Journal of Wildlife Management最新文献

{"title":"Monitoring phenology and behavior of polar bears at den emergence using cameras and satellite telemetry","authors":"Louise C. Archer,&nbsp;BJ Kirschhoffer,&nbsp;Jon Aars,&nbsp;Danielle K. James,&nbsp;Katharina M. Miller,&nbsp;Nicholas W. Pilfold,&nbsp;Joanna Sulich,&nbsp;Megan A. Owen","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.22725","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22725","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Maternal denning plays a vital role in the development and survival of highly altricial polar bear cubs by providing protection from external conditions. The denning period remains challenging to study and monitor because polar bear dens are often remote and difficult to access. Denning is typically inferred from satellite telemetry data, yet the accuracy of these measures in capturing important denning behaviors that are relevant to management and monitoring is unclear. We installed cameras at 13 den sites in Svalbard, Norway, over a 6-year period, 9 of which yielded observations of behavior and phenology of polar bears at den emergence, and we compared these observations with denning behavior inferred from telemetry data (location, temperature, and activity levels) from satellite collars worn by denning bears. We next developed Bayesian generalized linear models to accurately predict denning behaviors (i.e., observations from cameras) from collar sensor data. From the camera data, mean date of observed den breakout was 9 March (SD = ±6.5 days, <i>n</i> = 7) and departure from the den site occurred 12.1 days later (±10.1 days, <i>n</i> = 7). Estimates of den breakout date based on joint analysis of collar temperature and activity data indicated breakout occurred on average 0.7 days later (±11.4 days, <i>n</i> = 7) and estimates based on collar temperature thresholds alone indicated breakout occurred 4.0 days later (±6.6 days, <i>n</i> = 7) compared to the camera data. Location data from collars suggested departure occurred on average 3.2 days later (±7.0 days, <i>n</i> = 7) than camera observations. We found that the probability a bear had broken out of the den could be accurately predicted from changes in collar temperature, activity, and ordinal date (e.g., a 1 SD decrease in collar temperature increased the probability of breakout by 18.5 percentage points). Post-den emergence behavior was influenced by external environmental temperature, time of day, and the amount of time since den breakout; bears were more likely to emerge and stay outside longer given warmer temperatures and increasing time since den breakout. Our study highlights the importance of the post-emergence period for cub acclimatization and development and provides new monitoring tools to study polar bear denning behavior, which is increasingly vulnerable to disruption in a rapidly changing Arctic.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.22725","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143595647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combining camera trap and fitness app data to assess mammal response to hiking and mountain biking trail use","authors":"Erin R. Lacour,&nbsp;Lynne A. Trulio,&nbsp;Rachel O'Malley","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Managing lands for both wildlife conservation and accessible recreational opportunities can be a delicate balance. General trail use can disturb a range of species in a variety of well-described ways, but the specific effects of mountain biking on wildlife – an important management question – remains controversial in the literature. In the past, collecting data on recreational uses was time-consuming and expensive. Today, on-line recreation apps automatically collect these data. This study used data from a social fitness app, Strava Metro, to assess the differential effects of hiking and mountain biking on wildlife in parks in Marin County, California, USA. Combining user data with mammal frequency data from a community science camera trap project, we compared generalized linear mixed models to assess how mammals spatially and temporally responded to distance from trails and to levels of hiking and mountain biking activity. Of the 5 primarily non-nocturnal mammals in our study area, 4 were either spatially or temporally less frequent near trails: western gray squirrels (<i>Sciurus griseus</i>), brush rabbits (<i>Sylvilagus bachmani</i>), coyotes (<i>Canis latrans</i>), and mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>). Mule deer were also moderately sensitive to sites with high levels of mountain bike use. When accounting for both hiking and biking use, both mule deer and brush rabbits were less frequent at high-use mountain bike sites. Strava Metro provided useful data for these analyses, showing potential as a resource for managing mountain biking effects on public lands as mountain and e-bike prevalence increases.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatially explicit estimates of elk population demographics in North Carolina, USA","authors":"Jessica L. Braunstein,&nbsp;Joseph D. Clark,&nbsp;Ben C. Augustine,&nbsp;Caleb R. Hickman,&nbsp;Justin McVey,&nbsp;Joseph Yarkovich","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.22733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22733","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In an effort to restore extirpated elk to their historical range, 52 elk were reintroduced to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) in North Carolina, USA, during 2001 and 2002. Since their reintroduction, elk numbers have increased, and elk have extended their range beyond GRSM boundaries. We used spatially explicit capture-recapture (SCR) methods based on fecal DNA to identify individual elk and estimate population abundance (<i>N</i>), apparent survival (<i>φ</i>), per capita recruitment (<i>f</i>), and population growth rate (<i>λ</i>) in western North