Assess Habitat Selection Research Articles

Habitat selection in a peri-urban area by a large mammal indicates a low potential for human–wildlife conflict

Abstract ContextIn Australia, various species of macropods (family Macropodidae) are known to occur within peri-urban areas, where they can be a source of human–wildlife conflict. Some species, such as the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), have received considerable research attention over the past few years following demands from land managers for evidence-based management guidelines; however, the ecology of other macropod species found in peri-urban areas, such as the eastern wallaroo (Osphranter robustus robustus), remains poorly understood. AimsThe aims were to determine the home range of male and female eastern wallaroos and assess habitat selection in order to define whether wallaroos in a peri-urban environment should be viewed as thriving (‘matrix-occupying’), persisting (‘matrix-sensitive’) or struggling (‘urban-sensitive’). MethodsHome range and habitat use of six adult male, five adult female and one subadult male eastern wallaroo were investigated using GPS telemetry between October 2017 and May 2018 in the south-west of Sydney. Key resultsHome ranges (mean±s.e.) of males (63.1±10.2ha) were significantly larger than those of females (31.1±3.3ha). Every adult wallaroo had highly overlapping monthly home ranges, indicating strong site fidelity in all individuals. Eastern wallaroos selected habitats based on vegetation composition during the night and canopy cover during the day. Grassland and open native woodlands were preferred during foraging activities at night. By contrast, human-modified habitats, including hard surfaces and lawns, were avoided at all times by all individuals. ConclusionThe results indicate that eastern wallaroos avoid human-modified features in the landscape, so they could be viewed as persisting (‘matrix-sensitive’) in peri-urban areas. ImplicationsCompared with matrix-occupying macropods, such as the eastern grey kangaroo, the eastern wallaroo is less likely to cause human–wildlife conflicts – a result of its avoidance of human-modified habitat. Land-use planning, involving green corridors linking remnant vegetation, should be implemented as part of urban planning to enable the persistence of diverse mammal populations in urban areas, particularly matrix-sensitive species.

Large-scale versus small-scale agriculture: Disentangling the relative effects of the farming system and semi-natural habitats on birds’ habitat preferences in the Ethiopian highlands

While the Western World is facing an inexorable decline of its farmland biodiversity following continuous intensification of production modes, agricultural landscapes in Africa are still largely dominated by small-scale subsistence farming operated by smallholders, mostly harbouring high biodiversity. However, as most African countries are confronted to an unprecedented population growth and a rapid economic development, efforts to intensify food production are widespread, with concomitant potentially negative effects on biodiversity. We conducted a study in a highly contrasted agricultural landscape of the Ethiopian highlands comprising two distinct farming systems: large-scale farming relying on modern, combine machinery and technology (e.g. enhanced crop varieties, application of herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers) vs small-scale traditional farming. Our objective was to disentangle the effects upon avian biodiversity of the operating farming system and the extent of semi-natural habitat features in the wider landscape. We performed a model selection approach to assess habitat selection by the overall bird community as well as the wintering, endemic and open habitat species, respectively. Our results show that habitat preferences of birds in the Ethiopian highlands were mainly driven by the amount of semi-natural habitats within the landscape, with varying effects depending on the farming system itself. While large-scale farming had overall more negative effects on birds, some typical open habitat species were mostly restricted to these wide-open landscapes. Our findings thereby suggest that both farming systems could coexist as long as semi-natural habitats are preserved and agricultural management maintained in its current practices. We emphasize the urgent need to conduct further studies integrating the socio-economic aspects in order to better predict future impacts of agricultural intensification processes on African farmland biodiversity.

Multiscale Habitat Selection of Lesser Prairie-Chickens in a Row-Crop and Conservation Reserve Program Land Matrix

Abstract The lesser prairie-chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus has received considerable attention in recent years, as a result of population decline and the uncertainty of its status under the 1973 U.S. Endangered Species Act. Substantial effort has been exerted studying the life history of the species and effects of some management practices on its ecology. However, information is lacking regarding lesser prairie-chicken use and selection of Conservation Reserve Program fields in the Southern High Plains of Texas. To fill in this knowledge gap, we assessed habitat selection by lesser prairie-chickens within Conservation Reserve Program fields, native grassland, and row-crop agriculture in Texas, 2015–2017. We assessed habitat selection using a Type II design at the second order of selection (home range placement within the landscape) and a Type III design at the third order (Global Positioning System locations within the home range). At the second order of selection, lesser prairie-chickens selected Conservation Reserve Program fields seeded in nonnative grasses (wi = 3.99, 95% CI = 1.60–6.39) and native grasses and forbs (wi = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.99–4.52) year-round. Row-crop agriculture (wi = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.06–0.28) and native grassland (wi = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.06–0.55) were avoided. Native grass Conservation Reserve Program fields were used in proportion to their availability (wi = 1.33, 95% CI = 0.81–1.85) year-round. Only Conservation Reserve Program fields seeded in native grasses and forbs were selected at the third order of selection (wi = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.16–1.47). Based on our results, Conservation Reserve Program fields provide habitat for lesser prairie-chickens, and as such, may be beneficial to persistence of the species on the High Plains of Texas.

