Conservation implications of using an imitation carnivore to assess rarely used refuges as critical habitat features in an alpine ungulate.

ABSTRACT: Understanding relationships between animals and their habitat is a central goal in ecology with important implications for conservation. Misidentified habitat requirements can have serious repercussions because land protection or reintroductions might occur in less than optimal habitat. Studies of resource selection have greatly facilitated an understanding of ecological relationships but can be improved when vital yet infrequently utilized habitat features are more fully described. A critical element for many prey species is escape terrain or some other form of refuge to avoid predation. Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) are well known for their use of cliffs to avoid predation, but a survey of the literature revealed at least twelve different approximations of goat escape terra

SUBMITTER: Sarmento W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7295023 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature