Colin R. Swider, Daniela Hedwig, Peter H. Wrege, Susan E. Parks
{"title":"Implications of target signal choice in passive acoustic monitoring: an example of age- and sex-dependent vocal repertoire use in African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis)","authors":"Colin R. Swider, Daniela Hedwig, Peter H. Wrege, Susan E. Parks","doi":"10.1002/rse2.380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.380","url":null,"abstract":"Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an effective remote sensing approach for sampling acoustically active animal species and is particularly useful for elusive, visually cryptic species inhabiting remote or inaccessible habitats. Key advantages of PAM are large spatial coverage and continuous, long-term monitoring. In most cases, a signal detection algorithm is utilized to locate sounds of interest within long sequences of audio data. It is important to understand the demographic/contextual usage of call types when choosing a particular signal to use for detection. Sampling biases may result if sampling is restricted to subsets of the population, for example, when detectable vocalizations are produced only by a certain demographic class. Using the African forest elephant repertoire as a case study, we test for differences in call type usage among different age-sex classes. We identified disproportionate usage by age-sex class of four call types—roars, trumpets, rumbles, and combination calls. This differential usage of signals by demographic class has implications for the use of particular call types in PAM for this species. Our results highlight that forest elephant PAM studies that have used rumbles as target signals may have under-sampled adult males. The addition of other call types to PAM frameworks may be useful to leverage additional population demographic information from these surveys. Our research exemplifies how an examination of a species' acoustic behavior can be used to better contextualize the data and results from PAM and to strengthen the resulting inference.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139396180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
James Tricker, Claire Wright, Spencer Rose, Jeanine Rhemtulla, Trevor Lantz, Eric Higgs
{"title":"Assessing the accuracy of georeferenced landcover data derived from oblique imagery using machine learning","authors":"James Tricker, Claire Wright, Spencer Rose, Jeanine Rhemtulla, Trevor Lantz, Eric Higgs","doi":"10.1002/rse2.379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.379","url":null,"abstract":"Repeat photography offers distinctive insights into ecological change, with ground-based oblique photographs often predating early aerial images by decades. However, the oblique angle of the photographs presents challenges for extracting and analyzing ecological information using traditional remote sensing approaches. Several innovative methods have been developed for analyzing repeat photographs, but none offer a comprehensive end-to-end workflow incorporating image classification and georeferencing to produce quantifiable landcover data. In this paper, we provide an overview of two new tools, an automated deep learning classifier and intuitive georeferencing tool, and describe how they are used to derive landcover data from 19 images associated with the Mountain Legacy Project, a research team that works with the world's largest collection of systematic high-resolution historic mountain photographs. We then combined these data to produce a contemporary landcover map for a study area in Jasper National Park, Canada. We assessed georeferencing accuracy by calculating the root-mean-square error and mean displacement for a subset of the images, which was 4.6 and 3.7 m, respectively. Overall classification accuracy of the landcover map produced from oblique images was 68%, which was comparable to landcover data produced from aerial imagery using a conventional classification method. The new workflow advances the use of repeat photographs for yielding quantitative landcover data. It has several advantages over existing methods including the ability to produce quick and consistent image classifications with little human input, and accurately georeference and combine these data to generate landcover maps for large areas.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139110451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Simon Hirschhofer, Felix Liechti, Peter Ranacher, Robert Weibel, Baptiste Schmid
