Summer Habitat Research Articles

SCALE-DEPENDENT SUMMER RESOURCE SELECTION BY REINTRODUCED ELK IN WISCONSIN, USA

Identifying how habitat use is influenced by environmental heterogeneity at different scales is central to understanding ungulate population dynamics on complex landscapes. We used resource selection functions (RSF) to study summer habitat use in a reintroduced and expanding elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) population in the Chequamegon National Forest, Wisconsin, USA. Factors were examined that influenced where elk established home ranges and that influenced habitat use within established home ranges. We also determined grain sizes over which elk responded to environmental heterogeneity and the number of categories of habitat selection from low to high that the elk distinguished. At a large spatial extent, elk home-range establishment was largely explained by the spatial distribution of wolf (Canis lupus) territories. Forage abundance was also influential but was relatively more important at a small spatial extent when elk moved within established home ranges. Areas near roads were avoided when establishing a home-range, but areas near roads were selected for use within the established home range. Elk distinguished among 4 different categories of habitat selection when establishing and moving within home ranges. Spatial and temporal cross validation demonstrated that to improve the predictive strength of habitat models in areas of low inter-annual variability in the environment, it is better to follow more individuals across diverse environmental conditions than to follow the same individuals over a longer time period. Last, our results show that the effects of environmental variables on habitat use were scale-dependent and reemphasize the necessity of analyzing habitat use at multiple scales that are fit to address specific research questions.

Body mass changes in male Daubenton's bats Myotis daubentonii (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) during the seasonal activity period

Body mass changes of adult and juvenile male Daubenton’s bats were studied in a summer habitat in Hesse (Germany) in the years 1998-2001. Animals from the resident population were regularly captured along the flight path from April to October, and body mass was determined using a digital balance. Body mass of adult individuals differed significantly among fortnightly periods (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA by ranks: H = 141.75, p < 0.001). Body mass increased significantly from the second half of April (median: 7.0 g) to the first half of May (median: 7.8 g). Between the second half of May and the first half of August, median body mass fluctuated between 7.8 g and 8.3 g. From the second half of July (median: 7.9 g) to the second half of August (median: 8.4 g), and the second half of September (median: 9.3 g) body mass again significantly increased. The highest median body mass (9.6 g) was recorded in the second half of October. Median body mass of juvenile males ranged between 6.5 g in the first half of July and 8.5 g in the second half of October. Differences in body mass over the studied period were significant (H = 21.70, p < 0.01). During the months July, August, and September, body mass of adult males was significantly higher than that of juveniles, whereas in October the difference was no longer of statistical significance. It is suggested that the decrease in body mass observed in some adult males in September was related to their reproductive activity.

Use of pinyon-juniper woodlands by bats in New Mexico

In recent years, the demand has grown for information on how to conserve bat populations in forested ecosystems. Many researchers have responded with studies of bats in forests, but few have studied bat communities in arid-adapted forest types, such as pinyon-juniper woodlands, which are widespread and abundant throughout the west. In this study, I evaluated the relative use and importance of pinyon-juniper woodlands to bats in west-central New Mexico by comparing bats captured in pinyon-juniper woodlands with those captured in ponderosa pine forest. I compared species richness and relative abundance of bats captured in these vegetation types and evaluated the relative importance of each based on its use as reproductive habitat by females. Bats were mistnetted over stock tanks in pinyon-juniper woodlands for 55 nights during 1995–1997 and in ponderosa pine forest for 22 nights in 1998–1999. Although overall capture rates (bats per net hour) were not different between study sites, more species were captured in pinyon-juniper woodlands. The bat community of this pinyon-juniper woodland was dominated by species typically found in upper elevation forests, but also included species from lower elevation shrublands and grasslands. A greater proportion of females was reproductively active in pinyon-juniper woodlands than ponderosa pine, suggesting that females prefer woodlands for rearing their young or that fecundity rates of females are higher in this vegetation type. Results of this study demonstrate that pinyon-juniper woodlands support abundant and diverse bat communities and provide important summer habitat to reproductive females. Thus, biologists and land managers should plan activities in pinyon-juniper woodlands with greater attention and consideration to bats and their habitat requirements.