The Ornithodolite as a tool to quantify animal space use and habitat selection: a case study with birds diving in tidal waters.

Animal-attached technologies can be powerful means to quantify space use and behavior; however, there are also ethical implications associated with capturing and instrumenting animals. Furthermore, tagging approaches are not necessarily well-suited for examining the movements of multiple individuals within specific, local areas of interest. Here, we assess a method of quantifying animal space use based on a modified theodolite with an inbuilt laser rangefinder. Using a database of >4200 tracks of migrating birds, we show that detection distance increases with bird body mass (range 5 g to >10 kg). The maximum distance recorded to a bird was 5500 m and measurement error was ≤5 m for targets within this distance range: a level comparable to methods such as GPS tagging. We go on to present a case study where this method was used to assess habitat selection in seabirds operating in dynamic coastal waters close to a tidal turbine. Combining positional data with outputs from a hydrographic model revealed that great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) appeared to be highly selective of current characteristics in space and time, exploiting areas where mean current speeds were <0.8 m·s-1 and diving at times when turbulent energy levels were low. These birds also oriented into tidal currents during dives. Taken together, this suggests that collision risks are low for cormorants at this site, as the 2 conditions avoided by cormorants (high mean current speeds and turbulence levels) are associated with operational tidal turbines. Overall, we suggest that this modified theodolite system is well-suited to the quantification of movement in small areas associated with particular development strategies, including sustainable energy devices.

A habitat suitability analysis at multi-spatial scale of two sympatric flying fox species reveals the urgent need for conservation action

In this study we used a multi-spatial scale approach to investigate habitat suitability, roosting characteristics, and ecological niche in two flying fox species on the Comoros Islands—Pteropus livingstonii and Pteropus seychellensis comorensis. At a broad scale, we assessed the ecological niche and habitat suitability for both species using the Species Distribution Modeling method based on the recent ensembles of small models (ESM) approach. At a fine scale, Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) was applied to assess habitat selection by each species. Direct observation was used at each roost to estimate the total number of individuals and to identify the roost characteristics. At both broad and fine scales, the analyses highlighted clear niche partitioning by the two species. We found that P. livingstonii has a very limited distribution, restricted to steep, high-elevation slopes of the islands’ remaining natural forests, and the patterns were the same for roosting, foraging sites and the entire habitat. By contrast, P. s. comorensis has a relatively large geographic range that extends over low-elevation farmlands and villages and it was negatively correlated to natural forest across the entire area and all roosting sites, but its foraging areas were positively correlated to natural forest and high elevation areas. Both species selected large, tall trees for roosting. The total number of individuals in the studied area was estimated to be 1243 P. livingstonii and 11,898 P. s. comorensis. The results of our study demonstrated that these two species use different habitat types and ensure different ecosystem services in pollination and seed dispersion and thus are both critical for maintaining overall ecosystem dynamics. However, the currently high level of hunting pressure and roost disturbance makes them vulnerable to extinction. To ensure the viability of both species, conservation measures need to be taken by the Comoros government.

Effects of Scale and Gender on Winter Habitat Selection by American Mink

Mammalian carnivores have adapted to successfully occupy a wide range of environments spanning tropical to polar ecosystems. Some species, however, have evolved in ways that constrain their ability to thrive in extreme environmental conditions. For example many members of the Family Mustelidae are vulnerable to extreme temperatures resulting from their tubular body shape. The American mink (Neovison vison) likely faces these temperature constraints, being a smaller-bodied mustelid that ranges over a large portion of North America. Mink are largely understudied in its native range with knowledge being particularly sparse with respect to winter ecology. During 2011–2012 we conducted winter telemetry on seven adult mink and used resource selection function models to assess habitat selection patterns while considering spatial extent and gender. We found that at a larger extent, the animals' use of habitat was strongly linked to riparian features, whereas this effect was less noticeable at a finer scale. The larger males selected more lakeshore habitat, whereas the smaller females generally were near smaller streams with both selecting for beaver modified habitat. While we recognize the limited sample size in our study, we speculate that this spatial separation could be linked to higher energetic costs for females to forage aquatically in winter because of their smaller body size. This may make females more sensitive to competition from other forest carnivores (e.g. American marten) as well as impacts from resource development activities.

