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Habitat suitability and demography, a time-dependent relationship.
Léo Bacon1, Yves Hingrat2, Frédéric Jiguet3
1Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation Missour Morocco; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO UMR 7204) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France.
Ecology and Evolution
|April 14, 2017
Summary
The habitat suitability index (HSI) and nest survival in Houbara Bustards change throughout the breeding season. This dynamic relationship is influenced by seasonal space use and biotic interactions, impacting demographic performance.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Wildlife Biology
- Conservation Science
Background:
- Habitat suitability index (HSI) shows varied relationships with species demographic performance.
- Density-dependent and temporally variable processes may explain HSI-demography discrepancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the relationship between HSI and nest survival in North African Houbara Bustard.
- Determine if this relationship varies across the breeding season and between years.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed survival rates from over 3,000 Houbara Bustard nests monitored for 12 years.
- Computed HSI across the species' breeding range.
- Accounted for variations in meteorological conditions.
Main Results:
- The relationship between HSI and nest survival changes progressively throughout the breeding season.
- This intra-annual variation in the HSI-nest survival link is consistent across years.
Conclusions:
- Supports the hypothesis of intra-annual variation in species space use.
- Biotic interactions during the breeding season significantly influence the HSI-demography relationship.