Temporal and Spatial Estimates of Adult Striped Bass Mortality from Telemetry and Transmitter Return Data

Estimates of total mortality, fishing mortality, and natural mortality in the fishery for the adult striped bass Morone saxatilis in J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir, South Carolina–Georgia, were determined from long-term radiotelemetry data and high-reward radio transmitter return data using catch curve analyses. Annual total mortality rates were 0.81 ± 0.06 (mean ± SE) for year 1 (July 1999–June 2000) and 0.42 ± 0.04 for year 2 (July 2000–June 2001). We observed that the force of fishing was much greater than the force of natural death on total mortality in this fishery. Total exploitation of all implanted striped bass over the 2-year study period was 48%. Fishing mortality rates were 0.67 ± 0.04 for year 1 and 0.33 ± 0.02 for year 2, and natural mortality rates were 0.14 ± 0.02 for year 1 and 0.09 ± 0.02 for year 2. We also identified seasonal increases in total and fishing mortality rates from July to September. Fishing mortality was highest temporally and spatially during late spring and late summer near the tailrace below Richard B. Russell Dam owing to high angling pressure for striped bass while the fish were congregated in summer refugia. Natural mortality occurred only during mid to late summer in the middle section of the reservoir. These deaths were attributed to striped bass's becoming trapped in unsuitable summer habitat in the lower and middle sections of the reservoir. Mean postsurgery growth from 15 harvested study fish at large for a mean of 1.16 ± 0.81 years was estimated to be 1.71 ± 0.73 kg/year. Internal implantation of telemetry devices appeared to have no negative effect on long-term growth, health, and survival of adult striped bass and did not bias mortality and survival estimates.

Cervid forage utilization in noncommercially thinned ponderosa pine forests

To evaluate effects of noncommercial thinning, utilization of forages consumed by elk (Cervus elaphus L.), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus Raf.), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Raf.) was measured in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson) stands in Custer State Park, S. D. Treatments consisted of unthinned (control; 22 to 32 m2/ha basal area), moderately thinned (12 to 22 m2/ha basal area), and heavily thinned (3 to 13 m2/ha basal area) stands of ponderosa pine. During June, July, and August, 1991 and 1992, about 7,000 individual plants were marked along permanent transects and percent-weight-removed by grazing was ocularly estimated. Sample plots were established along transects and plants within plots were clipped to estimate standing biomass. Pellet groups were counted throughout the study area to determine summer habitat use of elk and deer. Diet composition was evaluated using microhistological analysis of fecal samples. Average percent-weight-removed from all marked plants and percent-plants-grazed were used to evaluate forage utilization. Standing biomass of graminoids, shrubs, and forbs increased (P < 0.05) from unthinned to moderately and heavily thinned stands. Utilization of graminoids and shrubs averaged less than 1% when measured as percent-weight-removed and percent-plants-grazed and did not differ (P > 0.05) across treatments. Forb use averaged less than 5% within sampling periods when measured as percent-weight-removed and percent-of-plants grazed and did not differ among treatments. Results of pellet group surveys indicated that cervids were primarily using meadow habitats. When averaged over the 2 years, forbs were the major forage class in deer diets, whereas graminoids were the major forage class in diets of elk.

The Importance of Beaver Ponds to Coho Salmon Production in the Stillaguamish River Basin, Washington, USA

AbstractThe use of beaver Castor canadensis ponds by juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch and other fishes has been well established. However, the population‐level effects on coho salmon resulting from the widespread removal of millions of beaver and their dams from Pacific Coast watersheds have not been examined. We assessed the current and historic distributions of beaver ponds and other coho salmon rearing habitat in the Stillaguamish River, a 1,771‐km2 drainage basin in Washington and found that the greatest reduction in coho salmon smolt production capacity originated from the extensive loss of beaver ponds. We estimated the current summer smolt production potential (SPP) to be 965,000 smolts, compared with a historic summer SPP of 2.5 million smolts. Overall, current summer habitat capacity was reduced by 61% compared with historic levels, most of the reduction resulting from the loss of beaver ponds. Current summer SPP from beaver ponds and sloughs was reduced by 89% and 68%, respectively, compared with historic SPP. A more dramatic reduction in winter habitat capacity was found; the current winter SPP was estimated at 971,000 smolts, compared with a historic winter SPP of 7.1 million smolts. In terms of winter habitat capacity, we estimated a 94% reduction in beaver pond SPP, a 68% loss in SPP of sloughs, a 9% loss in SPP of tributary habitat, and an overall SPP reduction of 86%. Most of the overall reduction resulted from the loss of beaver ponds. Our analysis suggests that summer habitat historically limited smolt production capacity, whereas both summer and winter habitats currently exert equal limits on production. Watershed‐scale restoration activities designed to increase coho salmon production should emphasize the creation of ponds and other slow‐water environments; increasing beaver populations may be a simple and effective means of creating slow‐water habitat.

