Multi-scale effects of habitat structure and landscape context on a vertebrate with limited dispersal ability (the brown-throated sloth, Bradypus variegatus)​

As human population, food consumption, and demand for forest products continue to rise over the next century, the pressures of land use change on biodiversity are projected to intensify. In tropical regions, countryside habitats that retain abundant tree cover and structurally complex canopies may complement protected areas by providing suitable habitats and landscape connectivity for a significant portion of the native biota. Species with low dispersal capabilities are among the most at risk of extinction as a consequence of land use change. We assessed how the spatial distribution of the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), a model species for a vertebrate with limited dispersal ability, is shaped by differences in habitat structure and landscape patterns of countryside habitats in north-central Costa Rica using a multi-scale framework. We quantified the influence of local habitat characteristics and landscape context on sloth occurrence using mixed-effects logistic regression ...