Using passive acoustics to assess habitat selection by the brown meagre Sciaena umbra in a northern Adriatic Sea mussel farm.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of the brown meagre Sciaena umbra was conducted in a northern Adriatic Sea mussel farm. The level of acoustic activity was found to be constantly high from June to August before declining sharply in September and there was significantly higher acoustic activity in the structured habitats within the mussel farm than in the bare sandy bottom outside the farm. Results are discussed in the context of the use of this species as an indicator species of artificial rocky habitats along the Mediterranean coastal environments.

Time-since-fire and stand seral stage affect habitat selection of eastern wild turkeys in a managed longleaf pine ecosystem

Abstract Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests rely on prescribed fire to limit encroachment of hardwoods and maintain early successional understory communities. However, prescribed fire may alter habitat availability while female eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) are reproductively active. In addition, the vigor of vegetation regrowth post-fire is impacted by both midstory and overstory stand-conditions which can be a function of stand age. Therefore, the degree to which prescribed fire affects habitat availability and selection of wild turkeys may be a function of both time-since-fire and the age of the stand fire was applied to. We assessed habitat selection of female wild turkeys during their reproductive cycle in a longleaf pine forest managed with frequent prescribed fire. We captured 63 female wild turkeys during 2015 and 2016 on a longleaf pine-dominated landscape in southwestern Georgia, USA, that was managed with 1–3 year fire-return intervals applied to relatively small burn blocks (mean size of burn = 26.02 ha in 2015; 19.84 ha in 2016) on pine stands of varying age-classes. We attached Global Positioning Systems units to individuals and collected hourly locations from 1 March to 15 August. We then used distance-based analyses to estimate daily selection or avoidance of vegetation communities relative to the known reproductive phenology of individual females. Females selected hardwood stands during pre-nesting and post-nesting phases, but avoided them during the incubation phase. Females used open vegetation communities during all phases of reproduction following pre-nesting. Turkeys selected areas burned ≤2 years prior but used different seral stages of pine during different reproductive phases. Specifically, females selected for recently burned mature pine stands during incubation but then selected for recently burned young pine stands, mature pine stands burned 2 years earlier, and open vegetation communities during brooding. Our findings demonstrate that time-since-fire and stand seral age interact to affect how turkeys use pyric landscapes. In general, pine stands providing ample understory vegetation are favored while females are reproductively active. Our data suggests practitioners should try to manage a landscape containing both young and mature pine stands and use prescribed fire to create understory conditions selected by turkeys across all reproductive phases.

Apparent resilience of a declining Afro‐Palaearctic migrant to forest loss on the wintering grounds

Populations of long‐distance migrant birds are declining but it is unknown what role land cover change in non‐breeding areas may be playing in this process. Using compositional analysis, we assessed habitat selection by one such migrant, the Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix, at a wintering site in the forest–savannah transition zone in Eastern Region, Ghana. There was a preference for forest, a habitat that is in marked decline at this site. Annual habitat mapping revealed that the area of forest declined by 26% between 2011/12 and 2013/14, mainly through clearance for conversion to arable land. Numbers of birds changed throughout the season, but despite the reduction in the preferred forest habitat, there was no change in the total number of birds recorded at the site over the study period. The number of birds recorded at a point was positively related to the proportion of cleared land, plantation and, to a lesser extent, dense forest within 100 m. Investigation of the fine‐scale habitat preferences of radiotagged Wood Warblers suggested that there was an optimum number of trees, around 66–143 per hectare, at which estimated probability of occupancy was 0.5, falling to a probability of 0.2 at 25 trees per hectare. We suggest that Wood Warblers may be buffered against the loss of forest habitat by their ability to utilize degraded habitats, such as well‐wooded farmland, that still retain a substantial number of trees. However, the continued loss of trees, from both forest and farmland is ultimately likely to have a negative impact on wintering Wood Warblers in the long‐term.

