Mesopredator predation risk limits northern bobwhite nesting habitat

Predators can significantly limit the amount of available habitat for vulnerable prey. Encouraging spatial segregation of predators and prey through habitat management prescriptions may be a useful tool to increase productivity and abundances of prey species of conservation concern. We estimated the total area of low-risk nesting habitat by interacting predator habitat selection models with northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) nest-site selection models. We used trail cameras, transect sampling, spotlighting transects, and incidental tracking to survey and map occurrences of mesopredators at a site in western Oklahoma, USA. We created broad-scale resource selection function models for bobwhite nest-site and mesopredator habitat selection using generalized linear models to create maps of occurrence probability in ArcGIS. Bobwhite nests were more likely to be depredated in areas of high selection by coyotes (Canis latrans) and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) compared to areas with lo..., Species occurrence data were collected at Packsaddle Wildlife Mangement Area in western Oklahoma using a variety of survey methods: scent stations, camera traps, transects for sign, and spotlighting surveys. Cover type proportions were extracted on ArcGIS at multiple spatial scales, labeled as the radius of buffers in kilometers.,

捕食者可显著限制易受害猎物的可用栖息地面积。通过栖息地管理方案推动捕食者与猎物的空间分隔，或可成为提升需保护关注猎物物种生产力与种群丰度的有效途径。我们通过将捕食者栖息地选择模型与北部山齿鹑（Colinus virginianus）巢址选择模型进行耦合，估算了低风险筑巢栖息地的总面积。我们采用步道相机、样带采样、夜间灯光样带以及偶然追踪等方法，对美国俄克拉荷马州西部某研究样地内的中型捕食者（mesopredators）出现情况开展调查并绘制空间分布图。我们基于广义线性模型（generalized linear model）构建了山齿鹑巢址与中型捕食者栖息地选择的大尺度资源选择函数模型，并在ArcGIS平台中生成了物种出现概率分布图。相较于具有[原文此处表述未完整]的区域，郊狼（Canis latrans）与条纹臭鼬（Mephitis mephitis）高选择生境内的山齿鹑巢更易遭受捕食。物种出现数据采集于俄克拉荷马州西部的帕卡德塞德野生动物管理区（Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area），采用的调查方法包括气味站、红外相机陷阱、痕迹样带以及夜间灯光调查。我们在ArcGIS平台中提取了多种空间尺度下的植被覆盖类型占比，各尺度以千米为单位的缓冲区半径进行标识。