed under UV-present conditions in clear-water but not in tea-stained water. Mate-preference experiments demonstrated that females from the tea-stained lakes significantly preferred and females from the clear-water lakes preferred by trend the male viewed under UV-present conditions in the clear-water treatment. The results for both shoaling- and mate-preference tests were largely similar for wild-caught and lab-bred sticklebacks, thus hinting at a genetic basis for the preference patterns.
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Mowat, Garth, and Brian Slough. "Habitat preference of Canada lynx through a cycle in snowshoe hare abundance." Canadian Journal of Zoology 81, no. 10 (October 1, 2003): 1736–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z03-174.
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We assessed habitat preference of a lynx (Lynx canadensis) population through 8 years of a snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) cycle. Seventy-four percent of our southern Yukon study area was approximately 30-year-old regenerating forest resulting from a large wildfire. The study area was not trapped and lynx density was very high compared with other populations in North America. Contrary to our prediction, there was no discernable shift in habitat preference through the hare cycle; however, our habitat types were coarsely mapped and our radiolocations relatively inaccurate. Lynx may have altered their habitat preferences at finer scales (for patches <2 ha). Lynx showed strong preference for regenerating habitats over mature white spruce (Picea glauca) and alpine–subalpine. Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) dominated regenerating stands were preferred over spruce–willow (Salix spp.) stands of equal age. Riparian willow stands were also preferred over mature spruce forest and alpine. Lynx used riparian willow stands more in winter, but we detected no other shifts in habitat preference between snow-free and winter periods. We did not detect any difference in habitat preference between sexes. Independent juveniles made greater use of mature forest and perhaps riparian willow than adults, but no other difference in preference between the two age groups was noted. Lynx preference for regenerating habitat over mature forest suggests that burns will benefit lynx, especially if the regenerating community is pine dominated. Logging will only likely provide similar benefits if a dense pine understory results, which is unlikely in intensively managed stands. The suppression of forest fires in recent decades may have contributed to the decline of lynx numbers in the south of their range.
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Petrov, Kristen, Heidi Stricker, James U. Van Dyke, Graham Stockfeld, Peter West, and Ricky-John Spencer. "Nesting habitat of the broad-shelled turtle (Chelodina expansa)." Australian Journal of Zoology 66, no. 1 (2018): 4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo17061.
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Turtles have persisted for over 220 million years, despite facing threats at every life-history stage. In Australia, nest predation by introduced foxes has driven severe declines in some populations. Our project quantified the nesting habitat of the endangered broad-shelled turtle (Chelodina expansa) to facilitate protection of critical nesting grounds. We determined the nesting preferences of C. expansa at five distinct wetlands on the Murray River from 2011 to 2014. We identified environmental variables associated with nest sites in different habitats and compared those at nests and non-nest sites to determine nesting preferences. Kernel density estimates were used to identify important nesting grounds. Our study has important implications for conservation of C. expansa. Habitat preferences for nest sites of C. expansa are predictable both within and across sites, with females preferring to nest ~50 m from shore (~4 m elevation), in open habitat with little vegetation. Based on these habitat preferences, kernel density estimates showed that C. expansa may select the same nesting beaches in subsequent years. Fox depredation of nests (and nesting adults) drives turtle declines in Australia, so identifying nesting areas for protection is a first step in turtle conservation.
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C. Paull, David. "Habitat and post-fire selection of the Pilliga Mouse Pseudomys pilligaensis in Pilliga East State Forest." Pacific Conservation Biology 15, no. 4 (2009): 254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc090254.
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The habitat selection of the Pilliga Mouse was studied within a variety of vegetation and post fire communities in the Pilliga East State Forest of northern NSW. Its selection was found to be similar to other Australian Pseudomys, but most similar to the New Holland Mouse P. novaehollandiae, preferring understoreys dominated by heathy, xeromorphic plants with sandy soils and litter cover. There was a significant correlation between numbers of Pilliga Mice, in particular breeding sites and a well-developed low shrub cover < 50 cm high. Habitats having this type of cover, in particular Broombush and Kurricabah/Bloodwood scrublands were the only habitats where burrows of this species were detected. Pilliga Mice showed a preference for early and late post-fire stages of vegetation and an avoidance of intermediate age habitats post fire (5-15 years old) probably due to an absence of suitable low shrub cover in this age class. A field methodology that identifies preferred habitat for this species based on the habitat selection preferences of the Pilliga Mouse is described.
