The first account of the effects of wetland reclamation on soil nematode assemblages were provided, three sites in Heihe River Basin of Northwest China, that is grass wetland(GW), Tamarix chinensis wetland(TW) and cro...The first account of the effects of wetland reclamation on soil nematode assemblages were provided, three sites in Heihe River Basin of Northwest China, that is grass wetland(GW), Tamarix chinensis wetland(TW) and crop wetland(CW) treatments, were compared. Results showed that the majority of soil nematodes were presented in the 0–20 cm soil layers in CW treatments, followed by in the 20–40 cm and 40–60 cm layers in GW treatments. Plant-feeding nametodes were the most abundant trophic groups in each treatment, where GW(91.0%) > TW(88.1%) > CW(53.5%). Generic richness(GR) was lower in the TW(16) than that in GW(23) and CW(25). The combination of enrichment index(EI) and structure index(SI) showed that the soil food web in GW was more structured, and those in TW was stressed, while the enrichment soil food web was presented in the CW treatment. Several ecological indices which reflected soil community structure, diversity, Shannon-Weaver diversity(H′), Evenness(J′), Richness(GR) and modified maturity index(MMI) were found to be effective for assessing the response of soil namatode communities to soil of saline wetland reclamation. Furthermore, saline wetland reclamation also exerted great influence on the soil physical and chemical properties(p H, Electric conductivity(EC), Total organic carbon(TOC), Total nitrogen(Total-N) and Nitrate Nitrogen(N-NO3–)). These results indicated that the wetland reclamation had significantly effects on soil nematode community structure and soil properties in this study.展开更多
Information on habitat use is critical in sizing protected areas for endangered reptile species. To investigate habitat use, home range, and hibernaculum of the endangered Mongolian Racerunner(Eremias argus), we radio...Information on habitat use is critical in sizing protected areas for endangered reptile species. To investigate habitat use, home range, and hibernaculum of the endangered Mongolian Racerunner(Eremias argus), we radio-tracked 40 specimens in a coastal sand dune in South Korea. Of the 163 locations recorded during the breeding season, 150(92.0%) were in grass sand dunes, and the rest(8.0%), all associated with the same lizard, were in shrub sand dunes. All of the 123 locations recorded during the non-breeding season were in grass sand dunes. No lizards were found in the grasslands abutting the dunes. The four lizards with identifiable hibernation sites were found under an average of 17.8 cm of sand and were all located in grass sand dunes. The lizards moved approximately 5 m daily and used 162 m2of home range(computed by minimum convex polygon, MCP) during the breeding season, and they moved approximately 2 m and used 68 m2of home range during the non-breeding season. However, the mean daily moved distances and MCP home ranges were not statistically significantly different between the seasons or between males and females. Our results suggest that in coastal sand dunes, E. argus uses grass sand dunes as its main habitat throughout the year. This finding could be used to determine the appropriate habitat size and to designate for the conservation of this endangered species.展开更多
Migratory connectivity describes the linkage between breeding and nonbreeding sites,having major ecological implications in birds:1 season influence the success of an individual or a population in the following season...Migratory connectivity describes the linkage between breeding and nonbreeding sites,having major ecological implications in birds:1 season influence the success of an individual or a population in the following season.Most studies on migratory connectivity have used large-scale approaches,often considering regional populations,but fine-scale studies are also necessary to understand colony connectivity.The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni,an insectivorous migratory raptor which form colonies during the breeding period,was considered to have strong connectivity based on regional populations.However,no small-scale studies on migratory connectivity have been conducted.Therefore,we GPS(Global Positioning System)-tracked 40 adult lesser kestrels from 15 different Spanish breeding colonies,estimating the overlap index between home ranges and the distance between their centroids.It was found that lesser kestrels from the same breeding colony placed their nonbreeding areas at 347±281 km(mean±standard deviation)away from each other(range=23-990),and their home ranges over-lapped by 38.4±23.6%.No differences between intra-colony and inter-colony metrics were found,which suggests that lesser kestrels from the same breeding cluster do not overwinter together,but they spread out and mixed independently of the colony belonging throughout the nonbreeding range of the species.Uitimately,this study highlights the importance of performing connectivity studies using fine-scale approaches.展开更多
