Multi-scale habitat assessment of pronghorn migration routes

We studied the habitat selection of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) during seasonal migration; an important period in an animal’s annual cycle associated with broad-scale movements. We further decompose our understanding of migration habitat itself as the product of both broad- and fine-scale behavioral decisions and take a multi-scale approach to assess pronghorn spring and fall migration across the transboundary Northern Sagebrush Steppe region. We used a hierarchical habitat selection framework to assess a suite of natural and anthropogenic features that have been shown to influence selection patterns of pronghorn at both broad (migratory neighborhood) and fine (migratory pathway) scales. We then combined single-scale predictions into a scale-integrated step selection function (ISSF) map to assess its effectiveness in predicting migration route habitat. During spring, pronghorn selected for native grasslands, areas of high forage productivity (NDVI), and avoided human activity (i.e...

本研究聚焦于叉角羚（pronghorn, *Antilocapra americana*）在季节性迁徙期间的生境选择行为；季节性迁徙是动物年度生命周期中与大范围移动相关的重要阶段。本研究进一步将对迁徙生境的认知拆解为大尺度与细尺度行为决策共同作用的产物，并采用多尺度研究方法，对跨界北艾灌丛草原（Northern Sagebrush Steppe）区域内叉角羚的春季和秋季迁徙进行评估。本研究采用层级式生境选择框架，对一系列已被证实会影响叉角羚在大尺度（迁徙邻域）与细尺度（迁徙通道）上生境选择模式的自然及人为特征展开评估。随后，本研究将单尺度预测结果整合为尺度整合步长选择函数（scale-integrated step selection function, ISSF）图谱，以评估其在预测迁徙通道生境方面的有效性。在春季，叉角羚偏好选择本土草原、高饲草生产力区域（归一化植被指数（Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI）），并规避人类活动区域（即……）