Heterogeneity of limiting environmental conditions modulate movement choices and distribution of a facultative migrant

Habitat selection and movement are key mechanisms by which animals can respond to and potentially cope with highly variable and rapidly changing environmental conditions. Optimal responses likely vary, however, depending on the severity and scope of limiting conditions. We tested this hypothesis using a facultative migrant species, the Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa), which exhibits high inter- and intra-individual variation in the timing, direction, and distance of winter movements. Specifically, we evaluated whether espisodic, spatiotemporally variable “locked-pasture” snow conditions, which restrict access to subnivean food, prompted shifts in habitat selection or long-distance movements by owls. We GPS-tracked 42 owls across the annual cycle within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA during 2017–2022. We used a novel ecological application of SnowModel, a snow evolution modeling system, to estimate fine-scale, physical snow properties likely to influence prey access. Variables in..., Our research objective was to evaluate snow conditions in relation to Great Gray Owl movement behavior.  We estimated snow depth and snow crust conditions across the study area (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem) and period (1 September 2017 - 31 August 2022) using SnowModel. SnowModel is a spatiotemporally distributed snow-evolution modeling system that utilizes land cover, topography, meteorology, and in-situ observations of snow characteristics to simulate snowpack evolution across space and time. The modeling system is versatile in terms of spatiotemporal domain and resolution and can create nuanced, project-specific snow data products required to understand mechanistic snow-wildlife relationships. We modeled the evolution of snow conditions at two spatiotemporal resolutions to address our study objectives. First, we simulated snow characteristics at a three-hour time step and 30 m × 30 m spatial resolution to assess fine-scale habitat selection in response to local snow conditions. Se..., , # Heterogeneity of limiting environmental conditions modulate movement choices and distribution of a facultative migrant Authors = Katherine Gura, Colorado State University, [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])\ Glen E. Liston, Colorado State University, [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) \[Access this dataset on Dryad] ([https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4jm)](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4jm) # Description of the data and file structure The data include two datasets: 1) a dataset of used and available step locations for GPS-tagged adult owls during winter and associated snow condition data (GGOW_SSF_Snow_Data.csv), and 2) a dataset of locations by GPS-tagged owls that includes locations on home ranges (breeding and winter) until the initiation of long-distance movements away from that range, and associated snow condition data for each location (GGOW_TimetoMigration_Snow_Data.csv). ## 1) GGOW\_SSF\_Snow\_Data.csv ...生境选择与移动是动物应对高度可变且快速变化的环境条件，并潜在适应这些条件的关键机制。然而，最优应对策略可能因限制条件的严重程度与范围而异。本研究以兼性迁徙物种乌林鸮（Great Gray Owl，*Strix nebulosa*）为研究对象，该物种在冬季移动的时间、方向与距离上存在较高的个体间与个体内变异，以此检验上述假说。具体而言，我们评估了偶发、时空异质性的“闭锁牧场”积雪条件——这类条件会阻碍动物获取雪下食物——是否会促使乌林鸮改变生境选择或开展长距离移动。 2017至2022年间，我们在美国大黄石生态系统内对42只乌林鸮开展了全年度周期的GPS追踪。我们创新性地将积雪演化建模系统（SnowModel）应用于生态学研究，以估算可能影响猎物可获取性的精细尺度物理积雪属性。文中变量涉及……本研究的核心目标为评估积雪条件与乌林鸮移动行为的关联。我们借助SnowModel，在研究区域（大黄石生态系统）与研究时段（2017年9月1日至2022年8月31日）内估算了积雪深度与雪壳（snow crust）条件。SnowModel是一种时空分布式积雪演化建模系统，它通过整合土地覆盖、地形、气象数据以及雪特征的原位观测，模拟时空维度上的积雪演化过程。该建模系统在时空范围与分辨率上具有灵活性，可生成精细化的、针对特定研究项目的积雪数据产品，以助力理解积雪-野生动物间的机制性关系。 我们以两种时空分辨率模拟积雪演化过程，以契合研究目标。其一，我们以3小时时间步长与30米×30米的空间分辨率模拟积雪特征，以评估动物针对局地积雪条件产生的精细尺度生境选择。 # 限制环境条件的异质性调控兼性迁徙物种的移动选择与分布 作者 = 凯瑟琳·古拉（Katherine Gura），科罗拉多州立大学，[[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) 格伦·E·利斯顿（Glen E. Liston），科罗拉多州立大学，[[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) [在Dryad获取本数据集](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4jm) # 数据与文件结构说明 本数据集包含两个子数据集：1) 冬季时段GPS标记成年乌林鸮的已利用与可用步位置数据集，及配套积雪数据（GGOW_SSF_Snow_Data.csv）；2) GPS标记乌林鸮的位置数据集，涵盖家域（繁殖与冬季）内直至其发起长距离移动离开该家域前的所有位置，及各位置对应的配套积雪数据（GGOW_TimetoMigration_Snow_Data.csv）。 ## 1) GGOW_SSF_Snow_Data.csv ……