Natal habitat preference induction in large mammals – Like mother, like child?

Habitat selection has received considerable attention from ecologists during the last decades, yet the underlying forces shaping individual differences in habitat selection are poorly documented. Some of these differences could be explained by the early experience of individuals in their natal habitat. By selecting habitat attributes like those encountered early in life, individuals could improve resource acquisition, survival, and ultimately fitness. This behaviour, known as natal habitat preference induction (NHPI), could be particularly common in large mammals, because offspring generally stay with their mother for an extended period. We used three complementary approaches to assess NHPI in a marked population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou): 1) population-based resource selection functions (RSFs), 2) individual-based RSFs, and 3) behavioural repeatability analyses. All approaches compared the behaviour of calves in their natal range to their behaviour as independent ...