Nest Habitat Selection of Western Screech-Owls (Megascops kennicottii macfarlanei) at Multiple Spatial Scales in Southeast British Columbia

The interior Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii macfarlanei) has been assessed as a species at risk. Regionally, survival rates are low, particularly during nesting. This study uses forward stepwise logistic regression to assess habitat selection at the tree, patch (150m2), and stand scales for twelve nests (the largest sample in any one region). At the patch scale, nest sites had more coniferous cover (33% versus 16%) than random. At the stand level, owls selected medium-age forests within an agricultural landscape, highlighting the need to conserve these habitats. While black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) and trembling aspen (P. tremuloides) are important nest tree species, riparian forests with coniferous cover, particularly western redcedar (Thuja plicata), may be more important for nesting in regional populations than previously realized.

Seasonal Movements and Multiscale Habitat Selection of Whooping Crane (Grus americana) in Natural and Agricultural Wetlands

Eleven of 15 species of cranes (family: Gruidae) are considered vulnerable or endangered, and the increase of agriculture and aquaculture at the expense of natural wetlands and grasslands is a threat to Gruidae worldwide. A reintroduced population of Whooping Crane (Grus americana) was studied in coastal and agricultural wetlands of Louisiana and Texas, USA. The objectives were to compare Whooping Crane movements across seasons, quantify multiscale habitat selection, and identify seasonal shifts in selection. Whooping Cranes (n = 53) were tracked with satellite transmitters to estimate seasonal core-use areas (50% home range contours) via Brownian bridge movement models and assess habitat selection. Whooping Crane core-use areas (n = 283) ranged from 4.7 to 438.0 km2, and habitat selection changed seasonally as shallow water availability varied. Whooping Crane core-use areas were composed of more fresh marsh in spring/summer, but shifted towards rice and crawfish (Procambarus spp.) aquaculture in the fall/winter. Within core-use areas, aquaculture was most strongly selected, particularly in fall when fresh marsh became unsuitable. Overall, the shifting of Whooping Crane habitat selection over seasons is likely to require large, heterogeneous areas. Whooping Crane use of agricultural and natural wetlands may depend on spatio-temporal dynamics of water depth.

Home range, den selection and habitat use of Carolina northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus)

Context Understanding habitat selection is important for determining conservation and management strategies for endangered species. The Carolina northern flying squirrel (CNFS; Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus) is an endangered subspecies found in the high-elevation montane forests of the southern Appalachians, USA. The primary use of nest boxes to monitor CNFS has provided biased information on habitat use for this subspecies, as nest boxes are typically placed in suitable denning habitat. Aims We conducted a radio-telemetry study on CNFS to determine home range, den site selection and habitat use at multiple spatial scales. Methods We radio-collared 21 CNFS in 2012 and 2014–15. We tracked squirrels to diurnal den sites and during night-time activity. Key results The MCP (minimum convex polygon) home range at 95% for males was 5.2±1.2ha and for females was 4.0±0.7. The BRB (biased random bridge) home range at 95% for males was 10.8±3.8ha and for females was 8.3±2.1. Den site (n=81) selection occurred more frequently in montane conifer dominate forests (81.4%) vs northern hardwood forests or conifer–northern hardwood forests (9.9% and 8.7%, respectively). We assessed habitat selection using Euclidean distance-based analysis at the 2nd order and 3rd order scale. We found that squirrels were non-randomly selecting for habitat at both 2nd and 3rd order scales. Conclusions At both spatial scales, CNFS preferentially selected for montane conifer forests more than expected based on availability on the landscape. Squirrels selected neither for nor against northern hardwood forests, regardless of availability on the landscape. Additionally, CNFS denned in montane conifer forests more than other habitat types. Implications Our results highlight the importance of montane conifer to CNFS in the southern Appalachians. Management and restoration activities that increase the quality, connectivity and extent of this naturally rare forest type may be important for long-term conservation of this subspecies, especially with the impending threat of anthropogenic climate change.

The R package “phuassess” for assessing habitat selection using permutation-based combination of sign tests

To bypass the methodological problems involved in the use of compositional data analysis by Aebischer, Robertson and Kenward (1993), the assessment of proportional habitat use is approached in a multiple-testing framework exploiting data from radio-tagged animals. The habitat use is assessed separately for each habitat type by means of the sign test to compare the proportion of use vs the proportion of availability. The resulting p-values are combined in an overall test statistic whose significance is determined permuting sample observations. The “phuassess” package for the R software, available from Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN), allows to straightforwardly perform the assessment. The package is presented and described and, in order to exemplify its application, habitat selection is assessed in a population of European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) settled in central Italy.

