Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors

1. Habitat alteration and fragmentation are two of the greatest threats to biodiversity. The conservation of most species in highly encroached areas requires reserves that are connected by suitable habitat corridors to increase the effectiveness of the area under protection. However, the quality req...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Palomares, Francisco
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2001
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/51457
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/51457
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Dispersal
European rabbit
fragmentation
habitat selection
Lynx pardinus
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Mediterranean scrubland
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spelling Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridorsPalomares, FranciscoDispersalEuropean rabbitfragmentationhabitat selectionLynx pardinusOryctolagus cuniculusMediterranean scrubland1. Habitat alteration and fragmentation are two of the greatest threats to biodiversity. The conservation of most species in highly encroached areas requires reserves that are connected by suitable habitat corridors to increase the effectiveness of the area under protection. However, the quality required for such corridors is still debated. This study investigated the habitat characteristics (vegetation structure and prey abundance) of sites used by resident and dispersing Iberian lynx in south-western Spain. 2. Vegetation structure and an index of rabbit abundance (the staple prey of lynx) were measured at sites used by radio-collared lynx in 1996 and 1997. Data from 128 plots used by resident lynx and 310 plots used by dispersing individuals were compared with data from 162 randomly located plots in sites considered to be unused by lynx. 3. Resident sites had a lower percentage of tree cover, shorter tree height, higher per- centage of tall shrub cover, higher percentage of overall understorey and higher number of rabbit pellets than both dispersal and unused sites. The height of the short shrub layer was taller and the rabbit abundance index was higher in dispersing sites than in unused sites. 4. Gender did not affect habitat selection by lynx. During dispersal, lynx frequently (50% of cases) used vegetation patches narrower than 300 m. In these cases, sites used by lynx had higher understorey cover and taller shrub height than adjacent unused sites. The percentage of short shrub cover used by lynx increased with the length of time taken to disperse; this was the only variable that changed over time. 5. Range size of resident individuals declined significantly with the index of rabbit abundance but increased with the percentage of short shrub cover. Both variables were good predictors of range size. 6. The study shows that corridors connecting reserves do not have to be prime habitats; they can even support moderate habitat degradation due to human activity. This result has implications both for the conservation of existing corridors, and for the restoration of the many corridors between reserves that have been lostPeer reviewedBritish Ecological Society201220122001info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501http://hdl.handle.net/10261/51457reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Ingléshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.2001.00565.xinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/514572026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
title Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
spellingShingle Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
Palomares, Francisco
Dispersal
European rabbit
fragmentation
habitat selection
Lynx pardinus
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Mediterranean scrubland
title_short Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
title_full Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
title_fullStr Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
title_full_unstemmed Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
title_sort Vegetation structure and prey abundance requirements of the Iberian lynx: implications for the design of reserves and corridors
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Palomares, Francisco
author Palomares, Francisco
author_facet Palomares, Francisco
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Dispersal
European rabbit
fragmentation
habitat selection
Lynx pardinus
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Mediterranean scrubland
topic Dispersal
European rabbit
fragmentation
habitat selection
Lynx pardinus
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Mediterranean scrubland
description 1. Habitat alteration and fragmentation are two of the greatest threats to biodiversity. The conservation of most species in highly encroached areas requires reserves that are connected by suitable habitat corridors to increase the effectiveness of the area under protection. However, the quality required for such corridors is still debated. This study investigated the habitat characteristics (vegetation structure and prey abundance) of sites used by resident and dispersing Iberian lynx in south-western Spain. 2. Vegetation structure and an index of rabbit abundance (the staple prey of lynx) were measured at sites used by radio-collared lynx in 1996 and 1997. Data from 128 plots used by resident lynx and 310 plots used by dispersing individuals were compared with data from 162 randomly located plots in sites considered to be unused by lynx. 3. Resident sites had a lower percentage of tree cover, shorter tree height, higher per- centage of tall shrub cover, higher percentage of overall understorey and higher number of rabbit pellets than both dispersal and unused sites. The height of the short shrub layer was taller and the rabbit abundance index was higher in dispersing sites than in unused sites. 4. Gender did not affect habitat selection by lynx. During dispersal, lynx frequently (50% of cases) used vegetation patches narrower than 300 m. In these cases, sites used by lynx had higher understorey cover and taller shrub height than adjacent unused sites. The percentage of short shrub cover used by lynx increased with the length of time taken to disperse; this was the only variable that changed over time. 5. Range size of resident individuals declined significantly with the index of rabbit abundance but increased with the percentage of short shrub cover. Both variables were good predictors of range size. 6. The study shows that corridors connecting reserves do not have to be prime habitats; they can even support moderate habitat degradation due to human activity. This result has implications both for the conservation of existing corridors, and for the restoration of the many corridors between reserves that have been lost
publishDate 2001
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2001
2012
2012
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/51457
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/51457
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.2001.00565.x
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv British Ecological Society
publisher.none.fl_str_mv British Ecological Society
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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