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- Title
RESOURCE SELECTION MODELS ARE USEFUL IN PREDICTING FINE-SCALE DISTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS IN PRAIRIE DOG COLONIES.
- Authors
Eads, David A.; Jachowski, David S.; Biggins, Dean E.; Livieri, Travis M.; Matchett, Marc R.; Millspaugh, Joshua J.
- Abstract
Wildlife-habitat relationships are often conceptualized as resource selection functions (RSFs)-models increasingly used to estimate species distributions and prioritize habitat conservation. We evaluated the predictive capabilities of 2 black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) RSFs developed on a 452-ha colony of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in the Conata Basin, South Dakota. We used the RSFs to project the relative probability of occurrence of ferrets throughout an adjacent 227-ha colony. We evaluated performance of the RSFs using ferret space use data collected via postbreeding spotlight surveys June-October 2005-2006. In home ranges and core areas, ferrets selected the predicted "very high" and "high" occurrence categories of both RSFs. Count metrics also suggested selection of these categories; for each model in each year, approximately 81% of ferret locations occurred in areas of very high or high predicted occurrence. These results suggest usefulness of the RSFs in estimating the distribution of ferrets throughout a black-tailed prairie dog colony. The RSFs provide a fine-scale habitat assessment for ferrets that can be used to prioritize releases of ferrets and habitat restoration for prairie dogs and ferrets. A method to quickly inventory the distribution of prairie dog burrow openings would greatly facilitate application of the RSFs.
- Subjects
SOUTH Dakota; BLACK-footed ferret; PRAIRIE dogs; RODENT nests; HABITAT conservation; HABITATS
- Publication
Western North American Naturalist, 2012, Vol 72, Issue 2, p206
- ISSN
1527-0904
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3398/064.072.0210