Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore.
A species’ habitat niche width informs its position on the generalist-specialist continuum, which is central to life history theory and crucial to conservation planning. However, assessments of niche width are often based on local-scale studies or qualitative descriptions rather than broad, quantita...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Wiley
2016
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| _version_ | 1826263449229852672 |
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| author | Moll, R Kilshaw, K Montgomery, R Abade, L Campbell, R Harrington, L Millspaugh, J Birks, J Macdonald, D |
| author_facet | Moll, R Kilshaw, K Montgomery, R Abade, L Campbell, R Harrington, L Millspaugh, J Birks, J Macdonald, D |
| author_sort | Moll, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | A species’ habitat niche width informs its position on the generalist-specialist continuum, which is central to life history theory and crucial to conservation planning. However, assessments of niche width are often based on local-scale studies or qualitative descriptions rather than broad, quantitative assessments conducted in heterogeneous landscapes. Here, we show how broad- scale, hierarchical occupancy models can clarify a species’ niche width and degree of habitat specialism by evaluating the woodland-specialist classification of the European pine marten (Martes martes). We deployed 526 camera-trap stations at 27 sites throughout a vast extent (~50,000km2) in Scotland and modeled pine marten occupancy as a function of habitat characteristics using a hierarchical Bayesian analysis. Our model was flexible to trap-happiness due to baiting at camera-traps and accounted for spatial autocorrelation among and imperfect detection at camera-trap stations. We detected a positive association between pine marten occupancy probability and wooded habitats. However, pine marten occupancy probability was also high in numerous non-wooded habitats, including agricultural land, heather and heather grassland, semi-natural grassland, and areas near anthropogenic structures. Our study is the first to record high pine marten occupancy in open habitats at broad spatial scales and thereby corroborates recent smaller-scale indications that pine martens are more of a habitat generalist than previously thought. Our results guide ongoing conservation efforts by identifying that pine martens are not strict woodland-specialists, but rather inhabit a mosaic of habitat types in the landscape. More broadly, our case study exemplifies how coupling hierarchical occupancy models with large-scale experimental designs can clarify a species’ niche width and associated position on the generalist-specialist continuum. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:51:56Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:243ecc30-f74d-4eb3-96ca-e1d0b0d3dbc7 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:51:56Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:243ecc30-f74d-4eb3-96ca-e1d0b0d3dbc72022-03-26T11:49:01ZClarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:243ecc30-f74d-4eb3-96ca-e1d0b0d3dbc7Symplectic Elements at OxfordWiley2016Moll, RKilshaw, KMontgomery, RAbade, LCampbell, RHarrington, LMillspaugh, JBirks, JMacdonald, DA species’ habitat niche width informs its position on the generalist-specialist continuum, which is central to life history theory and crucial to conservation planning. However, assessments of niche width are often based on local-scale studies or qualitative descriptions rather than broad, quantitative assessments conducted in heterogeneous landscapes. Here, we show how broad- scale, hierarchical occupancy models can clarify a species’ niche width and degree of habitat specialism by evaluating the woodland-specialist classification of the European pine marten (Martes martes). We deployed 526 camera-trap stations at 27 sites throughout a vast extent (~50,000km2) in Scotland and modeled pine marten occupancy as a function of habitat characteristics using a hierarchical Bayesian analysis. Our model was flexible to trap-happiness due to baiting at camera-traps and accounted for spatial autocorrelation among and imperfect detection at camera-trap stations. We detected a positive association between pine marten occupancy probability and wooded habitats. However, pine marten occupancy probability was also high in numerous non-wooded habitats, including agricultural land, heather and heather grassland, semi-natural grassland, and areas near anthropogenic structures. Our study is the first to record high pine marten occupancy in open habitats at broad spatial scales and thereby corroborates recent smaller-scale indications that pine martens are more of a habitat generalist than previously thought. Our results guide ongoing conservation efforts by identifying that pine martens are not strict woodland-specialists, but rather inhabit a mosaic of habitat types in the landscape. More broadly, our case study exemplifies how coupling hierarchical occupancy models with large-scale experimental designs can clarify a species’ niche width and associated position on the generalist-specialist continuum. |
| spellingShingle | Moll, R Kilshaw, K Montgomery, R Abade, L Campbell, R Harrington, L Millspaugh, J Birks, J Macdonald, D Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore. |
| title | Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore. |
| title_full | Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore. |
| title_fullStr | Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore. |
| title_short | Clarifying niche width using broad-scale, hierarchial occupancy models: A case study with a recovering mesocarnivore. |
| title_sort | clarifying niche width using broad scale hierarchial occupancy models a case study with a recovering mesocarnivore |
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