Data from: Individual and temporal variation in habitat association of an alien carnivore at its invasion front

Gathering information on how invasive species utilize the habitat is important, in order to better aim actions to reduce their negative impact. We studied habitat use and selection of 55 GPS-marked raccoon dogs (30 males, 25 females) at their invasion front in Northern Sweden, with particular focus on differences between males and females, between movement states, and between seasons and times of the day. Daily movement pattern was used to classify GPS-locations into dispersing and settled. We focused on both anthropogenic and natural landscape characteristics. Since we did not have any a priori knowledge about the spatial scale of raccoon dog habitat selection, we first assessed how landscape characteristics of random points changed with distance from the GPS-location they were paired to. Because changes in habitat use became less pronounced at approximately 5 km for all variables, we focused on habitat use at two spatial scales: fine (500 m) and coarse (5 km). Habitat selection was strongest at the coarse scale, and reflected the results found for habitat use. Raccoon dogs selected agricultural areas and wetlands, lower altitudes, and shallow slopes, and avoided forests, open natural areas, and areas close to water and roads. There were no differences in habitat selection between males and females, or between movement states. This lack of sexual segregation increases the probability of encountering potential mates during dispersal, and therefore the likelihood for reproduction in new areas. The seasonal and diurnal pattern of habitat use may provide guidance for where and when to aim management efforts.

探明入侵物种对栖息地的利用模式，对于精准施策以降低其负面影响至关重要。本研究针对瑞典北部入侵前沿地带的55只佩戴GPS定位项圈的貉（raccoon dog）（雄性30只、雌性25只）开展栖息地利用与选择研究，重点关注雌雄个体间、运动状态间以及不同季节与昼夜时段间的差异。研究基于每日运动模式将GPS定位点划分为扩散定位与定居定位两类。本研究同时关注人为景观与自然景观的特征参数。由于此前尚无关于貉栖息地选择空间尺度的先验认知，我们首先评估了随机点的景观特征随其配对GPS定位点的距离变化规律。因所有变量的栖息地利用变化在约5公里处趋于平缓，本研究最终聚焦于两个空间尺度下的栖息地利用：精细尺度（500米）与粗尺度（5公里）。栖息地选择在粗尺度下表现最为显著，且其结果与栖息地利用的分析结果高度吻合。貉偏好选取农田、湿地、低海拔区域与缓坡地带，规避森林、开阔自然区域以及临近水体与道路的区域。雌雄个体间以及不同运动状态间的栖息地选择均无显著差异。这种无性别分化的特征提升了扩散过程中个体偶遇潜在配偶的概率，进而提高了其在新入侵区域完成繁殖的可能性。栖息地利用的季节与昼夜模式，可为入侵防控管理的靶向区域与实施时机提供科学参考。