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Gong, Jinnan, Nigel Roulet, Steve Frolking, Heli Peltola, Anna M. Laine, Nicola Kokkonen, and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila. "Modelling the habitat preference of two key <i>Sphagnum</i> species in a poor fen as controlled by capitulum water content." Biogeosciences 17, no. 22 (November 23, 2020): 5693–719. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5693-2020.
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Abstract. Current peatland models generally treat vegetation as static, although plant community structure is known to alter as a response to environmental change. Because the vegetation structure and ecosystem functioning are tightly linked, realistic projections of peatland response to climate change require the inclusion of vegetation dynamics in ecosystem models. In peatlands, Sphagnum mosses are key engineers. Moss community composition primarily follows habitat moisture conditions. The known species habitat preference along the prevailing moisture gradient might not directly serve as a reliable predictor for future species compositions, as water table fluctuation is likely to increase. Hence, modelling the mechanisms that control the habitat preference of Sphagna is a good first step for modelling community dynamics in peatlands. In this study, we developed the Peatland Moss Simulator (PMS), which simulates the community dynamics of the peatland moss layer. PMS is a process-based model that employs a stochastic, individual-based approach for simulating competition within the peatland moss layer based on species differences in functional traits. At the shoot-level, growth and competition were driven by net photosynthesis, which was regulated by hydrological processes via the capitulum water content. The model was tested by predicting the habitat preferences of Sphagnum magellanicum and Sphagnum fallax – two key species representing dry (hummock) and wet (lawn) habitats in a poor fen peatland (Lakkasuo, Finland). PMS successfully captured the habitat preferences of the two Sphagnum species based on observed variations in trait properties. Our model simulation further showed that the validity of PMS depended on the interspecific differences in the capitulum water content being correctly specified. Neglecting the water content differences led to the failure of PMS to predict the habitat preferences of the species in stochastic simulations. Our work highlights the importance of the capitulum water content with respect to the dynamics and carbon functioning of Sphagnum communities in peatland ecosystems. Thus, studies of peatland responses to changing environmental conditions need to include capitulum water processes as a control on moss community dynamics. Our PMS model could be used as an elemental design for the future development of dynamic vegetation models for peatland ecosystems.
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Halpin, Margaret A., and John A. Bissonette. "Influence of snow depth on prey availability and habitat use by red fox." Canadian Journal of Zoology 66, no. 3 (March 1, 1988): 587–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z88-086.
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Habitat use by red fox (Vulpes vulpes) was studied during the winters of 1982 and 1983. A total of 125 km of fox trails in eastern Maine were followed during periods of snow cover to examine the influence of snow conditions on fox habitat selection and prey availability. Red foxes used all available habitats but showed preferences for softwood stands and open areas. Hardwood forests were avoided. During both winters, snow depth was greatest in hardwood and mixed stands where soft, powdery conditions prevailed. Windblown, supportive crusts were found in open barrens. Foxes showed habitat preferences for traveling and hunting. Fox sinking depths were least in all habitats when crust conditions prevailed, and during these periods travel distances were more evenly distributed among habitats. Snow influenced relative prey availability. Hunting activities shifted among habitats for small mammals during most of the second winter, when snow was shallow. Proportions of small mammals in the fox diet decreased as snow accumulated and as crusts formed. When snow was deep, foxes hunted in habitats with softwood regeneration and other dense understories that supported snowshoe hare concentrations.
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Owen, Robert. "Temporal variation in small nonvolant mammal (Cricetidae and Didelphidae) microhabitat associations in the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest." Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi - Ciências Naturais 15, no. 3 (December 21, 2020): 663–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.46357/bcnaturais.v15i3.260.