Movement patterns in inland cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah): management and conservation implications

Knowledge of movement patterns is critical to the management and conservation of inland salmonids. We studied the movements of Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah) in a drainage in western Wyoming, USA. Our objectives were to (i) characterize the postspawning movement patterns of adult Bonneville cutthroat trout, (ii) contrast postspawning and summer movement patterns, and (iii) identify factors that disrupt the movements of Bonneville cutthroat trout. Our data showed that postspawning movements of Bonneville cutthroat trout formed a continuum, with fish moving from 0.5 to 82.0 km. Postspawning distance was positively related to fish length. Despite the wide range of movement observed during the spring, fish did not move more than 0.5 km during the summer. A road culvert and an irrigation diversion dam did not seem to pose barriers to the upstream movement of Bonneville cutthroat trout to headwater spawning areas in the spring. However, 23% of radio-tagged fish in 2000 moved into the irrigation diversion ditch as they moved downstream after spawning and subsequently died there. Maintaining drainage connectivity is an important conservation concern for trout populations such as this one, where fish move between complementary spawning and summer habitats.

Summer Habitat Use by Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout in Jocassee Reservoir

AbstractTemperature, dissolved oxygen, and depth preferences of Jocassee Reservoir rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta implanted with temperature‐sensing radio transmitters were determined during July, August, and September 1994–1998. Specific knowledge of these preferences was needed to verify habitat criteria designed to assist in the management of water quality in this reservoir for trout survival in late summer and early fall. Rainbow trout exhibited temperature, dissolved oxygen, and depth preferences in the ranges 8.3–13.4°C, 2.9–8.7 mg/L, and 30.0–52.0 m, respectively, while brown trout exhibited preferences in the ranges 7.5–21.9°C, 4.2–10.0 mg/L, and 14.0–54.0 m, respectively. Even though rainbow trout selected cooler water temperatures and greater depths than brown trout, both species generally exhibited preferences for water 20°C or cooler and containing 5.0 mg/L or more of dissolved oxygen. Maintenance of these criteria in Jocassee Reservoir should ensure adequate habitat for the summer and early fall survival of rainbow and brown trout.

Game crops as summer habitat for farmland songbirds in Scotland

Counts of songbirds during the breeding season on 21 farms across eastern Scotland, UK, showed that up to 80 times as many birds were recorded from game crops as nearby conventional crops. At the same time, butterflies and bumble-bees were, respectively, up to 15 and 40 times more abundant in the game crops than conventional crops. In a survey of weeds in smaller game crop plots where sowing conditions were controlled, 90% more species were found than in nearby conventional crops (180% more broad-leaved weeds). Weeds from important bird-food groups were nearly three times as abundant in game crops as conventional crops. Game crops therefore provide a very attractive habitat for many forms of wildlife that in turn provide valuable resources for songbirds, many of which are currently declining on modern farmland.

Reproductive condition and activity pattern of male Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) in the summer habitat

Summary We studied temporal variation in epididymal filling (a measure of reproductive condition) and activity pattern of male Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) in a summer habitat near Staufenberg (Hesse, Germany). Epididymal filling in adult males declined from April to early July. Thereafter epididymal filling sharply increased and the highest median value was reached in the second half of September, i. e., prior to the occupation of the hibernaculum. Highest median epididymal filling in juveniles occurred in the first half of September. During August, September and October epididymal filling of adult males was significantly higher than that of juveniles. In late summer (August/September) relatively heavy adult males stayed significantly longer in their day roosts and spent significantly less time foraging than in early summer (June/July). The findings suggest that a large proportion of matings in M.daubentonii occurs already in the day roosts within the summer habitat.