The juvenile dispersal of raptors is a crucial stage that stretches from parental independence to the establishment of the first breeding area.Between 2012 and 2020,44 juvenile red kites Milvus milvus from the Spanish...The juvenile dispersal of raptors is a crucial stage that stretches from parental independence to the establishment of the first breeding area.Between 2012 and 2020,44 juvenile red kites Milvus milvus from the Spanish breeding population were tagged using GPS telemetry to study their dispersal.Juveniles left the parental breeding area at the end of their first summer and performed wandering movements throughout the Iberian Peninsula,returning to the parental breeding area the following year,repeating the same pattern until they settled in their first breeding area.We analyzed the mean distance from the nest,the maximum reached distances,and the traveled distances(daily and hourly)during the first 2 years of dispersal and compared them.Despite the high individual variability,variables describing the dispersal movements of juveniles showed a decreasing trend during the second dispersal year:80% of individuals reached a shorter maximum distance in the second year,70% decreased their mean distance to the nest,65% decreased their hourly traveled distances,and 50% decreased their daily traveled distances.On the other hand,the red kites usually combined wandering movements with the establishment of temporary settlement areas(TSA).The average duration of settlement in the TSAs was 75±40 days(up to 182 days)and was located at 182±168 km from the nest.In those areas,juveniles used 781.0±1895.0 km^(2)(KDE 95%).Some of the TSAs were used by several individuals,which suggests that these areas might be good targets for conservation in future management plans.展开更多
Many invasive species exploit anthropogenically disturbed habitats, but most of those taxa evolved long before humans. Presumably, then, an ability to use natural （non-anthropogenic） disturbances pre-adapted invader...Many invasive species exploit anthropogenically disturbed habitats, but most of those taxa evolved long before humans. Presumably, then, an ability to use natural （non-anthropogenic） disturbances pre-adapted invaders to a world later degraded by people. Studies on invasive species in naturally disturbed habitats thus can clarify the ancestral niche of invaders. In the Australian tropics, metallic starlings Aplonis metallica nest communally in emergent rainforest trees during the wet-season, and invasive cane toads Rhinella marina join other predators （mammals, birds, reptiles, and other anurans） to exploit the food resources beneath those trees. Compared to conspecifics found along nearby roads through the forest, cane toads beneath bird-nesting trees occur at higher densities, and are smaller in body size. The sex ratio is female-biased, and recapture records suggest that fe- males may be philopatric at these sites （whereas recaptures were rare for both sexes found along the roads）. Some toads were found under the same trees in successive wet-seasons. Spooling showed that distances moved per night were similar along the road versus under the trees, but toads under trees showed lower net displacements. Diets also differed （based upon scat analysis）, with tree toads feeding more on beetles and less on ants. These nutrient-rich hotspots are ex- ploited primarily by adult females and juvenile toads, whereas adult males congregate at breeding sites. By magnifying pre-existing intraspecific divergences in habitat use, bird rookeries may en- hance population viability of cane toads by enabling critical age and sex classes to exploit food- rich patches that are rarely used by adult males.展开更多
Rodents are reservoirs of various types of hantavirus,some of which are agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in humans.Each hantavirus is associated with a single rodent host species but successive spill-over event...Rodents are reservoirs of various types of hantavirus,some of which are agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in humans.Each hantavirus is associated with a single rodent host species but successive spill-over events may eventually lead to host-switching and new species’becoming host of a given pathogen.This study aims to gain an understanding of the spatial ecology of two hantavirus-host species,Akodon azarae,and Oligoryzomys flavescens,by identifying factors modulating their home range sizes and stability,and by evaluating intra-and interspecific spatial aggregation for these species and a third one—Oxymycterus rufus—living in sympatry.For this,eleven capture-mark-recapture surveys were carried out,spanning 22 months.We found that A.azarae males have larger and more mobile home ranges than females,independently of the season.Consequently,males could likely have a more relevant role in the transmission of hantavirus because of their greater exposure both to a higher number of contacts between individuals and viral contamination of the environment.Contrasting,O.flavescens individuals showed negligible displacements of their home range through time,which could limit the range of hantavirus spread in host populations.Since O.flavescens is host to Lechiguanas hantavirus(pathogenic to humans)this result encompasses epidemiological relevance,for it may imply the existence of local foci of infection.Additionally,individuals of both species performed excursions outside their home ranges.These events could enable hantavirus spread over distances beyond the normal range of movements and lead to new hantavirus outbreaks in formerly non-infected rodent populations,favoring the persistence of the virus in nature.展开更多