Carolina. We walked a series of transects during 3 winter field seasons (2020–2022) and collected elk pellets encountered along those transects. We created spatially explicit capture histories and incorporated those data into both closed and open population SCR models. The top performing closed SCR models for males and females estimated density by year and as a function of the scaled distance to the nearest field, with densities decreasing as the distance increased. Combined male and female <i>N</i> were 179 elk (95% CI = 149–215) in 2020, 220 elk (95% CI = 188–256) in 2021, and 240 elk (95% CI = 207–279) in 2022. The top open population model estimated both <i>φ</i> and <i>λ</i> as functions of sex and year. The estimate of <i>φ</i> for males was 0.682 (95% CI = 0.317–0.908) during 2020–2021 and 0.339 (95% CI = 0.152–0.596) during 2021–2022 and for females was 0.953 (95% CI = 0.830–1.000) during 2020–2021 and 0.829 (95% CI = 0.601–1.000) during 2021–2022. The annual population growth rate (<i>λ</i>) for males was 1.127 (95% CI = 0.806–1.575) during 2020–2021 and 0.811 (95% CI = 0.566–1.163) during 2021–2022 and for females was 1.559 (95% CI = 1.162–2.091) during 2020–2021 and 1.122 (95% CI = 0.876–1.437) during 2021–2022. Our elk abundance estimates in areas &gt;300 m from fields were negligible, and we suggest that sampling only the areas in and adjacent to fields in the future will result in reliable but more cost-efficient population estimates. Confidence intervals for vital rate parameters were wide for our 3-year dataset, but continued annual pellet sampling will increase sample sizes for vital rate estimation and thus improve precision. If elk herd expansion on public lands is desired, we suggest habitat modification to establish open grasslands adjacent to forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recovery and genetics of Mexican wolves: a comment on Clement et al.","authors":"Philip W. Hedrick,&nbsp;Mike Phillips,&nbsp;Carlos Carroll,&nbsp;Robert Lacy,&nbsp;Greta Anderson,&nbsp;Richard Fredrickson,&nbsp;Douglas W. Smith","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143595520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feeding habits of sympatric aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) and desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) in West Texas","authors":"Grace L. Parikh,&nbsp;Jose L. Etchart,&nbsp;Ryan O'Shaughnessy,&nbsp;Louis A. Harveson,&nbsp;James W. Cain III","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Aoudad (<i>Ammotragus lervia</i>), native to northern Africa, were introduced as exotic game animals to the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas, USA, and have become invasive. Aoudad and bighorn sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis mexicana</i>) are adapted to rugged terrain in arid climates, and both persist in desert regions with low primary productivity and limited perennial water availability, which suggests potential for competition for food and water resources. Aoudad are highly adaptable, which could make them more resilient to a changing environment with extreme conditions, providing a competitive edge over bighorn sheep. To evaluate the potential for exploitative competition between invasive aoudad and endemic desert bighorn sheep, we used genetic metabarcoding to assess diet composition using fecal samples collected from adults of each species in the Sierra Vieja Mountains in West Texas. We collected 32 composite samples from aoudad and 27 composite samples for bighorn sheep and identified 88 genera consumed. Bighorn sheep and aoudad diets (as inferred by genera) were most different during the warm-wet season (16 June–15 October; Kulczynski similarity index = 0.81) and most similar during the warm-dry season (16 February–15 June; Kulczynski similarity index = 1.05). During the warm-wet season, the 2 herbivores tended to consume different genera, suggesting the possibility of resource partitioning, with less likelihood of resource partitioning during the warm-dry season when forage was more limited and diets were similar. Diet diversity, measured by Shannon's diversity index, did not vary substantially between species, but for aoudad it was highest during the warm-wet season (1.1 ± 0.0.1 [SE]) and lowest during the cool-dry season (16 October–15 February, 0.9 ± 0.0.1). For bighorn sheep, diet richness was highest during the cool-dry season (1.1 ± 0.2) and lowest during the warm-dry season (0.8 ± 0.10). Bighorn sheep may specialize on high-quality forage species, particularly during the warm-wet season, while aoudad have a more generalist foraging strategy, although temporal windows for increased competition for food resources likely occur. Aoudad are well-adapted to low-quality forage and arid climates, which could increase their competitive ability and compromise bighorn sheep conservation efforts in areas of sympatry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recovery and genetics of Mexican wolves: a reply to Hedrick et al.","authors":"Matthew J. Clement,&nbsp;John K. Oakleaf,&nbsp;James R. Heffelfinger,&nbsp;Colby Gardner,&nbsp;Jim deVos,&nbsp;Esther S. Rubin,&nbsp;Allison R. Greenleaf,&nbsp;Bailey Dilgard,&nbsp;Philip S. Gipson","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70005","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Mexican wolves (&lt;i&gt;Canis lupus baileyi&lt;/i&gt;) are a gray wolf subspecies found in northern Mexico and part of the southwestern United States. The subspecies was once extirpated in the wild and the current population is highly inbred, having descended from just 7 founders (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). Accordingly, the subspecies is federally listed as endangered, and genetic monitoring and management are key components of the current recovery strategy and downlisting recovery criteria (USFWS &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). In support of this recovery strategy, we