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Empirical estimation of dispersal resistance surfaces: A case study with red-cockaded woodpeckers

Publication ,  Journal Article
Trainor, AM; Walters, JR; Morris, WF; Sexton, J; Moody, A
Published in: Landscape Ecology
April 1, 2013

Persistence of wildlife populations depends on the degree to which landscape features facilitate animal movements between isolated habitat patches. Due to limited data availability, the effect of landscape features on animal dispersal is typically estimated using expert opinion. With sufficient data, however, resistance surfaces can be estimated empirically. After modeling suitable prospecting habitat using an extensive dataset from the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), we used data from over 800 prospecting events from 34 radio-tagged birds to identify the best relationship between habitat suitability and resistance surfaces. Our results demonstrated that juvenile female P. borealis prospecting for new territories beyond their natal territories preferred to traverse through forests with tall canopy and minimal midstory vegetation. The non-linear relationship between habitat suitability and resistance surfaces was the most biologically relevant transformation, which in turn identified the specific forest composition that promoted and inhibited prospecting and dispersal behavior. These results corresponded with over 60 % of dispersal events from an independent dataset of short-distance dispersal events. This new understanding of P. borealis prospecting behavior will help to identify areas necessary for maintaining habitat connectivity and to implement effective management strategies. Our approach also provides a framework to not only estimate and evaluate resistance surfaces based on species-specific responses to intervening landscape features, but also addresses an often-neglected step, selecting a biologically relevant function to transform habitat suitability model into a resistance surface. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

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Published In

Landscape Ecology

DOI

EISSN

1572-9761

ISSN

0921-2973

Publication Date

April 1, 2013

Volume

28

Issue

4

Start / End Page

755 / 767

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
  • 04 Earth Sciences
 

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Trainor, A. M., Walters, J. R., Morris, W. F., Sexton, J., & Moody, A. (2013). Empirical estimation of dispersal resistance surfaces: A case study with red-cockaded woodpeckers. Landscape Ecology, 28(4), 755–767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-013-9861-5
Trainor, A. M., J. R. Walters, W. F. Morris, J. Sexton, and A. Moody. “Empirical estimation of dispersal resistance surfaces: A case study with red-cockaded woodpeckers.” Landscape Ecology 28, no. 4 (April 1, 2013): 755–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-013-9861-5.
Trainor AM, Walters JR, Morris WF, Sexton J, Moody A. Empirical estimation of dispersal resistance surfaces: A case study with red-cockaded woodpeckers. Landscape Ecology. 2013 Apr 1;28(4):755–67.
Trainor, A. M., et al. “Empirical estimation of dispersal resistance surfaces: A case study with red-cockaded woodpeckers.” Landscape Ecology, vol. 28, no. 4, Apr. 2013, pp. 755–67. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s10980-013-9861-5.
Trainor AM, Walters JR, Morris WF, Sexton J, Moody A. Empirical estimation of dispersal resistance surfaces: A case study with red-cockaded woodpeckers. Landscape Ecology. 2013 Apr 1;28(4):755–767.
Journal cover image

Published In

Landscape Ecology

DOI

EISSN

1572-9761

ISSN

0921-2973

Publication Date

April 1, 2013

Volume

28

Issue

4

Start / End Page

755 / 767

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
  • 04 Earth Sciences