Introduction:Spatially explicit ecological research has increased substantially in the past 20 years.Most spatial approaches require the definition of a spatial neighbourhood or the region over which spatial relations...Introduction:Spatially explicit ecological research has increased substantially in the past 20 years.Most spatial approaches require the definition of a spatial neighbourhood or the region over which spatial relationships are modelled or assessed.Spatial neighbourhood definitions impact analysis results,and there are benefits in considering neighbourhood definitions that better capture ecological processes.The goal of this research is to present a simple and flexible approach in constraining ecological spatial neighbourhoods using terrain data.Methods:Using watershed boundaries,we can restrict spatial neighbourhoods from combining populations or processes that should be separated by terrain effects.We demonstrate the need for ecological constraints by way of a simulation study and highlight our approach with a case study examining mountain pine beetle(Dendroctonus ponderosae,Coleoptera;Hopkins)infestation hot spots.Results:Our results demonstrate how failure to constrain neighbourhoods can lead to errors when the spatial signals from unrelated populations are mixed.Also,unconstrained spatial neighbourhoods can unintentionally detect spatial relationships across many scales.Conclusions:There will be benefits to studies that develop new,ecology-based approaches in defining spatial neighbourhoods that better illuminate ecological function of phenomena under study.展开更多
Background In resource-based cities,long-term irrational exploitation of resources has caused severe damage to ecosystem functions,mainly manifested in the signifcant decline of biodiversity,land degradation,water pol...Background In resource-based cities,long-term irrational exploitation of resources has caused severe damage to ecosystem functions,mainly manifested in the signifcant decline of biodiversity,land degradation,water pollution,and the deterioration of air quality.This has led to a signifcant decline in the cities’sustainable development capabilities.Establishing and optimizing an ecological spatial network(ESN)can promote the efective transmission of material energy and enhance the ecosystem functions,which holds fundamental importance in ensuring the ecological integrity of the region and promoting sustainable urban development.In this study,by combining the ecological environment with the landscape to determine the ecological sources,we constructed the ESN of Shenmu City,a mining city,based on the minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model,and conducted a correlation analysis between the topological structure of the ESN and the signifcance of ecosystem functions.Then,the optimization strategy scheme based on ecosystem functions was proposed.Finally,robustness was used to determine the efect before and after optimization.Results The results showed that the high-value ecosystem service areas in Shenmu City were predominantly located in the central and western parts,with the highest value in the southeast.There was a strong correlation between the importance of ecosystem functions and the degree and feature vector of ecological nodes.Conclusions The ESN can be optimized efectively by adding stepping stone nodes and new corridors.Through the robustness of the optimized ESN,we found that the optimized network has more robust connectivity and stability and can show better recovery ability after ecological function damage.This research presents an efective method for the construction and optimization of the ESN in the mining area and provides a theoretical basis for realizing the sustainability of the mining economy,regional development,and ecological protection in Shenmu City.展开更多
Habitat structure determines species occurrence and behavior.However,human activities are altering natural habitat structure,potentially hampering native species due to the loss of nesting cavities,shelter or movement...Habitat structure determines species occurrence and behavior.However,human activities are altering natural habitat structure,potentially hampering native species due to the loss of nesting cavities,shelter or movement pathways.The South American temperate rainforest is experiencing an accelerated loss and degradation,compromising the persistence of many native species,and particularly of the monito del monte(Dromiciops gliroides Thomas,1894),an arboreal marsupial that plays a key role as seed disperser.Aiming to compare 2 contrasting habitats(a native forest and a transformed habitat composed of abandoned Eucalyptus plantations and native understory vegetation),we assessed D.gliroides’occurrence using camera traps and measured several structural features(e.g.shrub and bamboo cover,deadwood presence,moss abundance)at 100 camera locations.Complementarily,we used radio telemetry to assess its spatial ecology,aiming to depict a more complete scenario.Moss abundance was the only significant variable explaining D.gliroides occurrence between habitats,and no structural variable explained its occurrence at the transformed habitat.There were no differences in home range,core area or inter-individual overlapping.In the transformed habitats,tracked individuals used native and Eucalyptus-associated vegetation types according to their abundance.Diurnal locations(and,hence,nesting sites)were located exclusively in native vegetation.The landscape heterogeneity resulting from the vicinity of native and Eucalyptus-associated vegetation likely explains D.gliroides occurrence better than the habitat structure itself,as it may be use Eucalyptus-associated vegetation for feeding purposes but depend on native vegetation for nesting.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of Major State Basic Research Development Program of China(No.2009CB421302)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30670375,41201245)