Movement reveals scale dependence in habitat selection of a large ungulate.

Ecological processes operate across temporal and spatial scales. Anthropogenic disturbances impact these processes, but examinations of scale dependence in impacts are infrequent. Such examinations can provide important insight to wildlife-human interactions and guide management efforts to reduce impacts. We assessed spatiotemporal scale dependence in habitat selection of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Piceance Basin of Colorado, USA, an area of ongoing natural gas development. We employed a newly developed animal movement method to assess habitat selection across scales defined using animal-centric spatiotemporal definitions ranging from the local (defined from five hour movements) to the broad (defined from weekly movements). We extended our analysis to examine variation in scale dependence between night and day and assess functional responses in habitat selection patterns relative to the density of anthropogenic features. Mule deer displayed scale invariance in the direction of their response to energy development features, avoiding well pads and the areas closest to roads at all scales, though with increasing strength of avoidance at coarser scales. Deer displayed scale-dependent responses to most other habitat features, including land cover type and habitat edges. Selection differed between night and day at the finest scales, but homogenized as scale increased. Deer displayed functional responses to development, with deer inhabiting the least developed ranges more strongly avoiding development relative to those with more development in their ranges. Energy development was a primary driver of habitat selection patterns in mule deer, structuring their behaviors across all scales examined. Stronger avoidance at coarser scales suggests that deer behaviorally mediated their interaction with development, but only to a degree. At higher development densities than seen in this area, such mediation may not be possible and thus maintenance of sufficient habitat with lower development densities will be a critical best management practice as development expands globally.

Multi-scale Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) nest/roost habitat selection in Arizona and a comparison with single-scale modeling results

Organisms commonly respond to their environment across a range of scales, however many habitat selection studies still conduct selection analyses using a single-scale framework. The adoption of multi-scale modeling frameworks in habitat selection studies can improve the effectiveness of these studies and provide greater insights into scale-dependent relationships between species and specific habitat components. Our study assessed multi-scale nest/roost habitat selection of the federally “Threatened” Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) in northern Arizona, USA in an effort to provide improved conservation and management strategies for this subspecies. We conducted multi-scale habitat modeling to assess habitat selection by Mexican spotted owls using survey data collected by the USFS. Each selected covariate was included in multi-scale models at their “characteristic scale” and we used an all-subsets approach and model selection framework to assess habitat selection. The “characteristic scale” identified for each covariate varied considerably among covariates and results from multi-scale models indicated that percent canopy cover and slope were the most important covariates with respect to habitat selection by Mexican spotted owls. Multi-scale models consistently outperformed their analogous single-scale counterparts with respect to the proportion of deviance explained and model predictive performance. Efficacy of future habitat selection studies will benefit by taking a multi-scale approach. In addition to potentially providing increased explanatory power and predictive capacity, multi-scale habitat models enhance our understanding of the scales at which species respond to their environment, which is critical knowledge required to implement effective conservation and management strategies.

Using remote-sensing data to assess habitat selection of a declining passerine at two spatial scales

Detailed information on habitat needs is integral to identify conservation measures for declining species. However, field data on habitat structure is typically limited in extent. Remote sensing has the potential to overcome these limitations of field-based studies. We aimed to assess abiotic and biotic characteristics of territories used by the declining wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix), a forest-interior migratory passerine, at two spatial scales by evaluating a priori expectations of habitat selection patterns. First, territories established by males before pairing, referred to as pre-breeding territories, were compared to pseudo-absence control areas located in the wider forested landscape (first spatial scale, Nterritories = 66, Ncontrols = 66). Second, breeding territories of paired wood warblers were compared to true-absence control areas located immediately close-by in the forest (second spatial scale, Nterritories = 78, Ncontrols = 78). Habitat variables predominantly described forest structure and were mainly based on first and last pulse lidar (light detection and ranging) data. Occurrence of pre-breeding territories was related to vegetation height, vertical diversity and stratification, canopy cover, inclination and solar radiation. Occurrence of breeding territories was associated to vegetation height, vertical diversity and inclination. Territory selection at the two spatial scales addressed was governed by similar factors. With respect to conservation, habitat suitability for wood warblers could be retained by maintaining a shifting mosaic of stand ages and structures at large spatial scales. Moreover, leaf-off lidar variables have the potential to contribute to understanding the ecological niche of species in predominantly deciduous forests.