Habitat relations of Rhea americana in an agroecosystem of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

The maintenance of wild populations of Greater Rhea ( Rhea americana) through effective management requires an understanding of their habitat requirements in terms of vegetation composition and field configuration. We studied the relative influence of some anthropogenic variables (presence of route, house and fences) and resource variables (presence of water source, composition and coverage of plant species, vegetation height and bare soil), on the habitat use by a population of rheas in a cattle ranch of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Habitat use was determined indirectly by documenting the number of faeces in summer, autumn–winter and spring 1999. The presence or absence of faeces was related to the measured variables through discriminant analysis that allowed the elaboration of predictive models of habitat use by this species. Contrary to what was expected, those variables related to human activity showed a low predictive value on the habitat use by rheas when compared with resource variables. Rheas preferentially selected the stream area in all seasons and sites with great percent cover of Bupleurum sp., Phyla canescens, Sida leprosa, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, Lolium multiflorum, Stipa spp., and Stenotaphrum secundatum. Low vegetation height was another important component of rhea's habitat in summer and autumn–winter. The high accuracy level obtained by validation tests of this model supports its utility for the management of rhea populations in other cattle ranches of the region, and to analyze the suitability of other ranches for reintroduction programs.

Growth performance of Cladina stellaris following caribou disturbance in subarctic Quebec

:Cladina stellaris is a dominant lichen species of old-growth lichen-spruce woodlands in subarctic Québec, where the continuous lichen carpet persists for several decades in the absence of disturbance. The lichen carpet is, however, vulnerable to caribou (Rangifer tarandus) disturbance under dry site conditions. Through grazing and trampling, large herds of migratory caribou reduce C. stellaris abundance and modify ground vegetation composition. Here, we have evaluated the age and growth performance of C. stellaris in relation to the recent activity of the George River Caribou Herd (GRCH). We measured the age, length, and growth rate of C. stellaris podetia in and near caribou trails in 15 lichen-spruce woodlands across the summer habitat. The age of lichens, used to evaluate the initial period of lichen recruitment following the decline of the GRCH, indicated that lichen recovery began in the early 1990s in heavily disturbed sites, whereas comparisons between the age structure of border and trail lichens also suggested that the southern part of the calving ground was still heavily used in the early 1990s. Length and growth rate of C. stellaris thallus were closely associated with severity of caribou disturbance, as inferred from the residual ground cover of terrestrial lichens. Growth performance of C. stellaris during the initial stage of lichen recovery varied according to the spatial use of the summer habitat by caribou, with better performance at the edge of the summer and winter habitats and reduced performance in the extensively used calving ground. The analysis of growth performance of C. stellaris provides new insights on lichen-spruce stand recovery associated with caribou disturbance.

Successful re-introduction of the newts Triturus cristatus and T. vulgaris

The newts Triturus cristatus and T. vulgaris are endangered species. In spite of laws protecting them and their habitats in many countries, the number and size of their populations con- tinue to decrease. Hence, protection is not enough. We must learn more about their ecology and build new homes for them by restoring old and creating new habitats. The local initiatives reported here are intended to serve as an example of assisting the newts in their fight for survival. The author stud- ied their ecology, put an end to agricultural activities in a small section of the Luhe valley (North Ger- many), provided breeding ponds, summer habitats, overwintering quarters, and reduced predator pressures. Over 10 years the natural reproductive capacity of the newts was supported by releasing annually, into newly built ponds, ca.150 larvae and juveniles (about 60 T. cristatus and 90 T. vul- garis) — bred, reared and raised in own enclosures. These measures have resulted in the successful re-introduction of the newts to an area in which they had lived, presumably for a very long time, until human activities destroyed the basis of their existence and thus caused extinction.

Cervid forage utilization in noncommercially thinned ponderosa pine forests

To evaluate effects of noncommercial thinning, utilization of forages consumed by elk (Cervus elaphus L.), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus Raf.), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Raf.) was measured in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. C. Lawson) stands in Custer State Park, S. D. Treatments consisted of unthinned (control; 22 to 32 m2/ha basal area), moderately thinned (12 to 22 m2/ha basal area), and heavily thinned (3 to 13 m2/ha basal area) stands of ponderosa pine. During June, July, and August, 1991 and 1992, about 7,000 individual plants were marked along permanent transects and percent-weight-removed by grazing was ocularly estimated. Sample plots were established along transects and plants within plots were clipped to estimate standing biomass. Pellet groups were counted throughout the study area to determine summer habitat use of elk and deer. Diet composition was evaluated using microhistological analysis of fecal samples. Average percent-weight-removed from all marked plants and percent-plants-grazed were used to evaluate forage utilization. Standing biomass of graminoids, shrubs, and forbs increased (P 0.05) from unthinned to moderately and heavily thinned stands. Utilization of graminoids and shrubs averaged less than 1% when measured as percent-weight-removed and percent-plants-grazed and did not differ (P 0.05) across treatments. Forb use averaged less than 5% within sampling periods when measured as percent-weight-removed and percent-of-plants grazed and did not differ among treatments. Results of pellet group surveys indicated that cervids were primarily using meadow habitats. When averaged over the 2 years, forbs were the major forage class in deer diets, whereas graminoids were the major forage class in diets of elk.