{"title":"High-intensity bird migration along Alpine valleys calls for protective measures against anthropogenically induced avian mortality","authors":"Simon Hirschhofer, Felix Liechti, Peter Ranacher, Robert Weibel, Baptiste Schmid","doi":"10.1002/rse2.377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.377","url":null,"abstract":"The Alps are a natural barrier for avian broad-front migration in Central Europe. While most birds that approach the Alps are deflected and circumvent the mountains, some choose to make the crossing. Here, they are funnelled and channelled in valleys, leading to high bird densities. Many Alpine valleys are suitable locations for wind farms, potentially creating a conflict between wind energy production and bird conservation. Collisions can be reduced by temporarily shutting down wind turbines. This however requires timely coordination, either by locally monitoring migration intensity or by extrapolating and forecasting migratory fluxes from other sites. However, little is known about the timing and intensity of bird migration in valleys of the central Alps, especially during spring migration. This study presents a 2-year quantification of avian migration across the Alps. We collected terrestrial radar data at three sites: two located in Alpine valleys and one in the lowland, close to the northern foothills of the Alps. We found high migration traffic rates (MTR) during both migration seasons in the Alpine valleys, with outstanding numbers of migrants during the spring season. The strong alignment of the flight directions with the main orientation of alpine valleys highlights the importance of valleys and the connected passes in channelling migratory fluxes through the Alps. However, extrapolating migration intensities and forecasting peak migration events for inner Alpine sites is difficult, likely due to how migratory patterns and activity are influenced by the complexity of the local topography and the associated dynamic wind and weather conditions. Instead, we call for year-round on-site monitoring of migration intensities and strategies tailored to the local context to reduce the risk of bird strikes at wind turbines in the Alps.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"157 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139091765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Shukhrat Shokirov, Tommaso Jucker, Shaun R. Levick, Adrian D. Manning, Kara N. Youngentob
{"title":"Using multiplatform LiDAR to identify relationships between vegetation structure and the abundance and diversity of woodland reptiles and amphibians","authors":"Shukhrat Shokirov, Tommaso Jucker, Shaun R. Levick, Adrian D. Manning, Kara N. Youngentob","doi":"10.1002/rse2.381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.381","url":null,"abstract":"Remotely sensed measures of vegetation structure have been shown to explain patterns in the occurrence and diversity of several animal taxa, including birds, mammals, and invertebrates. However, very little research in this area has focused on reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna). Moreover, most remote sensing studies on animal–habitat associations have relied on airborne or satellite data that provide coverage over relatively large areas but may not have the resolution or viewing angle necessary to measure vegetation features at scales that are meaningful to herpetofauna. Here, we combined terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), unmanned aerial vehicle laser scanning (ULS), and fused (FLS) data to provide the first test of whether vegetation structural attributes can help explain variation in herpetofauna abundance, species richness, and diversity across a woodland landscape. We identified relationships between the abundance and diversity of herpetofauna and several vegetation metrics, including canopy height, skewedness, vertical complexity, volume of vegetation, and coarse woody debris. These relationships varied across species, groups, and sensors. ULS models tended to perform as well or better than TLS or FLS models based on the methods we used in this study. In open woodland landscapes, ULS data may have some benefits over TLS data for modeling relationships between herpetofauna and vegetation structure, which we discuss. However, for some species, only TLS data identified significant predictor variables among the LiDAR-derived structural metrics. While the overall predictive power of models was relatively low (i.e., at most <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.32 for ULS overall abundance and <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.32 for abundance at the individual species level [three-toed skink (<i>Chalcides striatus</i>)]), the ability to identify relationships between specific LiDAR structural metrics and the abundance and diversity of herpetofauna could be useful for understanding their habitat associations and managing reptile and amphibian populations.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2024-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139091743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Melissa Schiele, J. Marcus Rowcliffe, Ben Clark, Paul Lepper, Tom B. Letessier