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Many questions concerning habitat preferences of Neotropical small mammals remain unanswered. These questions include where the animal lives within and among the available habitats, and the temporal (seasonal and interannual) variation in the habitat associations. The objectives of this research were: (1) to determine the associations of non-volant small mammal species (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) with specific microhabitat characteristics including vegetation structure in an area near the western boundary of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest, and (2) to evaluate seasonal and interannual variation in those associations. Three grids were sampled in three seasons (Dry, Wet, Variable) during two years (2015-2017). The four predominant small mammal species (Gracilinanus agilis, Akodon montensis, Hylaeamys megacephalus, and Oligoryzomys nigripes) were evaluated for seasonal and interannual variation in habitat preferences. Each of the four exhibited seasonal and/or interannual variation in microhabitat preferences for three to six of the 17 environmental variables analyzed. This is the first study to explicitly evaluate temporal variation in habitat associations of small mammals in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion. The temporal patterns of habitat association among these four predominant species reveal a complex spatially and temporally dynamic composition and structure in this small mammal community.
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Wedekin, Leonardo L., Fábio G. Daura-Jorge, and Paulo C. Simões-Lopes. "Habitat preferences of Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea: Delphinidae), in Norte Bay, southern Brazil." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 90, no. 8 (October 4, 2010): 1561–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315410001414.
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Habitat preference and spatial distribution of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in Norte Bay, southern Brazil, was studied from 2001 to 2005. Boat surveys (N = 91) were made to evaluate the spatial distribution of the dolphins. Seven habitat variables were integrated into a geographical information system, and habitat preference was tested using the ‘Neu method’ and a habitat index. The Guiana dolphins did not use all habitat types in the same proportion as were available. Areas used more intensively included, in order of importance: (1) areas with a steep sloping sea-floor; (2) areas further from urban areas; (3) areas further from mangroves; (4) areas near the mouth of the bay; (5) shallow water areas; (6) areas of clayey-silt sediments; and (7) areas close to shore. From 2001 to 2005 there was a shift in spatial distribution and habitat use by the dolphins. The low frequency of use of areas close to urban encroachment and its related impacts to the marine environment raises concern about the coastal habitat destruction. The Guiana dolphin may be considered a habitat specialist, despite its wide latitudinal distribution in the western Atlantic Ocean. The ecological niche of the species may be defined by a narrow strip of shallow coastal waters (mostly < 30 m) bordering the coastline. The shift in the spatial use was probably linked with changes in the abundance of important prey of the species and possibly was caused by the collapse of a fish stock in the study area region. Different habitats may favour different assemblages of prey and consequently different foraging strategies by the dolphins. Human-related habitat alterations throughout the range of this species are likely to affect dolphins' ecology in many ways and, thus, must be evaluated and mitigated to conserve their critical habitats.
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Miaud, Claude, and Delfi Sanuy. "Terrestrial habitat preferences of the natterjack toad during and after the breeding season in a landscape of intensive agricultural activity." Amphibia-Reptilia 26, no. 3 (2005): 359–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853805774408496.
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AbstractNineteen adult toads equipped with transmitters were followed during and after the breeding period (January to September) in order to estimate their home range area and habitat use in a landscape of cereal agriculture. Median home range area was 0.5 ha (range 0.1-11 ha) during the breeding season (January-April). Home range areas increase during the post-breeding season (April-September) e.g., median minimum concave polygon of 4.1 ha. No relation between home range and toads' body size was observed. Six habitat types were described in the studied area. The proportion of habitats used (i.e. proportion of the pooled positions of 11 toads during the post-breeding season in each habitat) was significantly different from the proportion of available habitats: while crops represented 85% of the available habitat, only 43% of the toads' positions were recorded in this type of habitat. A compositional analysis of habitat preference was performed. At both landscape and individual home range levels, the toads preferred the stone embankments and ditches above all, while the crops were the least preferred habitat. This study highlights the role of habitat linkage and marginal habitats for the persistence of amphibian populations in intensive agricultural and arid landscapes.