Cervid forage utilization in noncommercially thinned ponderosa pine forests

Abstract To evaluate effects of noncommercial thinning, utilization of forages consumed by elk (Cervus elaphus L.), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus Raf.), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Raf.) was measured in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson) stands in Custer State Park, S. D. Treatments consisted of unthinned (control; 22 to 32 m2/ha basal area), moderately thinned (12 to 22 m2/ha basal area), and heavily thinned (3 to 13 m2/ha basal area) stands of ponderosa pine. During June, July, and August, 1991 and 1992, about 7,000 individual plants were marked along permanent transects and percent-weight-removed by grazing was ocularly estimated. Sample plots were established along transects and plants within plots were clipped to estimate standing biomass. Pellet groups were counted throughout the study area to determine summer habitat use of elk and deer. Diet composition was evaluated using microhistological analysis of fecal samples. Average percent-weight-removed from all marked pl...

Behavioral Thermoregulation of Brook and Rainbow Trout: Comparison of Summer Habitat Use in an Adirondack River, New York

AbstractThe body temperatures of 15 hatchery‐origin and two wild brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and 11 hatchery‐origin rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were monitored with internally implanted, temperature‐sensitive radio transmitters from June through September 1997 in a fifth‐order Adirondack river (New York). The fish were released into a 12‐km reach that during summer had maximum temperatures near those that are lethal for salmonids. Body temperatures were compared between species and with river temperatures. In 1997, the maximum river temperature was 26.4°C, and the highest average daily temperature was 25.0°C. The brook trout were usually cooler than the main river flow because they used two of five tributary confluences or groundwater discharge areas in two pools within the main river. The temperatures of the brook trout from June through September were an average of 2.3°C cooler than the main flow of the river and differed significantly (P = 0.002) from those of the rainbow trout, which were 1.5°C cooler than the river. When the river temperatures were 20°C or higher, the mean temperatures of the brook trout were 4.0°C cooler than the river and differed significantly (P = 0.002) from those of the rainbow trout, which were 2.3°C cooler than the river. Brook trout, and to a lesser extent rainbow trout, used localized coolwater areas to lower their body temperatures below that of the main river. Groundwater discharge areas within pools and some tributary confluences were critical habitats for behavioral thermoregulation because they provided refuge areas from warm river water during the summer.

Long-term investigations of migratory behaviour of asp (Aspius aspius L.) in the middle part of the Elbe River, Germany

Summary The migratory behaviour, habitat use, home range and temporal and spatial variability of migrations of the potamodromous asp (Aspius aspius L.) in the large Elbe River, Germany, were studied in the years 1997–2000. Fifty-three asp were tagged with surgically implanted radio transmitters and individually hand-tracked usually once per week for about 1 year; 50% of the asp exclusively inhabited the main channel, 22% moved for short visits into other habitats and 24% changed between winter habitats in a harbour or oxbow and summer habitats in the main channel where they spawned in late March/April. The migratory behaviour of asp was highly variable; 34 asp observed for more than 1 year lived in home ranges of 1 to >100 stream kilometres (skm) mostly near their capture site. Longest observed migration from summer habitat in the Tidal Elbe back to the spawning ground in the Middle Elbe was 166 skm. After the spawning period or the spawning period thereafter, nine of these 34 fish left their home ranges for a long downstream migration without returning during the observation period. From these results we conclude that populations of rheophilic, potamodromous fish use a surprisingly long river section and that weirs have a strong impact on migration patterns and, ultimately, on population dynamics of these species.