{"title":"Using water-landing, fixed-wing UAVs and computer vision to assess seabird nutrient subsidy effects on sharks and rays","authors":"Melissa Schiele, J. Marcus Rowcliffe, Ben Clark, Paul Lepper, Tom B. Letessier","doi":"10.1002/rse2.378","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.378","url":null,"abstract":"Bird colonies on islands sustain elevated productivity and biomass on adjacent reefs, through nutrient subsidies. However, the implications of this localized enhancement on higher and often more mobile trophic levels (such as sharks and rays) are unclear, as spatial trends in mobile fauna are often poorly captured by traditional underwater visual surveys. Here, we explore whether the presence of seabird colonies is associated with enhanced abundances of sharks and rays on adjacent coral reefs. We used a novel long-range water-landing fixed-wing unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) to survey the distribution and density of sharks, rays and any additional megafauna, on and around tropical coral islands (n = 14) in the Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area. We developed a computer-vision algorithm to distinguish greenery (trees and shrubs), sand and sea glitter from visible ocean to yield accurate marine megafauna density estimation. We detected elevated seabird densities over rat-free islands, with the commonest species, sooty tern, reaching densities of 932 ± 199 per km<sup>−2</sup> while none were observed over former coconut plantation islands. Elasmobranch density around rat-free islands with seabird colonies was 6.7 times higher than around islands without seabird colonies (1.3 ± 0.63 <i>vs.</i> 0.2 ± SE 0.1 per km<sup>2</sup>). Our results are evidence that shark and ray distribution is sensitive to natural and localized nutrient subsidies. Correcting for non-sampled regions of images increased estimated elasmobranch density by 14%, and our openly accessible computer vision algorithm makes this correction easy to implement to generate shark and ray and other wildlife densities from any aerial imagery. The water-landing fixed-wing long-range UAV technology used in this study may provide cost effective monitoring opportunities in remote ocean locations.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139051004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Jenna Lawson, Andre Farinha, Luca Romanello, Oscar Pang, Raphael Zufferey, Mirko Kovac
{"title":"Use of an unmanned aerial-aquatic vehicle for acoustic sensing in freshwater ecosystems","authors":"Jenna Lawson, Andre Farinha, Luca Romanello, Oscar Pang, Raphael Zufferey, Mirko Kovac","doi":"10.1002/rse2.373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.373","url":null,"abstract":"Freshwater ecosystems are endangered, underfunded and understudied, making new methods such as passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) essential for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of data collection. However, many challenges are still to be addressed with PAM: difficulty in accessing research sites, the logistics of implementing large-scale studies and the invasiveness of data collection. When combined with PAM and other sensing strategies, mobile robotics are a promising solution to directly address these challenges. In this paper, we integrate water surface and underwater acoustic monitoring equipment onto a prototype unmanned aerial-aquatic vehicle (UAAV) capable of sailing and flight (SailMAV). Twelve autonomous sailing missions were run on Lake Vrana, Croatia, during which acoustic data were collected, and the ability of the UAAV to facilitate the collection of acoustic data demonstrated. Data were simultaneously collected using standard recording methods on buoys and banksides to provide a comparative approach. Acoustic indices were used to analyse the soundscape of underwater acoustic data and BirdNET (a deep artificial neural network) was used on water surface datasets to determine bird species composition. Results show higher species richness and call abundance from UAAV surveys and high site dissimilarity owing to turnover between stationary and UAAV methods. This highlights the success of the UAAV in detecting biodiversity and the complementarity of these methods in providing a broad picture of the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems. Increased bird diversity and underwater acoustic activity in protected areas demonstrate the benefits of protecting freshwater ecosystems; however, site dissimilarity driven by turnover highlights the importance of protecting the entire ecosystem. We show how, by integrating PAM and a UAAV, we can overcome some of the current challenges in freshwater biodiversity monitoring, improving accessibility, increasing spatial scale and coverage, and reducing invasiveness.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"70 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139038798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Denis Valle, Sami W. Rifai, Gabriel C. Carrero, Ana Y. Y. Meiga
{"title":"An automated procedure to determine construction year of roads in forested landscapes using a least-cost path and a Before-After Control-Impact approach","authors":"Denis Valle, Sami W. Rifai, Gabriel C. Carrero, Ana Y. Y. Meiga","doi":"10.1002/rse2.376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.376","url":null,"abstract":"Proximity to roads is one of the main determinants of deforestation in the Amazon basin. Determining the construction year of roads (CYR) is critical to improve the understanding of the drivers of road construction and to enable predictions of the expansion of the road network and its consequent impact on ecosystems. While recent artificial intelligence approaches have been successfully used for road extraction, they have typically relied on high spatial-resolution imagery, precluding their adoption for the determination of CYR for older roads. In this article, we