文摘The first account of the effects of wetland reclamation on soil nematode assemblages were provided, three sites in Heihe River Basin of Northwest China, that is grass wetland(GW), Tamarix chinensis wetland(TW) and crop wetland(CW) treatments, were compared. Results showed that the majority of soil nematodes were presented in the 0–20 cm soil layers in CW treatments, followed by in the 20–40 cm and 40–60 cm layers in GW treatments. Plant-feeding nametodes were the most abundant trophic groups in each treatment, where GW(91.0%) > TW(88.1%) > CW(53.5%). Generic richness(GR) was lower in the TW(16) than that in GW(23) and CW(25). The combination of enrichment index(EI) and structure index(SI) showed that the soil food web in GW was more structured, and those in TW was stressed, while the enrichment soil food web was presented in the CW treatment. Several ecological indices which reflected soil community structure, diversity, Shannon-Weaver diversity(H′), Evenness(J′), Richness(GR) and modified maturity index(MMI) were found to be effective for assessing the response of soil namatode communities to soil of saline wetland reclamation. Furthermore, saline wetland reclamation also exerted great influence on the soil physical and chemical properties(p H, Electric conductivity(EC), Total organic carbon(TOC), Total nitrogen(Total-N) and Nitrate Nitrogen(N-NO3–)). These results indicated that the wetland reclamation had significantly effects on soil nematode community structure and soil properties in this study.
基金supported by the Korean Ministry of Environment as "The Eco-Technopia 21 Project (#052-091-080)"
文摘Information on habitat use is critical in sizing protected areas for endangered reptile species. To investigate habitat use, home range, and hibernaculum of the endangered Mongolian Racerunner(Eremias argus), we radio-tracked 40 specimens in a coastal sand dune in South Korea. Of the 163 locations recorded during the breeding season, 150(92.0%) were in grass sand dunes, and the rest(8.0%), all associated with the same lizard, were in shrub sand dunes. All of the 123 locations recorded during the non-breeding season were in grass sand dunes. No lizards were found in the grasslands abutting the dunes. The four lizards with identifiable hibernation sites were found under an average of 17.8 cm of sand and were all located in grass sand dunes. The lizards moved approximately 5 m daily and used 162 m2of home range(computed by minimum convex polygon, MCP) during the breeding season, and they moved approximately 2 m and used 68 m2of home range during the non-breeding season. However, the mean daily moved distances and MCP home ranges were not statistically significantly different between the seasons or between males and females. Our results suggest that in coastal sand dunes, E. argus uses grass sand dunes as its main habitat throughout the year. This finding could be used to determine the appropriate habitat size and to designate for the conservation of this endangered species.
基金Funding for lesser kestrels tagging was provided by Iberdrola Espana Foundation(MIGRA program of SEO/BirdLife),GREFA(supported by Ministerio para la Transicion Ecologica y Reto Demografico,Junta de Castilla-La Mancha and SEITT,s.a.),Cordoba Zoo,Alcala de Henares Municipality,and Global Nature Foundation within the LIFE Project"Steppe Farming"(LIFE15417NAT/ES/000734)Lina Lopez-Ricaurte has received financial support through the"La Caixa"INPhINIT Fellowship Grant for Doctoral studies at Spanish Research Centres of Excellence,"La Caixa"Banking Foundation,Barcelona,Spain.In Andalucia tags were funded byKESTRELS MOVE"project(ref:CGL201679249 P)(AEI/FEDER,UE)+1 种基金At the time of analyses and writing,this study was supported by projects MERCURIO(ref:PID2020-421115793GB)(AEI/FEDER,UE)SUMHAL European Regional Development Fund4(ref:LIFEWATCH-2019-09-CSIC-13)(MICINN,POPE 2014-2020).
文摘Migratory connectivity describes the linkage between breeding and nonbreeding sites,having major ecological implications in birds:1 season influence the success of an individual or a population in the following season.Most studies on migratory connectivity have used large-scale approaches,often considering regional populations,but fine-scale studies are also necessary to understand colony connectivity.The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni,an insectivorous migratory raptor which form colonies during the breeding period,was considered to have strong connectivity based on regional populations.However,no small-scale studies on migratory connectivity have been conducted.Therefore,we GPS(Global Positioning System)-tracked 40 adult lesser kestrels from 15 different Spanish breeding colonies,estimating the overlap index between home ranges and the distance between their centroids.It was found that lesser kestrels from the same breeding colony placed their nonbreeding areas at 347±281 km(mean±standard deviation)away from each other(range=23-990),and their home ranges over-lapped by 38.4±23.6%.No differences between intra-colony and inter-colony metrics were found,which suggests that lesser kestrels from the same breeding cluster do not overwinter together,but they spread out and mixed independently of the colony belonging throughout the nonbreeding range of the species.Uitimately,this study highlights the importance of performing connectivity studies using fine-scale approaches.