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Rousseau, Patrick, André Desrochers, and Adam S. Hadley. "Habitat selection and fidelity by White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis): generalist species, specialist individuals?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 90, no. 5 (May 2012): 595–601. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z2012-025.
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Individuals from habitat generalist species are often thought to be habitat generalist themselves, but this assumption should be examined in light of mounting evidence for native and phenotypic habitat preference. We experimentally tested whether the White-throated Sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmelin, 1789)) exhibits habitat preferences at the individual level. The White-throated Sparrow was a habitat generalist species in our study area, with high occupancy of clearcuts as well as mature forests. However, males in mature forests whose territories were clear-cut in the winter following their breeding season (n = 14), dispersed twice as far as males from uncut mature forests (n = 21). New territories selected by males after clearcuts contained significantly more mature forest than what remained in the territory that they abandoned, but not as much mature forest as was found in their former territory. Gain in uncut habitat after dispersal was positively correlated with dispersal distance. Clear-cut locations left vacant by dispersing males were colonized by new conspecifics. Our results suggest that individual sparrows use only a subset of their species’ wide range of habitats. We question the assumption that individuals from a generalist species are versatile and unlikely to be affected by habitat disturbance.
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Prieto, Rui, Marta Tobeña, and Mónica A. Silva. "Habitat preferences of baleen whales in a mid-latitude habitat." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 141 (July 2017): 155–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2016.07.015.
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Honěk, A. "Habitat preferences of aphidophagous coccinellids [Coleoptera]." Entomophaga 30, no. 3 (September 1985): 253–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02372226.
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Jha, Shalene, and John H. Vandermeer. "Contrasting foraging patterns for Africanized honeybees, native bees and native wasps in a tropical agroforestry landscape." Journal of Tropical Ecology 25, no. 1 (January 2009): 13–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s026646740800566x.
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Abstract:Ecological and temporal factors can influence animal foraging patterns and may obscure our understanding of how native and exotic species interact. To understand how such factors affect foraging, the visitation of native and exotic bees and wasps was observed at nectar feeders within Mexican agroforestry systems, while documenting (1) vegetation management (low-shade vs. high-shade coffee), (2) light and floral resource levels and (3) recruiting ability, as measured by the change in visitation between two consecutive experimental days. On day one, Africanized honeybee visitation was significantly greater in low-shade habitats, and native solitary bee abundance was significantly greater in high-shade habitats, while native social bee and solitary wasp visitation were not significantly different between habitat types. After 24 h, Africanized honeybee visitation increased significantly in both habitat types, while native social bee visitation increased significantly only in high-shade coffee. In contrast, native solitary bee and native solitary wasp visitation decreased in both habitat types. Overall, this study reveals that Africanized honeybees exhibit only initial foraging preference for low-shade habitats, while native bees exhibit both initial and delayed recruitment-based foraging preferences for high-shade habitats.
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Kruschel, Claudia, and Stewart T. Schultz. "Aggressive Predation Drives Assembly of Adriatic Fish Communities." Diversity 12, no. 4 (March 30, 2020): 130. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12040130.
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We performed over 19,000 lure-assisted, underwater visual fish census transects at over 140 shallow coastal sampling locations in the mid- eastern Adriatic sea of the Croatian mainland and islands, recording all fish taxa observed, their predatory behavior in response to the lure, and the cover of benthic habitats with which they were associated. We hypothesized that prey habitat preference was a learned or selected response to aggressive behavior by piscivorous mesopredators, and predicted that mobile prey would be spatially segregated from aggressive predators into different benthic habitats within local sampling sites. We found that aggressive piscivores were primarily wait-chase or cruise-chase mesopredators that preferentially foraged along heterogeneous habitat edges within juxtapositions of rock, unconsolidated sediment, macroalgae (Cystoseira spp.) and seagrass (usually Posidonia oceanica). Prey species and less aggressive piscivores avoided these heterogeneous habitats and preferred more homogeneous habitats that the aggressive predators in turn avoided. We found strong and consistent spatial segregation between aggressive predators on the one hand, and less aggressive predators and prey on the other hand. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that aggressive behavior by piscivorous species is the primary organizing force shaping assembly of fish communities at our study sites, driving preference and occupancy of heterogeneous and homogeneous benthic habitats. Management of shallow benthic resources should recognize the value of complementarity in habitats allowing coexistence of predators and prey through contrasting habitat preferences.