Habitat Preferences of a European Bison (Bison bonasus) Population in the Carpathian Mountains

We assessed habitat selection patterns of the European bison (Bison bonasus) reintroduced to the Bieszczady Mountains (the Eastern Carpathians, Poland) using presence data and Ecological Niche Factor Analysis. During the growing season, bison selected habitats at higher elevations close to natural grasslands, coniferous forest, and stands with broken canopy, while in winter — lower elevations, close to agricultural areas and alder or pine stands. In both seasons, bison avoided busy roads. The use of low-elevation valleys in winter can be a trade-off between the access to good habitats with milder climate, and the risk associated with close proximity to people. Relative tolerance to proximity to infrastructure indicates that good quality habitats in its vicinity can be considered suitable for further expansion of the species' range. Optimal sites for bison introductions in the Carpathians should include areas at lower elevations, providing winter refuges, and allow unrestricted access to summer habitats at higher elevations.

Habitat functional response mitigates reduced foraging opportunity: implications for animal fitness and space use

Animals selectively use landscapes to meet their energetic needs, and trade-offs in habitat use may depend on availability and environmental conditions. For example, habitat selection at high temperatures may favor thermal cover at the cost of reduced foraging efficiency under consistently warm conditions. Our objective was to examine habitat selection and space use in distinct populations of moose (Alces alces). Hypothesizing that endotherm fitness is constrained by heat dissipation efficiency, we predicted that southerly populations would exhibit greater selection for thermal cover and reduced selection for foraging habitat. We estimated individual step selection functions with shrinkage for 134 adult female moose in Minnesota, USA, and 64 in Ontario, Canada, to assess habitat selection with variation in temperature, time of day, and habitat availability. We averaged model coefficients within each site to quantify selection strength for habitats differing in forage availability and thermal cover. Moose in Ontario favored deciduous and mixedwood forest, indicating selection for foraging habitat across both diel and temperature. Habitat selection patterns of moose in Minnesota were more dynamic and indicated time- and temperature-dependent trade-offs between use of foraging habitat and thermal cover. We detected a scale-dependent functional response in habitat selection driven by the trade-off between selection for foraging habitat and thermal cover. Landscape composition and internal state interact to produce complex patterns of space use, and animals exposed to increasingly high temperatures may mitigate fitness losses from reduced foraging efficiency by increasing selection for foraging habitat in sub-prime foraging landscapes.

Habitat selection by juvenile Mojave Desert tortoises

ABSTRACTGrowing pressure to develop public lands for renewable energy production places several protected species at increased risk of habitat loss. One example is the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), a species often at the center of conflicts over public land development. For this species and others on public lands, a better understanding of their habitat needs can help minimize negative impacts and facilitate protection or restoration of habitat. We used radio‐telemetry to track 46 neonate and juvenile tortoises in the Eastern Mojave Desert, California, USA, to quantify habitat at tortoise locations and paired random points to assess habitat selection. Tortoise locations near burrows were more likely to be under canopy cover and had greater coverage of perennial plants (especially creosote [Larrea tridentata]), more coverage by washes, a greater number of small‐mammal burrows, and fewer white bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) than random points. Active tortoise locations away from burrows were closer to washes and perennial plants than were random points. Our results can help planners locate juvenile tortoises and avoid impacts to habitat critical for this life stage. Additionally, our results provide targets for habitat protection and restoration and suggest that diverse and abundant small‐mammal populations and the availability of creosote bush are vital for juvenile desert tortoises in the Eastern Mojave Desert. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

Home range and habitat selection of the female eastern wild turkey at its northern range edge

In recent decades, the range of the eastern wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo silvestris has expanded north of its historical distribution in North America. The major limiting factors for wild turkeys beyond their historical range are not well understood, and little is known about turkey resource use at their new range periphery. We evaluated the home range size of female turkeys at their northern range edge in Ontario, Canada, and we took a hierarchical approach to assess habitat selection. To accomplish this, we analyzed data from 36 females fitted with VHF and GPS transmitters. Season had a significant effect on home range size, with the greatest home range sizes found in the spring and autumn, and the smallest in the winter and summer. There was also an effect of flock membership on winter home range size. We found evidence of habitat selection by turkeys at both the second order, placement of home ranges within the landscape, and the third order, use of habitat within home ranges. In both cases, female turkeys primarily selected deciduous forest and fields and avoided coniferous forest. Areas close to supplemental food sources were also selected during the autumn and winter. As populations expand into novel landscapes, continued efforts to understand resource limitation and habitat selection strategies of northern turkeys will guide effective management of these game birds.