文摘The juvenile dispersal of raptors is a crucial stage that stretches from parental independence to the establishment of the first breeding area.Between 2012 and 2020,44 juvenile red kites Milvus milvus from the Spanish breeding population were tagged using GPS telemetry to study their dispersal.Juveniles left the parental breeding area at the end of their first summer and performed wandering movements throughout the Iberian Peninsula,returning to the parental breeding area the following year,repeating the same pattern until they settled in their first breeding area.We analyzed the mean distance from the nest,the maximum reached distances,and the traveled distances(daily and hourly)during the first 2 years of dispersal and compared them.Despite the high individual variability,variables describing the dispersal movements of juveniles showed a decreasing trend during the second dispersal year:80% of individuals reached a shorter maximum distance in the second year,70% decreased their mean distance to the nest,65% decreased their hourly traveled distances,and 50% decreased their daily traveled distances.On the other hand,the red kites usually combined wandering movements with the establishment of temporary settlement areas(TSA).The average duration of settlement in the TSAs was 75±40 days(up to 182 days)and was located at 182±168 km from the nest.In those areas,juveniles used 781.0±1895.0 km^(2)(KDE 95%).Some of the TSAs were used by several individuals,which suggests that these areas might be good targets for conservation in future management plans.
文摘Many invasive species exploit anthropogenically disturbed habitats, but most of those taxa evolved long before humans. Presumably, then, an ability to use natural （non-anthropogenic） disturbances pre-adapted invaders to a world later degraded by people. Studies on invasive species in naturally disturbed habitats thus can clarify the ancestral niche of invaders. In the Australian tropics, metallic starlings Aplonis metallica nest communally in emergent rainforest trees during the wet-season, and invasive cane toads Rhinella marina join other predators （mammals, birds, reptiles, and other anurans） to exploit the food resources beneath those trees. Compared to conspecifics found along nearby roads through the forest, cane toads beneath bird-nesting trees occur at higher densities, and are smaller in body size. The sex ratio is female-biased, and recapture records suggest that fe- males may be philopatric at these sites （whereas recaptures were rare for both sexes found along the roads）. Some toads were found under the same trees in successive wet-seasons. Spooling showed that distances moved per night were similar along the road versus under the trees, but toads under trees showed lower net displacements. Diets also differed （based upon scat analysis）, with tree toads feeding more on beetles and less on ants. These nutrient-rich hotspots are ex- ploited primarily by adult females and juvenile toads, whereas adult males congregate at breeding sites. By magnifying pre-existing intraspecific divergences in habitat use, bird rookeries may en- hance population viability of cane toads by enabling critical age and sex classes to exploit food- rich patches that are rarely used by adult males.
基金the University of Buenos Aires for financial support UBACYT 20020170100235BA.
文摘Rodents are reservoirs of various types of hantavirus,some of which are agents of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in humans.Each hantavirus is associated with a single rodent host species but successive spill-over events may eventually lead to host-switching and new species’becoming host of a given pathogen.This study aims to gain an understanding of the spatial ecology of two hantavirus-host species,Akodon azarae,and Oligoryzomys flavescens,by identifying factors modulating their home range sizes and stability,and by evaluating intra-and interspecific spatial aggregation for these species and a third one—Oxymycterus rufus—living in sympatry.For this,eleven capture-mark-recapture surveys were carried out,spanning 22 months.We found that A.azarae males have larger and more mobile home ranges than females,independently of the season.Consequently,males could likely have a more relevant role in the transmission of hantavirus because of their greater exposure both to a higher number of contacts between individuals and viral contamination of the environment.Contrasting,O.flavescens individuals showed negligible displacements of their home range through time,which could limit the range of hantavirus spread in host populations.Since O.flavescens is host to Lechiguanas hantavirus(pathogenic to humans)this result encompasses epidemiological relevance,for it may imply the existence of local foci of infection.Additionally,individuals of both species performed excursions outside their home ranges.These events could enable hantavirus spread over distances beyond the normal range of movements and lead to new hantavirus outbreaks in formerly non-infected rodent populations,favoring the persistence of the virus in nature.
