A nesting site suitability model for rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) in the Apennine Mountains using logistic regression

Abstract

The rock partridge has undergone a decline throughout its entire distribution area, including the population of the central Italian Apennine Mountains. Areas of suitable habitat for this species have been reduced due to landscape fragmentation and the dynamics of domestic animal and wildlife management. The present study was conducted in the Province of Rieti, Lazio Region. Geograph- ical and land use predictors were evaluated in a GIS environment to identify the most relevant factors influencing the presence of rock partridge during the nesting period. Logistic regression was then imple- mented to create a model, characterised by a good level of adequacy, for predicting rock partridge nesting site habitat characteristics. Correct predictions of presence and absence were made in 65.2% and 98.6% of cases, respectively. The ROC value was 0.771, which is statistically significant (P<0.001). The results show that, on a local scale, slope (log), distance from forests, and the presence of bare rocks were statisti- cally significant factors. On a landscape scale, the percentage of forests, the presence of sparse vegetation (over 60%), and a negative Mean Shape Index (MSI) were found to be statistically significant

Biogeography of parasitism in freshwater fish: spatial patterns in hot spots of infection

“…Consequently, it can be applied to compute the probability of local occurrence of a species, based on local conditions, in order to test how it relates to the local abundance of that species across multiple sites. The favourability concept has been used for species distribution modelling and habitat selection analysis (Real et al , Amici et al ) among others. Despite its potential for epidemiology (Acevedo and Real ), it has just recently been applied for the first time in this context (Boadella et al ).…”

Favourability: concept, distinctive characteristics and potential usefulness

“…those sampling units with a higher probability of event occurrence than expected by chance. For processes differing in prevalence favourability values provide comparable measures of the response of each process to the predictors; for example, with the favourability function it is possible to quantify in the same terms the degree to which the local environmental characteristic are favouring bird nesting occurrence and nesting success for each sampling unit (see Amici et al 2009). In another example, Real et al (2009) used the favourability function to identify areas autoecologically favourable for the rare Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) but autoecologically unfavourable for its common staple prey the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), so highlighting the lack of trophic resources in parts of the potential range for a critically endangered species.…”

Rock partridge (Alectoris graeca graeca) population density and trends in central Greece

“…The rock partridge is a Palearctic species with a limited geographical distribution in central and south Europe (Cattadori et al, 1999;Randi, 2006). Within this distribution range, the rock partridge occurs with four different subspecies: Alectoris graeca saxatilis can be found in discrete and often isolated populations in mountainous regions of various countries which share the Alps, such as the Italian Dolomitic Alps (Cattadori et al, 1999(Cattadori et al, , 2003, the French Alps (Bernard-Laurent, 1991, 2000, the Austrian Alps (Bednar-Field et al, 2011), and the Dinaric Alps of the southwestern Balkans (Vogrin, 2001); Alectoris graeca whitakeri is strictly endemic and present only in the island of Sicily in Italy (Corso, 2010); Alectoris graeca orlandei has a distribution in the central and southern Appenines in Italy (Amici et al, 2009;Rippa et al, 2011); and finally, Alectoris graeca graeca which is distributed in the Balkan peninsula and mainly in southern Bulgaria (Dragoev, 1974;Nikolov & Spasov, 2005;Boev et al, 2007), Albania (Lucchini & Randi, 1998;Randi, 2006), some states of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia (Muzinic, 1995;Stevanovic et al, 2005), and large part of Greece.…”