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Hewavithana, Dishane K., Mayuri R. Wijesinghe, Chandima D. Dangalle, and H. A. S. Gayan Dharmarathne. "Habitat and dung preferences of scarab beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae: a case study in a tropical monsoon forest in Sri Lanka." International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 36, no. 02 (May 12, 2016): 97–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1742758416000023.
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AbstractWe studied the food and habitat preferences of beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae in a protected tropical monsoon forest, the Wasgomuwa National Park in Sri Lanka. While gaining an insight into the capacity of different resources to support dung beetles, we tested the hypothesis that, in a landscape with a mosaic of habitat types and a diversity of large mammals, specialization facilitates coexistence of the scarabs. Pitfall traps were laid in five distinct habitat types (forest, riverine, sandy banks, scrub and grassland), and baited with five dung types (leopard, cervid, elephant, bear and buffalo). Four hundred and fifty seven beetles of 22 species in seven genera were recorded. Significant differences were seen in the species richness and abundance of dung beetles between different habitats and dung types, indicating habitat and food preferences. The highest richness of scarabs was in the riverine habitat and in leopard dung. Niche breath values of the individual species indicated differences in the degrees of specialization, while niche overlap values indicated a greater sharing of dung beetle species between similar habitats and dung types than between dissimilar ones. These findings provide evidence that selectivity of habitat, and dung, may be important in promoting coexistence among the scarabs in a tropical environment.
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Coulson, G. "Use of heterogeneous habitat by the western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus." Wildlife Research 20, no. 2 (1993): 137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9930137.
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The western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus, typically occurs at highest population densities in areas of greatest habitat heterogeneity. Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, in semiarid north-western Victoria, supports a relatively high density of this species, and has a mosaic of four major vegetation associations: mallee, woodland, lake bed and grassland. The patterns of habitat use by western grey kangaroos at Hattah-Kulkyne were examined from March 1983 until May 1985 using line-transect surveys to estimate population density in each habitat, and radio-tracking to estimate home range. The population was not dispersed randomly, but generally exhibited either positive or negative preferences for each of the four habitats in early morning and at midday, and on different bimonthly surveys. These preferences often reversed between times of day and between surveys. Home ranges of individuals ranged from 221 to 459 ha (asymptotic MAP[O.95] estimates), each encompassing three or four habitat types, and there was extensive spatial and temporal overlap between individuals. Kangaroos at Hattah-Kulkyne thus alternated between adjacent habitats that offered a range of forage conditions and shelter.
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Meulenbroek, Paul, Sebastian Stranzl, Adama Oueda, Jan Sendzimir, Komandan Mano, Idrissa Kabore, Raymond Ouedraogo, and Andreas Melcher. "Fish Communities, Habitat Use, and Human Pressures in the Upper Volta Basin, Burkina Faso, West Africa." Sustainability 11, no. 19 (October 1, 2019): 5444. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11195444.