文摘Introduction:Spatially explicit ecological research has increased substantially in the past 20 years.Most spatial approaches require the definition of a spatial neighbourhood or the region over which spatial relationships are modelled or assessed.Spatial neighbourhood definitions impact analysis results,and there are benefits in considering neighbourhood definitions that better capture ecological processes.The goal of this research is to present a simple and flexible approach in constraining ecological spatial neighbourhoods using terrain data.Methods:Using watershed boundaries,we can restrict spatial neighbourhoods from combining populations or processes that should be separated by terrain effects.We demonstrate the need for ecological constraints by way of a simulation study and highlight our approach with a case study examining mountain pine beetle(Dendroctonus ponderosae,Coleoptera;Hopkins)infestation hot spots.Results:Our results demonstrate how failure to constrain neighbourhoods can lead to errors when the spatial signals from unrelated populations are mixed.Also,unconstrained spatial neighbourhoods can unintentionally detect spatial relationships across many scales.Conclusions:There will be benefits to studies that develop new,ecology-based approaches in defining spatial neighbourhoods that better illuminate ecological function of phenomena under study.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFE0127700)the 5·5 Engineering Research&Innovation Team Project of Beijing Forestry University(No.BLRC2023B06).
文摘Background In resource-based cities,long-term irrational exploitation of resources has caused severe damage to ecosystem functions,mainly manifested in the signifcant decline of biodiversity,land degradation,water pollution,and the deterioration of air quality.This has led to a signifcant decline in the cities’sustainable development capabilities.Establishing and optimizing an ecological spatial network(ESN)can promote the efective transmission of material energy and enhance the ecosystem functions,which holds fundamental importance in ensuring the ecological integrity of the region and promoting sustainable urban development.In this study,by combining the ecological environment with the landscape to determine the ecological sources,we constructed the ESN of Shenmu City,a mining city,based on the minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model,and conducted a correlation analysis between the topological structure of the ESN and the signifcance of ecosystem functions.Then,the optimization strategy scheme based on ecosystem functions was proposed.Finally,robustness was used to determine the efect before and after optimization.Results The results showed that the high-value ecosystem service areas in Shenmu City were predominantly located in the central and western parts,with the highest value in the southeast.There was a strong correlation between the importance of ecosystem functions and the degree and feature vector of ecological nodes.Conclusions The ESN can be optimized efectively by adding stepping stone nodes and new corridors.Through the robustness of the optimized ESN,we found that the optimized network has more robust connectivity and stability and can show better recovery ability after ecological function damage.This research presents an efective method for the construction and optimization of the ESN in the mining area and provides a theoretical basis for realizing the sustainability of the mining economy,regional development,and ecological protection in Shenmu City.
基金funded by the Rufford Small Grants Foundation(14669-2)the FONDECYT project 3140528(FEF).
文摘Habitat structure determines species occurrence and behavior.However,human activities are altering natural habitat structure,potentially hampering native species due to the loss of nesting cavities,shelter or movement pathways.The South American temperate rainforest is experiencing an accelerated loss and degradation,compromising the persistence of many native species,and particularly of the monito del monte(Dromiciops gliroides Thomas,1894),an arboreal marsupial that plays a key role as seed disperser.Aiming to compare 2 contrasting habitats(a native forest and a transformed habitat composed of abandoned Eucalyptus plantations and native understory vegetation),we assessed D.gliroides’occurrence using camera traps and measured several structural features(e.g.shrub and bamboo cover,deadwood presence,moss abundance)at 100 camera locations.Complementarily,we used radio telemetry to assess its spatial ecology,aiming to depict a more complete scenario.Moss abundance was the only significant variable explaining D.gliroides occurrence between habitats,and no structural variable explained its occurrence at the transformed habitat.There were no differences in home range,core area or inter-individual overlapping.In the transformed habitats,tracked individuals used native and Eucalyptus-associated vegetation types according to their abundance.Diurnal locations(and,hence,nesting sites)were located exclusively in native vegetation.The landscape heterogeneity resulting from the vicinity of native and Eucalyptus-associated vegetation likely explains D.gliroides occurrence better than the habitat structure itself,as it may be use Eucalyptus-associated vegetation for feeding purposes but depend on native vegetation for nesting.
