Ecological factors at fine spatial scale associated with habitat use by tigers in western Terai Arc landscape, Nepal

Conservation of designated source sites is a fundamental strategy for global tiger recovery. Reliable estimates of tiger Panthera tigris habitat use within these source sites are crucial for informing effective management strategies. In this study, we assessed tiger habitat use within Bardia-Banke Complex, one of the 42 global source sites, situated in the western Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) of Nepal. We conducted a grid-based detection and non-detection camera trap survey across 719 grid cells, each measuring 2×2 km². To assess tiger habitat use while accounting for imperfect detectability, we applied a single-season occupancy model. We analyzed nine covariates that have potential to influence tiger habitat use in the Complex, including terrain, co-predators, prey, water availability and disturbance. We found that fine scale (2x2 km2) tiger habitat use in the Complex was 0.43 (SE ± 0.0085, 95% CI: 0.414 - 0.448). Our analysis demonstrated that tigers used habitats unevenly across the Bar..., To assess fine-scale habitat associations, we used non-invasive camera traps to survey the entire Bardia and Banke National Park along with adjoining forest area following the standard tiger monitoring protocol from 16 December 2021 to 12 March 2022. We used grid-based sampling approach and divided the study area into 719 grid cells of size 2x2 km2 for systematic detection and non-detection camera trap survey. Cuddeback (C1), Panthera (V5 and V6) and Reconyx automated cameras with white flash were used to capture photos of tigers and other wild animals. Camera traps were mounted on standing trees or pegged wooden poles 45 – 60 cm above the ground, perpendicular to, and 6 m – 10 m apart on either side of game trails, forest roads, and riverbeds.  Each survey occasion consisted of a 15-16 day camera-trapping session, with cameras monitored twice a week in accordance with Nepal's tiger and prey monitoring protocol (DNPWC, 2017). Tiger detection (photographs) and non-detection (absence..., , # **Ecological factors at fine spatial scale associated with tiger occupancy in western Terai Arc landscape, Nepal** [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6q573n65q](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6q573n65q) ## Description of the data and file structure Data comprises information on grids, detection histories (\"1\"- detected or \"0\" -non-detected), and covariates. The first column represents the grid codes of camera stations, which included 720 unique IDs (Id_grid). Detection histories included 20 spatial replicates from R1 to R1.16. Covariates are elevation (ele) (meter), slope (degree), aspect (degree), topographic ruggedness index (tri) (dimension less), distance to buildings (dist_build) (meter), distance to river (dist_river) (meter), distance to road (dist_road) (meter), distance to artificial waterholes (dist_water) (meter), normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi) (dimension less), prey index (prey)(dimension less), and carnivore index (carnivores) (dimension less). Remotely sense...,# 尼泊尔西部特莱弧景观中与虎生境占用相关的精细尺度生态因子 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6q573n65q 保护指定的老虎源栖息地是全球虎恢复的核心策略。对这些源栖息地内虎（Panthera tigris）的生境利用进行可靠评估，可为制定高效管理方案提供关键依据。本研究针对全球42个虎源栖息地之一、位于尼泊尔西部特莱弧景观（Terai Arc Landscape, TAL）的巴迪亚-班克综合体（Bardia-Banke Complex）开展虎生境利用评估。 我们采用基于网格的检测与未检测相机陷阱（camera trap）调查法，对719个面积为2×2 km²的网格单元展开调查。为在评估虎生境利用时校正不完全检测（imperfect detectability）偏差，我们应用了单季生境占用模型（single-season occupancy model）。本研究分析了9个可能影响该综合体虎生境利用的协变量，包括地形、共存捕食者、猎物资源、水源可获得性及人为干扰。研究发现，该综合体2×2 km²尺度下的虎生境利用率为0.43（标准误±0.0085，95%置信区间：0.414~0.448）。分析结果表明，虎在巴迪亚-班克综合体的生境利用并不均匀。 为探究精细尺度下的生境关联特征，我们遵循标准虎监测规程，于2021年12月16日至2022年3月12日期间，对巴迪亚国家公园、班克国家公园及其毗邻林区开展非侵入式相机陷阱（non-invasive camera traps）调查。我们采用网格抽样法，将研究区划分为719个2×2 km²的网格单元，开展系统性的检测与未检测相机陷阱调查。 本研究使用Cuddeback（C1型）、Panthera（V5、V6型）及Reconyx带白光闪光灯的自动相机，拍摄虎及其他野生动物的影像。相机陷阱安装于站立树干或固定木杆上，距地面高度为45~60 cm，垂直于兽道（game trails）、林区道路及河床布设，两侧相机间距为6~10 m。每个调查周期为15~16天的相机布设时段，按照尼泊尔虎与猎物监测规程（DNPWC, 2017），每周对相机进行两次巡检。虎的检测记录（照片）与未检测记录（未拍到）…… ## 数据及文件结构说明 本数据集包含网格信息、检测历史记录（"1"代表检测到目标，"0"代表未检测到目标）以及协变量数据。第一列为相机监测站的网格编码，共包含720个唯一ID（Id_grid）。检测历史记录包含20个空间重复样本，编号从R1至R1.16。协变量包括：海拔（ele，单位：米）、坡度（slope，单位：度）、坡向（aspect，单位：度）、地形粗糙度指数（topographic ruggedness index, TRI）、距建筑物距离（dist_build，单位：米）、距河流距离（dist_river，单位：米）、距道路距离（dist_road，单位：米）、距人工水源距离（dist_water，单位：米）、归一化植被指数（normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI）、猎物指数（prey，无单位）以及食肉动物指数（carnivores，无单位）。遥感……