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Not accounting for interindividual variability can mask habitat selection patterns: a case study on black bears
Rémi Lesmerises1, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent2
1Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Centre for Northern Studies, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada.
Oecologia
|September 11, 2017
Summary
Individual black bear habitat selection varies significantly, with population-level models often masking crucial interindividual differences. Understanding these variations is key to accurate species-habitat relationship studies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Wildlife Biology
- Conservation Science
Background:
- Population-scale habitat selection studies aim to identify limiting factors in species-habitat relationships.
- Interindividual variation is often controlled using mixed-effect models with individuals as random factors to avoid pseudoreplication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight common pitfalls and misinterpretations in analyzing black bear (Ursus americanus) habitat selection using mixed-effect models.
- To compare population-level (random intercept) versus individual-level analyses of habitat selection.
- To investigate ecological drivers of interindividual variability in habitat selection.
Main Methods:
- Bayesian mixed-effect models were used to analyze habitat selection in 21 black bears.
- Habitat selection was compared between population-level and individual-level analyses.
- Interindividual variability was linked to individual characteristics (age, sex, reproductive status, body condition) via multivariate analysis.
Main Results:
- The assumption of comparable behavior among individuals was met in only 40% of seasonal models.
- Strong, contrasting habitat selection responses were observed among individual bears.
- Individual coefficients were significantly linked to individual characteristics.
- Population-level analyses masked or misrepresented individual selection patterns, with dominant groups (e.g., older, healthier bears) driving the overall response.
Conclusions:
- Interindividual variability in habitat selection is substantial in black bears and must be considered to avoid misinterpretation.
- Population-level analyses can yield uninformative or misleading results due to concealed interindividual differences.
- Understanding the ecological drivers of interindividual variability is crucial for flexible, opportunistic species like black bears.
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