Habitat drives dispersal and survival of translocated juvenile desert tortoises

In spite of growing reliance on translocations in wildlife conservation, translocation efficacy remains inconsistent. One factor that can contribute to failed translocations is releasing animals into poor-quality or otherwise inadequate habitat. Here, we used a targeted approach to test the relationship of habitat features to post-translocation dispersal and survival of juvenile Mojave desert tortoises Gopherus agassizii. We selected three habitat characteristics – rodent burrows, substrate texture (prevalence and size of rocks) and washes (ephemeral river beds) – that are tied to desert tortoise ecology. At the point of release, we documented rodent burrow abundance, substrate texture and wash presence and analysed their relationship to the maximum dispersal. We also documented the relative use by each individual for each habitat characteristic and analysed their relationships with survival and fatal encounters with a predator in the first year after release. In general, the presenc...尽管野生动物保护领域对物种迁地保护（translocation）的依赖日益增强，但其实施效果仍参差不齐。导致迁地保护失败的一个关键因素，是将动物释放至质量低劣或其他方面不达标的栖息地中。 本研究采用靶向研究方法，探究栖息地特征与莫哈韦沙漠幼龟（Gopherus agassizii）迁地释放后的扩散行为及存活情况之间的关联。 本研究选取了与沙漠陆龟生态密切相关的三类栖息地特征：啮齿类洞穴、基质质地（岩石的覆盖度与粒径）以及冲沟（季节性河床）。在释放节点，我们记录了研究区域内啮齿类洞穴的丰度、基质质地与冲沟分布情况，并分析其与最大扩散距离的关联。此外，我们还记录了每只个体对各类栖息地特征的相对利用情况，并分析其与释放后第一年的存活情况以及遭遇捕食者致死事件之间的关联。 总体而言，（原文此处内容未完整显示，原句为"In general, the presenc..."）