developed a new approach to automate the process of determining CYR that relies on the approximate position of the current road network and a time-series of the proportion of exposed soil based on the multidecadal remote sensing imagery from the Landsat program. Starting with these inputs, our methodology relies on the Least Cost Path algorithm to co-register the road network and on a Before-After Control-Impact design to circumvent the inherent image-to-image variability in the estimated amount of exposed soil. We demonstrate this approach for a 357 000 km<sup>2</sup> area around the Transamazon highway (BR-230) in the Brazilian Amazon, encompassing 36 240 road segments. The reliability of this approach is assessed by comparing the estimated CYR using our approach to the observed CYR based on a time-series of Landsat images. This exercise reveals a close correspondence between the estimated and observed CYR (<math altimg=\"urn:x-wiley:20563485:media:rse2376:rse2376-math-0001\" display=\"inline\" location=\"graphic/rse2376-math-0001.png\" overflow=\"scroll\">\u0000<semantics>\u0000<mrow>\u0000<msub>\u0000<mi>r</mi>\u0000<mtext>Pearson</mtext>\u0000</msub>\u0000<mo>=</mo>\u0000<mn>0.77</mn>\u0000</mrow>\u0000$$ {r}_{mathrm{Pearson}}=0.77 $$</annotation>\u0000</semantics></math>). Finally, we show how these data can be used to assess the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in reducing the yearly rate of road construction and thus their vulnerability to future degradation. In particular, we find that integral protection PAs in this region were generally more effective in reducing the expansion of the road network when compared to sustainable use PAs.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138823282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Jakub W. Bubnicki, Ben Norton, Steven J. Baskauf, Tom Bruce, Francesca Cagnacci, Jim Casaer, Marcin Churski, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Simone Dal Farra, Christian Fiderer, Tavis D. Forrester, Heidi Hendry, Marco Heurich, Tim R. Hofmeester, Patrick A. Jansen, Roland Kays, Dries P. J. Kuijper, Yorick Liefting, John D. C. Linnell, Matthew S. Luskin, Christopher Mann, Tanja Milotic, Peggy Newman, Jürgen Niedballa, Damiano Oldoni, Federico Ossi, Tim Robertson, Francesco Rovero, Marcus Rowcliffe, Lorenzo Seidenari, Izabela Stachowicz, Dan Stowell, Mathias W. Tobler, John Wieczorek, Fridolin Zimmermann, Peter Desmet
{"title":"Camtrap DP: an open standard for the FAIR exchange and archiving of camera trap data","authors":"Jakub W. Bubnicki, Ben Norton, Steven J. Baskauf, Tom Bruce, Francesca Cagnacci, Jim Casaer, Marcin Churski, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Simone Dal Farra, Christian Fiderer, Tavis D. Forrester, Heidi Hendry, Marco Heurich, Tim R. Hofmeester, Patrick A. Jansen, Roland Kays, Dries P. J. Kuijper, Yorick Liefting, John D. C. Linnell, Matthew S. Luskin, Christopher Mann, Tanja Milotic, Peggy Newman, Jürgen Niedballa, Damiano Oldoni, Federico Ossi, Tim Robertson, Francesco Rovero, Marcus Rowcliffe, Lorenzo Seidenari, Izabela Stachowicz, Dan Stowell, Mathias W. Tobler, John Wieczorek, Fridolin Zimmermann, Peter Desmet","doi":"10.1002/rse2.374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.374","url":null,"abstract":"Camera trapping has revolutionized wildlife ecology and conservation by providing automated data acquisition, leading to the accumulation of massive amounts of camera trap data worldwide. Although management and processing of camera trap-derived Big Data are becoming increasingly solvable with the help of scalable cyber-infrastructures, harmonization and exchange of the data remain limited, hindering its full potential. There is currently no widely accepted standard for exchanging camera trap data. The only existing proposal, “Camera Trap Metadata Standard” (CTMS), has several technical shortcomings and limited adoption. We present a new data exchange format, the Camera Trap Data Package (Camtrap DP), designed to allow users to easily exchange, harmonize and archive camera trap data at local to global scales. Camtrap DP structures camera trap data in a simple yet flexible data model consisting of three tables (Deployments, Media and Observations) that supports a wide range of camera deployment designs, classification techniques (<i>e.g.</i>, human and AI, media-based and event-based) and analytical use cases, from compiling species occurrence data through distribution, occupancy and activity modeling to density estimation. The format further achieves interoperability by building upon existing standards, Frictionless Data Package in particular, which is supported by a suite of open software tools to read and validate data. Camtrap DP is the consensus of a long, in-depth, consultation and outreach process with standard and software developers, the main existing camera trap data management platforms, major players in the field of camera trapping and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Under the umbrella of the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), Camtrap DP has been developed openly, collaboratively and with version control from the start. We encourage camera trapping users and developers to join the discussion and contribute to the further development and adoption of this standard.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138562622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Roxane J. Francis, Richard T. Kingsford, Katherine Moseby, John Read, Reece Pedler, Adrian Fisher, Justin McCann, Rebecca West
