Tigers (Panthera tigris) respond to fine spatial-scale habitat factors: occupancy-based habitat association of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Tigers (Panthera tigris) respond to fine spatial-scale habitat factors: occupancy-based habitat association of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal
复制标题
老虎（Panthera tigris）对精细空间尺度栖息地因素的反应：尼泊尔奇旺国家公园老虎的基于占用的栖息地关联
DOI：
10.1071/wr16012
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发表时间：
2016
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
R. Maharjan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hemanta Kafley;M. Gompper;Mandira Sharma;B. R. Lamichane;R. Maharjan
抽象的上下文。许多大型食肉动物，如老虎（Panthera tigris）的源种群被限制在人类主导的景观中的小型野生动物保护区中。对这些种群的适当管理可能需要了解栖息地的小规模利用。目标。本研究的目的是了解尼泊尔奇旺国家公园老虎栖息地的精细空间尺度关联。方法。我们在整个公园进行了摄像机陷阱调查，并应用占用模型方法来评估老虎被发现和出现的概率作为精细尺度栖息地协变量的函数。结果。与恒定检测模型相比，老虎检测概率作为精细尺度栖息地协变量的函数≤0.20。结合猎物、坡度和土地覆盖类型影响的模型最好地解释了可探测模式。同样，考虑检测概率的最佳占用模型包括猎物、土地覆盖类型、水和坡度。老虎的发生模式与猎物可得性和某些土地覆盖类型（如草地）呈正相关。与预期相反，人类住区的发生概率进一步下降。然而，正如预期的那样，靠近水源的地方老虎的发生率更高。结论。老虎的发现和发生都受到包括猎物可得性在内的精细尺度生境因素的影响。在小的保护区，个体可以通过集中活动在其活动范围的一小部分而保持高的种群密度。的影响。研究结果揭示了老虎在精细空间尺度上的发生概率，从而有助于在保护区层面制定适当的栖息地管理策略。我们的方法广泛适用于精细尺度的野生动物-栖息地关联的可靠评估，这些野生动物-栖息地关联是许多在生态上被“限制”在较小的保护区内的广域物种。
Abstract Context. Source populations of many large carnivores such as tigers (Panthera tigris) are confined within small wildlife refuges in human-dominated landscapes. Appropriate management of these populations may warrant understanding fine-scale use of habitat. Aims. The aim of the present study is to understand the fine spatial-scale habitat associations of tigers in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Methods. We conducted camera-trap surveys across the park and applied an occupancy modelling approach to assess the probability of tiger detection and occurrence as a function of fine-scale habitat covariates. Results. Tiger detection probability as a function of fine-scale habitat covariates was ≤0.20 compared with that of a constant detection model. Detectability patterns were best explained by models incorporating the effect of prey, slope and landcover type. Similarly, the best occupancy model incorporating the detection probability included prey, landcover type, water and slope. Tiger occurrence patterns were positively associated with prey availability and certain landcover types such as grasslands. Contrary to expectation, occurrence probability decreased further from human settlements. However, as expected, the occurrence of tigers was higher in proximity to water sources. Conclusions. Both tiger detection and occurrence are influenced by fine-scale habitat factors, including prey availability. In small protected areas, individuals may persist at high population densities by intensively focusing their activity on small portions of their home ranges. Implications. Our study provided insight into the fine spatial-scale occurrence probability of tigers, and thereby aids in developing appropriate habitat management strategies at the protected-area level. Our approach is broadly applicable to the robust assessment of fine-scale wildlife–habitat associations of many wide-ranging species that are ecologically ‘confined’ in smaller protected areas.