Environmentally Related Variability in Risk of Exposure to Lyme Disease Spirochetes in Northern California: Effect of Climatic Conditions and Habitat Type

Risk of exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) spirochetes, which include the causative agents of Lyme disease, is, in part, determined by the density of questing infected vector ticks. We sought to clarify the temporal patterns of nymphal activity, and the extent of variation in peak and cumulative densities of B. burgdorferi s.l.-infected Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls nymphs, at 12 sites within the ecologically diverse Mendocino County in northwestern California. Also, we assessed the impact of various environmental characteristics (e.g., climatologic variables, habitat type, deer usage) on the aforementioned tick-related traits. The average durations of total and peak (nymphal density > 75% of absolute peak) questing activity were 31% and 82% longer, respectively, in areas with conifers present than in oak woodlands, which represented the warmest and driest habitat type examined. Peak and cumulative densities of infected nymphs varied > 400-fold between sites. Both traits were positively associated with the presence of Quercus spp. oaks or deer, and lower in redwood/tanoak versus oak and oak/Douglas fir habitats. However, a prolonged duration of nymphal activity in redwood habitats, relative to oak woodlands, resulted in a shift from peak nymphal densities occurring in oak woodlands in spring to redwood/tanoak habitats in summer. In conclusion, our data clearly show significant variability in seasonal as well as spatial risk of exposure to Lyme disease spirochetes within a small but ecologically, diverse geographic area. Hence, temporally dynamic and spatially explicit models are needed to assess the risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens at spatial scales encompassing diverse climatologic or ecological conditions.

Patterns of association between algae, fishes and grey herons Ardea cinerea in the rocky littoral zone of a Scottish sea loch

The distribution of dominant algae, Fucus vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum, the associated fish community, and the spatial and temporal distributions of the main piscivorous predator, the grey heron Ardea cinerea, were studied on the rocky intertidal zone of Loch Etive, a sea loch on the Scottish west coast. Fucus- and Ascophyllum-dominated shores were not distributed randomly around the shore: the latter was especially common along the more sheltered shores and bays and on the finer substratum types. Coverage and frond length of Ascophyllum were greater than for Fucus. Fourteen fish species were caught in the intertidal zone. Numerically, the catch was dominated by four species caught in Fucus- and Ascophyllum-dominated habitats in both winter and summer: Spinachia spinachia, Pholis gunnellus, Taurulus bubalis and Zoarces viviparus. A higher species richness and fish abundance were recorded on Ascophyllum shores than on Fucus ones in both seasons. On Loch Etive, grey herons foraged exclusively in the intertidal zone usually as solitary, well-spaced individuals. The models suggest the number of foraging birds tended to increase with increasing total algal area (i.e. the two dominant species plus Fucus serratus) and with area of Ascophyllum and decreased with increasing area of Fucus and distance from the breeding colony. Adult grey herons showed a preference for foraging in Ascophyllum habitat and first-years showed no preference, suggesting that Ascophyllum-dominated areas are optimal foraging habitats for coastal-living grey herons. One section of shore was particularly important in establishing these habitat relationships: an Ascophyllum-dominated section with the largest intertidal area and where the highest number of foraging adults but no first-years were recorded. Future conservation and management considerations for the rocky intertidal zone should include associated fish communities and their predators, for which this habitat, and Ascophyllum-dominated areas especially, are of particular importance.

The effect of establishing native woodland on habitat selection and ranging of moorland mountain hares (Lepus timidus), a flexible forager

Mountain hares Lepus timidus L. typify species that occupy a broad geographic range and have flexible foraging and nutritional strategies. Such species may show a range of responses to habitat modification. This study aimed to provide a basis for prediction of the impact of mountain hares on woodland establishment, and of woodland establishment on mountain hare distribution. The selection of and the extent of incorporation of new woodland into the home range of mountain hares was investigated in an area where Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. woodland was establishing within their usual habitat in Britain, upland heather moorland. Seasonal home, day and night‐range sizes of radio‐tracked mountain hares were determined using the multinuclear probability polygon technique and analysed using residual maximum likelihood (REML). Habitat selection was analysed using compositional analysis. Three main habitat types were available to hares: heather moorland with trees, heather moorland and grassland‐mire. Mean home‐range size of mountain hares in summer was 10.3 ha and in winter 9.6 ha. There were no significant seasonal or sex differences in home‐range size. Females selected grassland‐mire habitat in summer and showed no strong selection for any habitat in winter. Males selected heather moorland in both summer and winter. Heather moorland with trees was not selected preferentially by mountain hares of either sex in summer or winter. The absence of selection for areas of newly establishing‐Scots pine woodland suggests that any browsing damage to trees by hares is most likely to be a function of the local abundance of mountain hares, rather than a result of active preference of hares for the modified habitat.