Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1007/s00267-013-0210-x
Volltext Shareable Link
Titel (primär) Resource selection probability functions for gopher tortoise: providing a management tool applicable across the species’ range
Autor Kowal, V.A.; Schmolke, A.; Kanagaraj, R.; Bruggeman, D.
Quelle Environmental Management
Erscheinungsjahr 2014
Department OESA
Band/Volume 53
Heft 3
Seite von 594
Seite bis 605
Sprache englisch
Supplements https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00267-013-0210-x/MediaObjects/267_2013_210_MOESM1_ESM.docx
UFZ Querschnittsthemen RU5;
Abstract The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is protected by conservation policy throughout its range. Efforts to protect the species from further decline demand detailed understanding of its habitat requirements, which have not yet been rigorously defined. Current methods of identifying gopher tortoise habitat typically rely on coarse soil and vegetation classifications, and are prone to over-prediction of suitable habitat. We used a logistic resource selection probability function in an information-theoretic framework to understand the relative importance of various environmental factors to gopher tortoise habitat selection, drawing on nationwide environmental datasets, and an existing tortoise survey of the Ft. Benning military base. We applied the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as an index of vegetation density, and found that NDVI was strongly negatively associated with active burrow locations. Our results showed that the most parsimonious model included variables from all candidate model types (landscape features, topography, soil, vegetation), and the model groups describing soil or vegetation alone performed poorly. These results demonstrate with a rigorous quantitative approach that although soil and vegetation are important to the gopher tortoise, they are not sufficient to describe suitable habitat. More widely, our results highlight the feasibility of constructing highly accurate habitat suitability models from data that are widely available throughout the species’ range. Our study shows that the widespread availability of national environmental datasets describing important components of gopher tortoise habitat, combined with existing tortoise surveys on public lands, can be leveraged to inform knowledge of habitat suitability and target recovery efforts range-wide.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=14713
Kowal, V.A., Schmolke, A., Kanagaraj, R., Bruggeman, D. (2014):
Resource selection probability functions for gopher tortoise: providing a management tool applicable across the species’ range
Environ. Manage. 53 (3), 594 - 605 10.1007/s00267-013-0210-x