Data-driven discovery of the spatial scales of habitat choice by elephants.

ABSTRACT: Setting conservation goals and management objectives relies on understanding animal habitat preferences. Models that predict preferences combine location data from tracked animals with environmental information, usually at a spatial resolution determined by the available data. This resolution may be biologically irrelevant for the species in question. Individuals likely integrate environmental characteristics over varying distances when evaluating their surroundings; we call this the scale of selection. Even a single characteristic might be viewed differently at different scales; for example, a preference for sheltering under trees does not necessarily imply a fondness for continuous forest. Multi-scale preference is likely to be particularly evident for animals that occupy coarsely hetero

SUBMITTER: Mashintonio AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4145068 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature