Data from: 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 models. We recorded 27 sloths within countryside habitats and found that both local and landscape factors significantly influenced their spatial distribution. Locally, sloths favored structurally complex habitats, with greater canopy cover and variation in tree height and basal area. At the landscape scale, sloths demonstrated a preference for habitats with high proportions of forest and nearly large tracts of forest. Although mixed-use areas and tree plantations are not substitutes for protected forests, our results suggest they provide important supplemental habitats for sloths. To promote the conservation and long-term viability of sloth populations in the tropical countryside, we recommend for land managers to retain structurally complex vegetation and large patches of native habitat.

未来一个世纪内，随着人类人口、食品消费与林产品需求持续增长，土地利用变化对生物多样性的压力预计将进一步加剧。在热带区域，保留充足树木覆盖且冠层结构复杂的乡村生境，可通过为大量本土生物区系提供适宜栖息地与景观连通性，成为保护区的有效补充。扩散能力较低的物种，是土地利用变化引发灭绝风险最高的类群之一。本研究以褐喉树懒（brown-throated sloth, *Bradypus variegatus*）——一种扩散能力有限的脊椎动物模式物种——为研究对象，依托多尺度框架，评估了哥斯达黎加中北部乡村生境的植被结构与景观格局对其空间分布的塑造作用。研究采用混合效应逻辑回归模型，量化了局域生境特征与景观背景对树懒出现概率的影响。本研究在乡村生境中共计记录到27只褐喉树懒，结果表明局域与景观因子均对其空间分布存在显著影响。局域尺度下，树懒偏好结构复杂的生境，即冠层覆盖度更高、树高与胸高断面积变异度更大的生境。景观尺度上，树懒表现出对高森林占比且连片大型森林斑块生境的偏好。尽管多功能利用区与人工林无法替代原生保护林，但本研究结果显示，它们可为树懒提供重要的辅助栖息地。为推动热带乡村地区树懒种群的保护与长期存续，我们建议土地管理者保留结构复杂的植被与大面积原生栖息地斑块。