{"title":"Tracking landscape scale vegetation change in the arid zone by integrating ground, drone and satellite data","authors":"Roxane J. Francis, Richard T. Kingsford, Katherine Moseby, John Read, Reece Pedler, Adrian Fisher, Justin McCann, Rebecca West","doi":"10.1002/rse2.375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.375","url":null,"abstract":"A combined multiscale approach using ground, drone and satellite surveys can provide accurate landscape scale spatial mapping and monitoring. We used field observations with drone collected imagery covering 70 ha annually for a 5-year period to estimate changes in living and dead vegetation of four widespread and abundant arid zone woody shrub species. Random forest classifiers delivered high accuracy (> 95%) using object-based detection methods, with fast repeatable and transferrable processing using Google Earth Engine. Our classifiers performed well in both dominant arid zone landscape types: dune and swale, and at extremes of dry and wet years with minimal alterations. This highlighted the flexibility of the approach, potentially delivering insights into changes in highly variable environments. We also linked this classified drone vegetation to available temporally and spatially explicit Landsat satellite imagery, training a new, more accurate fractional vegetation cover model, allowing for accurate tracking of vegetation responses at large scales in the arid zone. Our method promises considerable opportunity to track vegetation dynamics including responses to management interventions, at large geographic scales, extending inference well beyond ground surveys.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138562615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}
Maksim Sergeyev, Daniel A. Crawford, Joseph D. Holbrook, Jason V. Lombardi, Michael E. Tewes, Tyler A. Campbell
{"title":"Selection in the third dimension: Using LiDAR derived canopy metrics to assess individual and population-level habitat partitioning of ocelots, bobcats, and coyotes","authors":"Maksim Sergeyev, Daniel A. Crawford, Joseph D. Holbrook, Jason V. Lombardi, Michael E. Tewes, Tyler A. Campbell","doi":"10.1002/rse2.369","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.369","url":null,"abstract":"Wildlife depends on specific landscape features to persist. Thus, characterizing the vegetation available in an area can be essential for management. The ocelot (<i>Leopardus pardalis</i>) is a federally endangered, medium-sized felid adapted to woody vegetation. Quantifying the characteristics of vegetation most suitable for ocelots is essential for their conservation. Furthermore, understanding differences in the selection of sympatric bobcats (<i>Lynx rufus</i>) and coyotes (<i>Canis latrans</i>) can provide insight into the mechanisms of coexistence between species. Because of differences in hunting strategy (cursorial vs. ambush) and differences in use of land cover types between species, these three carnivores may be partitioning their landscape as a function of vegetation structure. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing platform capable of quantifying the sub-canopy structure of vegetation. Using LiDAR data, we quantified the horizontal and vertical structure of vegetation cover to assess habitat selection by ocelots, bobcats, and coyotes. We captured and collared 8 ocelots, 13 bobcats, and 5 coyotes in southern Texas from 2017 to 2021. We used step selection functions to determine the selection of vegetation cover at the population and individual level for each species. Ocelots selected for vertical canopy cover and dense vegetation 0–2 m in height. Bobcats selected cover to a lesser extent and had a broader selection, while coyotes avoided under-story vegetation and selected areas with dense high canopies and relatively open understories. We observed a high degree of variation among individuals that may aid in facilitating intraspecific and interspecific coexistence. Management for ocelots should prioritize vegetation below 2 m and vertical canopy cover. We provide evidence that fine-scale habitat partitioning may facilitate coexistence between sympatric carnivores. Differences among individuals may enhance coexistence among species, as increased behavioral plasticity of individuals can reduce competition for resources. By combining accurate, fine-scale measurements derived from LiDAR data with high-frequency global positioning system locations, we provide a more thorough understanding of the habitat use of ocelots and two sympatric carnivores.","PeriodicalId":21132,"journal":{"name":"Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation","volume":"15 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2023-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138293382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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}