Habitat quality influences trade-offs in animal movement along the exploration-exploitation continuum

Abstract

To successfully establish itself in a novel environment, an animal must make an inherent trade-off between knowledge accumulation and exploitation of knowledge gained (i.e., the exploration-exploitation dilemma) to ensure survival. To evaluate how habitat quality affects the spatio-temporal scale of switching between exploration and exploitation during home range establishment, we conducted experimental trials to compare resource selection and four space-use metrics of translocated animals to those of reference individuals using reciprocal translocations between habitat types of differing quality. We selected wild pigs (Sus scrofa) as a model species to investigate hypotheses related to the movement behavior of translocated individuals because they are a globally distributed large mammal that is often translocated within their introduced range to facilitate recreational hunting, which is a primary mechanism contributing to the extensive range expansion of this species. Individuals translocated to higher quality habitat exhibited smaller exploratory movements and began exploiting resources more quickly than those introduced to lower quality areas, although those in lower-quality areas demonstrated an increased rate of selection for preferred habitat as they gained knowledge of the landscape. Our data demonstrate that habitat quality mediates the spatial and temporal scale at which animals respond behaviorally to novel environments, and how these processes may determine the success of population establishment.

Habitat remediation followed by managed connectivity reduces unwanted changes in evolutionary trajectory of high extirpation risk populations

“…Overall, we find that the timing and rate of migration is a critical predictor of the genetic make-up of recovered populations and that some combinations of these parameters can send newly connected populations on entirely new evolutionary trajectories. Through this work, we add to the body of evidence that identifies habitat suitability, management actions, and population connectivity as the most limiting factors for a species’ long-term viability (Bouzat et al 2009; Baling et al 2016; Bubac et al 2019; Hilty et al 2020; Goicolea et al 2022; Gonzalez et al 2023; Li et al 2023; Smith et al 2023) and provide a model that can evaluate the risks and benefits of common management strategies.…”