Spatial ecology and habitat selection of Eastern Pinesnakes: Case study on the importance of scale in conservation biology

Abstract

Species are in decline world-wide, driven by multiple factors including habitat fragmentation. Understanding the habitat selection processes of species in these fragmented landscapes has become a focus of ecological studies and is a major component of conservation plan development. However, understanding how landscape level processes influence patterns of habitat selection is often ignored. Here we assessed the influence of landscape level processes in the habitat selection of Eastern Pinesnakes, a species in decline, within a protected area in South Carolina, USA. Over the course of a year, we tracked 8 Eastern Pinesnakes within a small protected area. Snakes exhibited seasonal movement patterns, with activity concentrated in the spring, summer, and fall, and maintained relatively small home ranges (∼1 km²). When habitat selection was assessed using traditional methods that define available habitat based on proximity alone, snakes appeared to preferentially select for grasslands. However, when landscape-level factors such as dispersal constraints and the spatial configuration of managed pine forests were incorporated, habitat selection patterns shifted indicating a preference for pine forests. These findings suggest that landscape context and management history significantly influence habitat use in this species, highlighting the importance of considering broader spatial scales in habitat selection studies. Our results highlight the need to integrate forest management practices with species-specific habitat requirements to support Eastern Pinesnake populations in fragmented landscapes.