Habitat selection of black grouse in an isolated population in northern Germany-the importance of mixing dry and wet habitats.

ABSTRACT: Wildlife habitats in general must provide foraging, hiding and resting places as well as sites for reproduction. Little is known about habitat selection of black grouse in the lowlands of Central Europe. We investigated habitat selection of seven radio tagged birds in an open heath and grassland area surrounded by dense pine forests in the northern German Lüneburg Heath Nature Reserve. This site carries one of the last remaining populations in the Central European lowlands. Using resource selection functions based on presence/background data, we estimated the probability of black grouse occurrence by availability of, or distance to habitat types as well as vegetation diversity indices. Black grouse preferred undisturbed and heterogeneous habitats far from dense forests with wide sand heath

SUBMITTER: Tost D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9583852 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature