Habitat suitability and demography, a time‐dependent relationship

Abstract

The habitat suitability index, which reflects spatial variability in species occurrence probability, has been shown to exhibit various contrasting relationships with local demographic performances (survival, productivity) in several species. One proposed explanation for these discrepancies is that the link between the habitat suitability index and demography is influenced by density‐dependent, temporally variable processes. Based on the survival rates of more than 3,000 nests monitored over 12 years in the North African Houbara Bustard, we investigated whether the habitat suitability index computed over the species breeding range is related to nest survival throughout the breeding season, accounting for variation in meteorological conditions. We found that the relationship between the habitat suitability index and nest survival progressively changes along the breeding season and that this intra‐annual variation is consistent between years. Our results support the hypothesis that variation in space use occurs intra‐annually and that biotic interactions throughout the breeding season strongly influence the habitat suitability index–demography relationship.

Behavioral modifications lead to disparate demographic consequences in two sympatric species

“…By integrating both chick survival and adult survival simultaneously into our analyses, we attempted to eliminate any unobserved components of such a risk-to-reproduction tradeoff associated with these species. Likewise, the null relationship between HSI and scaled quail chick survival could be driven by relationships in which environmental conditions influencing both species' occurrence and species' survival are disparate from the conditions only influencing a species' occurrence (Bacon et al, 2016;Ficetola, Miaud, Pompanon, & Taberlet, 2008). For instance, it has been suggested that scaled quail have adapted to arid and semi-arid regions (such as our study area) by allocating more resources toward self-maintenance rather than toward reproductive output whereas the opposite is true for bobwhite because they evolved under more mesic conditions (Giuliano, Patiño, & Lutz, 1998).…”

“…Therefore, if such indices are to be used as a tool for conservation efforts, single-scale suitability indices may be too simple and miss such complex relationships (Bacon et al, 2016). Therefore, if such indices are to be used as a tool for conservation efforts, single-scale suitability indices may be too simple and miss such complex relationships (Bacon et al, 2016).…”

“…Research has often shown that space use can be misleading indicators of habitat quality (i.e., ecological traps; Bacon et al, 2016;Donovan & Thompson, 2001;Gates & Gysel, 1978;van Horne, 1983) because individuals may not always be able to determine habitat quality and instead rely on environmental cues to guide space use (Kristan, 2003;Storch & Frynta, 1999). Research has often shown that space use can be misleading indicators of habitat quality (i.e., ecological traps; Bacon et al, 2016;Donovan & Thompson, 2001;Gates & Gysel, 1978;van Horne, 1983) because individuals may not always be able to determine habitat quality and instead rely on environmental cues to guide space use (Kristan, 2003;Storch & Frynta, 1999).…”

“…However, using this pattern to manage species can be misguided if the assumption that individuals are making selection decisions that maximize their demographic parameters (i.e., survival and/or fecundity) is incomplete. Research has often shown that space use can be misleading indicators of habitat quality (i.e., ecological traps; Bacon et al, 2016;Donovan & Thompson, 2001;Gates & Gysel, 1978;van Horne, 1983) because individuals may not always be able to determine habitat quality and instead rely on environmental cues to guide space use (Kristan, 2003;Storch & Frynta, 1999). Furthermore, this relationship can be highly variable across species and vegetation communities (Bock & Jones, 2004).…”

Use, selection, and home range properties: complex patterns of individual habitat utilization

“…, Bacon et al. ). However, our understanding of the individual variation in the pathways from landscape characteristics to resource use remains limited.…”