Spatio-temporal pattern of latrine distribution in reintroduced Cuvier's gazelles (Gazella cuvieri): an assessment in a Mediterranean forest reserve.

Abstract

Knowledge about the factors affecting the number of active latrines (NAL) of reintroduced Cuvier’s gazelles (Gazella cuvieri Ogilby, 1841) is of a crucial step aiming at understanding their distributional dynamics and their habitats preference. Here, we used six random 500-m transects to assess the effect of season, microhabitat, and management variables on the spatio-temporal pattern of latrines in the Tergou forest reserve (TFR). Our results showed that, in this reserve, NAL is mainly governed by the interaction between season and distance to the nearest developed runway, being higher at the farthest distances from the runway in autumn and the closest distances to it in summer and winter. Variation partitioning analysis confirmed this pattern as the interaction between season and distance to the nearest developed runway explains 82% (p = 0.001) of the total variance in NAL. The distance to the nearest fence also contributes, but marginally, in influencing the NAL in this forest enclosure. For the species’ management and conservation, it is recommended to dispose of sandy open ground areas especially in forest reserves to ensure ideal conditions for reintroduced gazelles. The pursuit of monitoring is necessary to understand mechanisms governing the distributional dynamics of Cuvier’s gazelles more deeply. As any enclosure, the TFR would offer a good opportunity for consolidating and improving the knowledge on this vulnerable mammal species in the view of a successful release in the wild.