recently evaluated inbreeding depression in wild Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico, USA, from 1998 to 2022 (Clement et al. &lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;). Our analysis did not detect any statistical association between inbreeding coefficients in a pack, as estimated from the Mexican wolf pedigree, and the number of pups surviving to 9 months (hereafter, recruitment). Hedrick et al. (&lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;) provided comments on our work, concluding that Mexican wolves “have shown inbreeding depression” and recommending that Mexican wolves hybridize with northern gray wolves (&lt;i&gt;C. l. occidentalis&lt;/i&gt;) to induce genetic rescue. Here, we provide our perspective on inbreeding depression, genetic rescue, and other issues raised by Hedrick et al. (&lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hedrick et al. (&lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;) write rather definitively that Mexican wolves “have shown inbreeding depression.” This statement seems to be based on a combination of a prior expectation that low genetic diversity invariably leads to inbreeding depression and some older studies of Mexican wolves, but the current evidence does not support their claim with regard to recruitment in wild Mexican wolves.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mexican wolves are descended from 7 founders, so they are highly inbred, which increases the risk of genetic problems. However, many endangered species have experienced genetic bottlenecks, yet some species, including some wolves, have not experienced inbreeding depression (Crnokrak and Roff &lt;span&gt;1999&lt;/span&gt;, Kalinowski et al. &lt;span&gt;1999&lt;/span&gt;, Brzeski et al. &lt;span&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;, Gooley et al. &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;, Powell et al. &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;) and some have experienced robust post-bottleneck population growth (Harding et al. &lt;span&gt;2016&lt;/span&gt;). Because inbreeding coefficients do not consider the relative occurrence of deleterious alleles in the founders or standing population, inbreeding alone does not establish inbreeding depression. Hedrick et al. (&lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;) also point to syndactyly as evidence of inbreeding depression; however, they did not support this assertion with any evidence or citations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While some early studies reported inbreeding depression in Mexican wolves, our recent paper represents the most current and best available science for wild wolves. For example, Fredrickson and Hedrick (&lt;span&gt;2002&lt;/span&gt;) reported inbreeding depression in the body sizes of captive wolves, but this is a re","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.70005","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143595521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Habitat and connectivity-based conservation strategies for the vulnerable Lorestan newt (Neurergus kaiseri) in the Zagros Mountains, Iran","authors":"Somaye Vaissi,&nbsp;Alireza Mohammadi","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Lorestan newt (<i>Neurergus kaiseri</i>) is a vulnerable amphibian endemic to the Zagros Mountains in Iran. This study aimed to identify core habitats, assess potential dispersal corridors, and evaluate the effectiveness of current conservation efforts. Ensemble species distribution models predicted suitable habitat across the newt's range, with annual precipitation and temperature as the most influential factors. Connectivity simulations revealed critical core habitats, primarily concentrated in the northwestern region, that spanned 2,233.43 km², none of which fell within designated protected areas. Corridor analysis identified viable dispersal pathways between northern and southern populations, but only 2.77% of the corridor network was protected. Roads and dams frequently intersected putative corridors, posing significant fragmentation threats. These results underscore the urgent need for expanded conservation efforts, including the establishment of new protected areas and measures to mitigate habitat fragmentation, to ensure the connectivity and long-term viability of Lorestan newt populations. Our findings provide valuable insights to guide future conservation strategies for this endangered species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors influencing daily nest survival rates of Aleutian terns in the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska","authors":"Jill E. Tengeres,&nbsp;Katie M. Dugger,&nbsp;Robin M. Corcoran,&nbsp;Donald E. Lyons","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.22732","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22732","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Aleutian tern (<i>Onychoprion aleuticus</i>) is a species of high conservation concern in Alaska, USA, owing to large declines at known breeding locations since the 1960s. The small population size and ephemeral behavior of this species have limited the collection of basic biological information and hindered the identification of potential drivers of this decline. Significant unknowns include the factors, and their relative importance, influencing nest survival. To investigate these questions, we estimated daily nest survival (DNS) for 148 nests from 5 breeding colonies during 2017 to 2020 in the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska with 105 monitored using remote cameras. We used the nest survival model in program MARK to estimate DNS rates as a function of colony location, year, within-season time trends, vegetation cover and height, and 6 daily weather covariates. Our top model suggested that DNS rates increased with vegetation height, decreased as the season progressed, and included a significant