Data from: Wild ungulate decision-making and the role of tiny refuges in human-dominated landscapes

Wildlife conservation in human-dominated landscapes requires that we
understand how animals, when making habitat-use decisions, obtain diverse
and dynamically occurring resources while avoiding risks, induced by both
natural predators and anthropogenic threats. Little is known about the
underlying processes that enable wild animals to persist in densely
populated human-dominated landscapes, particularly in developing
countries. In a complex, semi-arid, fragmented, human-dominated
agricultural landscape, we analyzed the habitat-use of blackbuck, a large
herbivore endemic to the Indian sub-continent. We hypothesized that
blackbuck would show flexible habitat-use behaviour and be risk averse
when resource quality in the landscape is high, and less sensitive to risk
otherwise. Overall, blackbuck appeared to be strongly influenced by human
activity and they offset risks by using small protected patches (~3 km2)
when they could afford to do so. Blackbuck habitat use varied dynamically
corresponding with seasonally-changing levels of resources and risks, with
protected habitats registering maximum use. The findings show that human
activities can strongly influence and perhaps limit ungulate habitat-use
and behaviour, but spatial heterogeneity in risk, particularly the
presence of refuges, can allow ungulates to persist in landscapes with
high human and livestock densities.