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Human pressures and loss of natural fish habitats led to a decline in fish populations in terms of abundances, biodiversity, and average size in sub-Sahelian Burkina Faso. Little knowledge exists about fish assemblages regarding their composition, their habitat preferences, or their sensitivity to or tolerance of human pressures. This research provides the first data-driven basis for sustainably managing fish and associated aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Surveys in four different regions sampled 18,000 specimens from 69 species during the dry season. Fish communities, available abiotic habitat conditions, habitat use, and human pressures were assessed and analyzed. Fish communities cluster into four distinct types, each dominated by either Cichlidae, Clariidae, Cyprinidae, or Alestidae and accompanied by specific other families and genera of fish. Habitat preferences of four key species (Labeo coubie, Bagrus bajad, Chelaethiops bibie, and Lates niloticus) were linked to ecological habitat conditions. Results show that physical parameters influence fish community composition and abundances and, when indexed according to pressure type, are linked to responses in fish metrics. Relative abundance either dropped (Mormyridae) or increased (Cichlidae, Cyprinidae) with rising pressure intensity, and some sentinel taxa (Auchenoglanis, Hydrocynus) were only found in low-pressure sites. The outcomes of this study provide basic knowledge of habitat availability, habitat use by fish, species associations, and human pressures and therefore provide the basis for effective conservation and management of fish populations.
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Bahtiar, Bahtiar, and Muh Fajar Purnama. "Habitat Preferences of PokeA (Batissa violacea var. celebensis von Martens, 1897) Basic on Substrat Characterisation in Pohara River Southeast Sulawesi." Jurnal Moluska Indonesia 4, no. 2 (October 1, 2020): 74–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.54115/jmi.v4i2.9.
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This research is motivated by the lack of information about the habitat preferences of pokea clams in Pohara River, Southeast Sulawesi. This study aims to determine the density, distribution pattern and habitat preferences of pokea clams in the Pohara River, Southeast Sulawesi. This research was conducted for 6 months (April-September 2011). Sampling of pokea, water quality, and sediment texture was carried out in the Pohara River and analyzed at the FPIK UHO Laboratory. The density and distribution of pokea were calculated using a standard formula and analyzed using Mann Whitney and Chi Square respectively, while the habitat preferences based on different substrate textures were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) in the Multivariate Statistical Package (MVSP). The results showed that the density of pokea clams ranged from 117±96.78-816±594.84 ind/m2 which was distributed in cluster over the entire cross-section of the river. Pokea clams were found in all substrate textures from gravel to clay. The habitat preference of pokea clams indicated by the highest density was found in the clay texture. Pokea clams relatively do not like the habitat of coarse sand and gravel texture which is characterized by pokea population with the lowest density
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Costa, Marcus Rodrigues da, Tailan Moretti Mattos, Joyce Liz Borges, and Francisco Gerson Araújo. "Habitat preferences of common native fishes in a tropical river in Southeastern Brazil." Neotropical Ichthyology 11, no. 4 (2013): 871–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1679-62252013000400015.
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We determined in this study the habitat preferences of seven native fish species in a regulated river in Southeastern Brazil. We tested the hypothesis that fishes differ in habitat preference and that they use stretches of the river differing in hydraulic characteristics and substrate type. We surveyed fishes in four 1-km long river stretches encompassing different habitat traits, where we also measured water depth, velocity, and substrate type. We investigated preference patterns of four Siluriformes (Loricariichthys castaneus, Hoplosternum littorale, Pimelodus maculatus, and Trachelyopterus striatulus) and three Characiformes (Astyanax aff. bimaculatus, Oligosarcus hepsetus, and Hoplias malabaricus), representing approximately 70% of the total number of fishes and 64% of the total biomass. We classified fishes into four habitat guilds: (1) a slow-flowing water guild that occupied mud-sand substrate, composed of two Siluriformes in either shallow (< 4 m, i.e., H. littorale) or deep (> 8 m, L. castaneus) waters; (2) a run-dwelling guild that occurs in deep backwaters with clay-mud substrate, composed of the Characiformes A. aff. bimaculatus and O. hepsetus; (3) a run-dwelling guild that occurs in sandy and shallow substrate, composed of T. striatulus; and (4) a fast-flowing guild that occurs primarily along shorelines with shallow mud bottoms, composed of H. malabaricus and P. maculatus. Our hypothesis was confirmed, as different habitat preferences by fishes appear to occur in this regulated river.
