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Seasonal effects of habitat structure and weather on the habitat selection and home range size of a mammal in agricultural landscapes

  • Context Human land use intensified over the last century and simultaneously, extreme weather events have become more frequent. However, little is known about the interplay between habitat structure, direct short-term weather effects and indirect seasonal effects on animal space use and behavior. Objectives We used the European hare (Lepus europaeus) as model to investigate how habitat structure and weather conditions affect habitat selection and home range size, predictors for habitat quality and energetic requirements. Methods Using > 100,000 GPS positions of 60 hares in three areas in Denmark and Germany, we analyzed habitat selection and home range size in response to seasonally changing habitat structure, measured as vegetation height and agricultural field size, and weather. We compared daily and monthly home ranges to disentangle between direct short-term weather effects and indirect seasonal effects of climate. Results Habitat selection and home range size varied seasonally as a response to changing habitat structure,Context Human land use intensified over the last century and simultaneously, extreme weather events have become more frequent. However, little is known about the interplay between habitat structure, direct short-term weather effects and indirect seasonal effects on animal space use and behavior. Objectives We used the European hare (Lepus europaeus) as model to investigate how habitat structure and weather conditions affect habitat selection and home range size, predictors for habitat quality and energetic requirements. Methods Using > 100,000 GPS positions of 60 hares in three areas in Denmark and Germany, we analyzed habitat selection and home range size in response to seasonally changing habitat structure, measured as vegetation height and agricultural field size, and weather. We compared daily and monthly home ranges to disentangle between direct short-term weather effects and indirect seasonal effects of climate. Results Habitat selection and home range size varied seasonally as a response to changing habitat structure, potentially affecting the availability of food and shelter. Overall, habitat structure and seasonality were more important in explaining hare habitat selection and home range size compared to direct weather conditions. Nevertheless, hares adjusted habitat selection and daily home range size in response to temperature, wind speed and humidity, possibly in response to thermal constrains and predation risk. Conclusions For effective conservation, habitat heterogeneity should be increased, e.g. by reducing agricultural field sizes and the implementation of set-asides that provide both forage and shelter, especially during the colder months of the year.show moreshow less

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Author details:Martin MayerORCiD, Wiebke UllmannORCiDGND, Rebecca Heinrich, Christina FischerORCiD, Niels BlaumORCiDGND, Peter Sunde
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00878-9
ISSN:0921-2973
ISSN:1572-9761
Title of parent work (English):Landscape ecology
Publisher:Springer
Place of publishing:Dordrecht
Publication type:Article
Language:English
Date of first publication:2019/08/08
Publication year:2019
Release date:2020/11/02
Tag:European hare; GPS; Habitat selection; Home range; Lepus europaeus; Weather
Volume:34
Issue:10
Number of pages:16
First page:2279
Last Page:2294
Funding institution:Leibniz Centre for agricultural landscape research (ZALF); long-term research platform "AgroScapeLab Quillow' (Leibniz Centre for
Organizational units:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie
DDC classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Peer review:Referiert
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