Landscape Features, Home-Range Size and Density of Northern Badgers (<i>Meles meles</i>)

Kauhala, Kaarina; Holmala, Katja

doi:10.5735/086.048.0403

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Our results demonstrate a negative relationship between population density and home range size in urban carnivores, confirming a pattern previously reported for the red fox (Trewhella et al. ), island fox Urocyon littoralis (Sanchez ) and Eurasian badger (Kauhala & Holmala ). High population densities of urban carnivores, in connection with increased inter and intraspecific competition and predation in overlapping home ranges, may affect many behavioural and ecological characteristics, such as social organization (Baker et al.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Changes in home range sizes and population densities of carnivore species along the natural to urban habitat gradient

2014

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1.With rapid development and the spread of urbanized land, there is an increasing need to understand species' responses to urban conditions. Carnivores are considered to be sensitive to urbanization; however, there is ample evidence that some carnivore species successfully inhabit urban areas, and human-modified habitats have recently been recognized as an important refuge for several species. 2. Despite the increasing number of studies on urban carnivore ecology, no comprehensive cross-species comparisons have been made in order to assess the effects of urbanization on the spatial ecology of carnivores and their population densities. Such a review could provide interesting insight into how some carnivore species respond to increasing urbanization. Specifically, we examine changes in population density and home range size of eight carnivore species that occur along the natural-urban environmental gradient. 3. Using data from 411 articles, we provide evidence that the home range size of carnivores decreases in six out of eight species, and population density increases in three out of six species along the natural-urban habitat gradient. The densitydependent pattern of variation in home range size is consistent in all species studied. 4. Our results emphasize the remarkable ability of some carnivore species to adapt to novel environments through their behavioural flexibility and life history adaptations. We outline ideas for future research that could be adopted in addressing this phenomenon, namely comparative approaches and detailed studies of biotic and abiotic conditions along natural-urban gradients.Carnivores along the natural-urban habitat gradient M. Šálek, L. Drahníková and E. Tkadlec

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Changes in home range sizes and population densities of carnivore species along the natural to urban habitat gradient

2014

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“…earthworms Lumbricus terrestris in these forests. Also earlier studies showed that rich mixed/deciduous forests were favoured by badgers in Finland (Holmala and Kauhala, 2009;Kauhala and Holmala, 2011) and elsewhere in Europe (e.g. Kruuk, 1978;Seiler et al, 1995;Revilla et al, 2000).…”

Section: Habitat Preferences Of Sympatric Badgers and Raccoon Dogsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Small home ranges in areas with deciduous forests also indicate that they offer abundant resources for badgers (e.g. Kruuk and Parish, 1982;Brøseth et al, 1997;Kowalczyk et al, 2003;Kauhala and Holmala, 2011). The badgers' preference for pine forests is due to the fact that many badger setts were under big rocks in pine forests, and many latrines were in the core areas near the setts (pers.…”

Section: Habitat Preferences Of Sympatric Badgers and Raccoon Dogsmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Does a non-invasive method – latrine surveys – reveal habitat preferences of raccoon dogs and badgers?

Kauhala¹,

Salonen²

2012

Mammalian Biology

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a b s t r a c tWe aimed to examine whether habitat preferences of raccoon dogs Nyctereutes procyonoides and badgers Meles meles can be revealed by using a non-invasive method, latrine surveys. We searched for latrines of these carnivores with scat detection dogs in SW Finland. We compared the results of latrine surveys with the results of a radio-tracking study conducted simultaneously in the same area. Our results showed that latrine surveys and radio-tracking gave fairly similar results: both methods revealed that raccoon dogs favoured deciduous forests, open woodland and reed beds but avoided fields, and badgers favoured deciduous and pine forests but avoided fields, gardens and reed beds. Latrines of both species were often located in the core areas but also along home range borders. Latrine survey revealed possible competition for space between the native badgers and alien raccoon dogs. Latrine survey is a non-invasive method, which gives accurate location points of animals. It could be developed further by combining it with bait-marking and by training the dogs to show us other signs of animals besides latrines.

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“…We suggest that the reason for this lies in the fact that older forests are structurally more complex than young forests and non‐forested areas (McCleary & Mowat, ), and provide alternative opportunities for denning sites to other mesocarnivores and therefore reduce niche overlap and interference competition. Moreover, Kauhala & Holmala () have shown that the internal complexity of forests favours the occurrence of badgers, and based on our results, badgers preferred sett sites in older forests.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of competition and landscape characteristics on mesocarnivore cohabitation in badger setts

Tammeleht

Kuuspu

2017

Journal of Zoology

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Mesocarnivores are becoming increasingly influential in ecosystems due to the ongoing loss of large carnivores. However, interactions within mesocarnivore communities remain poorly understood. We studied how competitive coexistence influences cohabitation of badgers (Meles meles) with other European mesocarnivores, and badger habitat selection at sett site and sett environ scales (within a 700 m radius buffer). We used data on the location and use of 234 badger setts in a 39 000 km2 area of mainland Estonia (Northern Europe) to assess the importance of sett occupancy by badgers, the regional abundance of other mesocarnivores (fox/raccoon dog), bedrock complex and landscape in explaining the presence of other mesocarnivores at badger setts. We also compared data from observed setts and random locations to study sett site selection. Setts where foxes or raccoon dogs were present had a lower proportion of active badger entrances and were more likely to be found in forests of agricultural areas, compared with setts where these species were absent. Sett locations tended to occur more frequently in older meso‐ and eutrophic forests on sandy soils. Badgers tended to avoid human infrastructure at sett locations and in the sett environ when selecting sett locations. Our results reveal the influence of habitat fragmentation and competitive relationships on cohabitation between terrestrial carnivores.

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Landscape Features, Home-Range Size and Density of Northern Badgers (Meles meles)

Cited by 17 publications

References 41 publications

Changes in home range sizes and population densities of carnivore species along the natural to urban habitat gradient

Changes in home range sizes and population densities of carnivore species along the natural to urban habitat gradient

Does a non-invasive method – latrine surveys – reveal habitat preferences of raccoon dogs and badgers?

Effect of competition and landscape characteristics on mesocarnivore cohabitation in badger setts

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