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MacLeod, Colin D., Caroline R. Weir, Chris Pierpoint, and Edward J. Harland. "The habitat preferences of marine mammals west of Scotland (UK)." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, no. 1 (February 2007): 157–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407055270.
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This study used classification and regression trees (CART) to investigate and compare the habitat preferences of marine mammals in this area. Data were collected in early summer (June/July) in 2004 and 2005 and the distribution of marine mammal species was compared to 10 ecogeographic variables (EGVs). Of 13 species of marine mammals sighted during the study, there were sufficient sightings to examine the habitat preferences of seven. For all species a measure of ‘shelf tendency’ (distance to coast or water depth) was an important variable and the species could be separated into two groups, the deep-water species and the shelf species, with little overlap between them. The occurrence of both deep-water species (long-finned pilot whales and Atlantic white-sided dolphins) was also related to dynamic variables such as sea surface temperature (SST) or primary productivity. Two of the shelf species (northern minke whales and grey seals) were only linked to topographic variables and were limited to quite specific habitats. A third species (harbour porpoise) was primarily related to topographic variables, but in the shallowest waters was also related to local variation in SST. The occurrence of the final two species (common and white-beaked dolphins) was linked to SST and local primary productivity. However, while both species preferentially occurred in areas with higher productivity, the two species differed in their preference for SST, with common dolphins preferentially occurring in warmer waters and white-beaked dolphins in colder waters.
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Heggenes, Jan, Thomas G. Northcote, and Armin Peter. "Seasonal Habitat Selection and Preferences by Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) in a Small Coastal Stream." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 48, no. 8 (August 1, 1991): 1364–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f91-163.
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Habitat selection by cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) larger than 9 cm total length was monitored during winter and summer. The trout had strong preferences for depths >25 cm and areas where instream and overhead cover exceeded 40% of the local surface area. The fish selected a variety of substrate sizes. Stream areas with mean water velocities <20 cm/s were preferred. Compared with previous studies, the trout used low-velocity areas more, and we suggest that this is due to less competitive interaction from other young salmonids. The trout used the larger pools (>20 m2) considerably less during winter than during summer. Otherwise, little seasonal variation in habitat use was found. A composite measure of water depth and cover appeared to be the most important of the measured environmental factors influencing habitat selection in the stream. The larger trout, which were presumably dominant, occupied the deepest pool areas. The trout selected spatial habitats in proportions significantly different from the available habitat, demonstrating strong habitat preferences. It is concluded that observations of habitat occupancy without considering habitat availability may give biased results.
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Myers, Andrew, Christie A. Bahlai, and Douglas A. Landis. "Habitat Type Influences Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Oviposition and Egg Survival on Asclepias syriaca (Gentianales: Apocynaceae)." Environmental Entomology 48, no. 3 (May 10, 2019): 675–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz046.
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AbstractAs agricultural practices intensify, species once common in agricultural landscapes are declining in abundance. One such species is the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.), whose eastern North American population has decreased approximately 80% during the past 20 yr. One hypothesis explaining the monarch’s decline is reduced breeding habitat via loss of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) from agricultural landscapes in the north central United States due to the adoption of herbicide-tolerant row crops. Current efforts to enhance monarch breeding habitat primarily involve restoring milkweed in perennial grasslands. However, prior surveys found fewer monarch eggs on common milkweed in grassland versus crop habitats, indicating potential preference for oviposition in row crop habitats, or alternatively, greater egg loss to predation in grasslands. We tested these alternative mechanisms by measuring oviposition and egg predation on potted A. syriaca host plants. Our study revealed that habitat context influences both monarch oviposition preference and egg predation rates and that these patterns vary by year. We found higher monarch egg predation rates during the first 24 h after exposure and that much of the predation occurs at night. Overall, we documented up to 90% egg mortality over 72 h in perennial grasslands, while predation rates in corn were lower (10–30% mortality) and more consistent between years. These findings demonstrate that weekly monarch egg surveys are too infrequent to distinguish oviposition habitat preferences from losses due to egg predation and suggest that monarch restoration efforts need to provide both attractive and safe habitats for monarch reproduction.
