Habitat selection by the Pale-breasted Spinetail (<i>Synallaxis albescens</i>) at multiple spatial scales in the central Monte Desert, Argentina

Lacoretz, Mariela V.; Sagario, M. Cecilia; Cueto, Víctor R.

doi:10.1071/mu11067

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Nevertheless, plant species selected by plantcutters at SHBP (G. boerhaaviaefolia, Prosopis spp., and C. scabridum) are also common within the ranges of other subpopulations Rosina 2012, Atauchi et al 2018), and those identified as the most important year-round resources in SHBP (G. boerhaaviaefolia and Prosopis spp.) are also among those of major use and selection at other studied subpopulations (Rosina and Romo 2012, Liñ an and Nolazco 2013, Rivas 2015. Special caution should be taken for subpopulations where these plants are scarce or absent (e.g., Nolazco and S anchez 2018, Devenish and Piana 2019), and where information on local resources and conditions is required to guarantee effective and efficient conservation actions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…For evaluating the species of plants that best predicted territory occupancy by Peruvian Plantcutters, we modeled the probability of territory occupancy as a function of plant availability using a generalized linear model (multiple binary logistic regression). Our dichotomous response variable was territory or non-territory (0/1) and our predictors were the cover of each species of plant from our food resource selection analyses, and the cover of other species of plants reported in the diet of Peruvian Plantcutters, but not selected in our sampled area (including additional information from Abramonte 2007, Pollack et al 2009, Liñ an and Nolazco 2013, Nolazco and Roper 2013, 2014, Rivas 2015, and Nolazco and S anchez 2018. We assumed that other environmental or ecological features were constant across the sampling area, given the restricted spatial scale and the ubiquitous nature of the main nest predators (Nolazco and Roper 2014).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Habitat selection is a hierarchical decision‐making process involving the choice and avoidance of resources and environmental conditions (Johnson 1980) that may vary in space (e.g., from micro‐ to macrohabitat; McIntyre 1997, Steen et al 2010, Lacoretz et al 2012, Sawyer and Brashares 2013) and time (e.g., seasonally; Vale and Kissell 2010, Pita et al 2011). Although studying habitat selection at multiple spatiotemporal scales is considered best‐practice among researchers (Mayor et al 2009, McGarigal et al 2016), this is not always the case in practice (McGarigal et al 2016).…”

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confidence: 99%

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A single species of plant predicts territory occupancy in a population of Peruvian Plantcutters

Nolazco

Sánchez

2020

J. Field Ornithol.

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Habitat selection assessments at multiple spatial scales provide a more complete understanding of the habitat requirements of a species, a matter that is especially useful for managing endangered wildlife. Studies of the diet and population distribution of threatened Peruvian Plantcutters (Phytotoma raimondii) suggest that the presence of Prosopis spp. trees, and the shrubs Grabowskia boerhaaviaefolia and Scutia spicata could explain the scattered distribution of their remnant subpopulations. However, our overall understanding of this remains unclear and incomplete because plantcutters are often absent in areas dominated by Prosopis spp., and other species of plants have largely been overlooked in distribution models. One way to address this issue is to also investigate spatial distribution patterns at finer scales within subpopulations. We modeled the probability of territory occupancy at one of their last strongholds, the P omac Forest Historical Sanctuary in Peru. Our predictors were defined by biotic interactions using data collected in 2015 and 2016, and previous studies of their diet. We found that Peruvian Plantcutters consumed the leaves, fruits, and flowers of at least nine species of plants, but only G. boerhaaviaefolia shrubs, and the trees Prosopis spp. and Colicodendron scabridum were used more than expected based on availability. We did not observe consumption of S. spicata, but this plant was rare. Territory occupancy was positively influenced only by the availability of G. boerhaaviaefolia, a plant used by Peruvian Plantcutters both as a source of food and nest material. Our results suggest that, despite their diverse diet, Peruvian Plantcutters can be particularly dependent on the availability of G. boerhaaviaefolia. Accordingly, this may explain why both co-occur in most subpopulations. Lastly, although we found that Prosopis spp. did not explain territory occupancy, previous research shows that it does explain their distribution on a broader scale (across subpopulations). This inconsistency across spatial scales suggests a potential key role of Prosopis spp. in guaranteeing dispersal between and connectivity among subpopulations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%