interaction between year and colony. Average nest success (i.e., percent chance that a nest survived to hatch) over the 22-day incubation period varied by colony but was generally very low, averaging 1.2% (95% CI = 0–11%) in 2017–2018 to 14% (95% CI = 0.1–38%) in 2019–2020 across all colonies. The importance of year in the model suggests that a large-scale annual driver, like food availability, may have played an important role in this species' breeding success. A severe marine heatwave was present in the Gulf of Alaska during 2014–2016 and our results suggest that some effects of this anomalous event, such as reduced prey availability, lingered even after temperatures returned to normal. Additionally, the variation in DNS across colony locations indicated that local factors, such as predation pressure, may also drive significant variation in Aleutian tern productivity. These findings suggest that a combination of local factors and climate change may be important drivers of the &gt;90% decline in Alaska's breeding population of Aleutian terns.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anuran carcass persistence on roads: causes and implications for conservation","authors":"Sean P. Boyle,&nbsp;Mary Balsdon,&nbsp;Levi Newediuk,&nbsp;Jacqueline D. Litzgus,&nbsp;David Lesbarrères","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.22731","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22731","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Roads are pervasive and ubiquitous landscape features that have substantial and predominantly negative effects on wildlife. Conducting road surveys to count animals that have been struck and killed by vehicles is a common method for estimating the impact of roads on wildlife, especially for species at risk and animals with low road avoidance (i.e., herpetofauna). For road surveys to provide accurate animal mortality data, information about carcass persistence in different environmental contexts and in relation to survey frequency is necessary, but few studies have implemented these data into evaluations of road effects. Using road survey data collected in Ontario, Canada, in 2015 and survival analysis, we quantified anuran carcass (<i>n</i> = 91) persistence and determined the effects of carcass characteristics (size, species, condition), road characteristics (lane position, traffic volume), and environmental characteristics (precipitation, temperature) on carcass persistence on the road. Contrary to previous findings, we found that anuran carcasses persisted on roads longer than expected (5.5 ± 4.4 days, mean ± SD), with some carcasses persisting for up to 30 days. Temperature and precipitation had the greatest influence on the duration of anuran carcass persistence. Carcass condition, (i.e., intact versus partially intact carcasses), species, location on the road, and traffic volume had little to no effect on persistence. We recommend incorporating carcass persistence into road ecology studies, especially in the context of evaluating population-level impacts of road mortality. Failure to do so could alter estimates of population viability and misinform management decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jwmg.22731","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Weather, habitat area, connectivity, and number of patches influence breeding ecology of ring-necked pheasants","authors":"Sprih Harsh,&nbsp;Robert C. Lonsinger,&nbsp;Hilary R. Kauth,&nbsp;Andrew J. Gregory","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding habitat selection is critical in habitat prioritization for species of conservation and management concern. Information on habitat selection is particularly important for grassland bird species whose populations have suffered steep declines over the last few decades. We assessed ring-necked pheasants' (<i>Phasianus colchicus</i>) habitat selection in a dynamic agricultural landscape. The population dynamics of pheasants are partially related to nest survival, which may be influenced by the quality of nesting habitat. Consequently, knowledge of vegetation composition and structural characteristics associated with the selection and survival of nests would help inform management decisions to improve nest success. We monitored nests from 103 radio-collared pheasants inhabiting an agricultural landscape in South Dakota, USA, from 2017–2019 to determine the effect of landscape composition and configuration on nest-site selection and nest survival. We explored nesting behavior at 2 orders of selection: resource selection within the home range (third order) and selection of specific resource items from a resource patch (fourth order). Proportion of row crop and connectivity of row crop was negatively associated with nest-site selection at the third order. At the fourth order, pheasants tended to select for taller vegetation and greater percent grass cover than at paired random sites. Pheasants also selected areas with more grasslands. A 1% increase in grass cover and proportion of grassland increased the odds of nest-site selection by 1% and 2%, respectively. Connectivity of row crop patches was negatively associated with daily nest survival. We also evaluated factors affecting pheasant brood-site selection. A 1-unit increase in grass cover and Hemiptera biomass increased the odds of brood-site selection by 4%. The probability of brood-site selection also increased with fewer row crop patches. Weather played a crucial role in driving nest survival. The consideration of local weather trends and regional variation in habitat can inform habitat management for pheasants. Pheasant populations may benefit from research that identifies thermal landscapes and land management techniques that promote cooler microclimates for nesting and brood-rearing activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"89 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143793281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}