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HERRANDO, SERGI, LLUÍS BROTONS, MARC ANTON, FERRAN PÁRAMO, DANI VILLERO, NICOLAS TITEUX, JAVIER QUESADA, and CONSTANTÍ STEFANESCU. "Assessing impacts of land abandonment on Mediterranean biodiversity using indicators based on bird and butterfly monitoring data." Environmental Conservation 43, no. 1 (August 26, 2015): 69–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892915000260.
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SUMMARYIn Europe, and particularly in the Mediterranean Basin, the abandonment of traditional land-use practices has been reported as one of the main causes of decline for open-habitat species. Data from large-scale bird and butterfly monitoring schemes in the north-east Iberian Peninsula were used to evaluate the impact that land abandonment has had on local biodiversity. Species’ habitat preferences, along a gradient from open to forest habitats, were significantly related to population trends: for both birds and butterflies, open-habitat species showed the most marked declines while forest species increased moderately. Multi-species indicators for tracking the impact of land abandonment on bird and butterfly populations were developed using habitat preference estimates and population trend indices. The patterns shown by these indicators were in line with the changes occurring in forest cover in the monitoring sites. This study reveals that multi-species indicators based on monitoring data from different taxonomic groups (here, birds and butterflies) may usefully be employed to track impacts of environmental change on biodiversity.
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Radifa, Muhamad, Yusli Wardiatno, Charles P. H. Simanjuntak, and Zairion Zairion. "Preferensi Habitat dan Distribusi Spasial Yuwana Rajungan (Portunus pelagicus) di Perairan Pesisir Lampung Timur, Provinsi Lampung." Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management) 10, no. 2 (May 14, 2020): 183–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.29244/jpsl.10.2.183-197.
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Information on habitat preferences of the blue swimming crab (BSC) juvenile and its spatial distribution is one of the factors behind the successfulness of its sustainable management. This information is needed to provide input for management strategy by considering juvenile crabs and their habitat as important aspect. The purpose of this study is to elucidate habitat preferences, abundance and biomass distribution of BSC juvenile in the east Lampung coastal waters. The research was conducted in September-October 2018, which was located in east Lampung coastal waters, Province Lampung. Spatial distribution through estimation of abundance and biomass of BSC juvenile were relatively high and concentrated in the Gambas and Wako regions at stratification of 2-4 miles from the coastline. The BSC juvenile does not appear to have a high preference to the Kuala Penet coastal habitat condition; it is considered because of low value of abundance, biomass, and Habitat suitability index (HSI). The value of HSI in the Kuala Penet Coastal region is also lower than other locations due to abiotic and biotic factors for supporting the crabs at juvenile stage.
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Keiper, P., and C. N. Johnson. "Diet and habitat preference of the Cape York short-nosed bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus peninsulae) in north-east Queensland." Wildlife Research 31, no. 3 (2004): 259. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr02030.
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Diet and habitat preferences of the Cape York bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus peninsulae) were studied along a rainfall gradient from dry open woodland to wet Allocasuarina–Eucalyptus forest in the Lamb Range, Queensland. I. o. peninsulae was an omnivore-insectivore with invertebrates contributing 35–56% of faecal contents. Roots represented the most important plant food. Grass, forbs, fruits and hypogeous fungi were also eaten but in small quantities. The species was most abundant at the drier end of the rainfall gradient. Preferred habitats in open woodland were characterised by a high grass tree (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii) abundance and high shrub cover in the understorey. In contrast, areas with a tall and dense grass layer in conjunction with a high litter cover were avoided. I. o. peninsulae did not seem to share its habitat with the sympatrically occurring I. macrourus even though the habitat appeared suitable for the latter. More studies are required to evaluate the causes of differing habitat preferences of sympatric bandicoot species.
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Myśliwy, Monika. "Habitat Preferences of Some Neophytes, with a Reference to Habitat Disturbances." Polish Journal of Ecology 62, no. 3 (September 2014): 509–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.3161/104.062.0311.
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