Females know better : sex-biased habitat selection by the European wildcat

Oliveira, Teresa (avtor), Urra, Fermín (avtor), López-Martín, José María (avtor), Ballesteros-Duperón, Elena (avtor), Barea-Azcón, José Miguel (avtor), Moleón, Marcos (avtor), Gil-Sánchez, José María (avtor), Alves, Paulo Célio (avtor), Díaz-Ruíz, Francisco (avtor), Ferreras, Pablo (avtor), Monterroso, Pedro (avtor)

The interactions between animals and their environment vary across species, regions, but also with gender. Sex-specific relations between individuals and the ecosystem may entail different behavioral choices and be expressed through different patterns of habitat use. Regardless, only rarely sex-specific traits are addressed in ecological modeling approaches. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a species of conservation concern in Europe, with a highly fragmented and declining distribution across most of its range. We assessed sex-specific habitat selection patterns for the European wildcat, at the landscape and home range levels, across its Iberian biogeographic distribution using a multipopulation approach. We developed resource selection functions in a use-availability framework using radio-telemetry data from five wildcat populations. At the landscape level, we observed that, while both genders preferentially established home ranges in areas close to broadleaf forests and far from humanized areas, females selected mid-range elevation areas with some topographic complexity, whereas males used lowland areas. At the home range level, both females and males selected areas dominated by scrublands or broadleaf forests, but habitat features were less important at this level. The strength of association to habitat features was higher for females at both spatial levels, suggesting a tendency to select habitats with higher quality that can grant them enhanced access to shelter and feeding resources. Based on our results, we hypothesize that sex-biased behavioral patterns may contribute to the resilience of wildcats’ genetic integrity through influencing the directionality of hybridization with domestic cats. Our study provides information about European wildcats’ habitat use in an Iberian context, relevant for the implementation of conservation plans, and highlights the ecological relevance of considering sex-related differences in environmental preferences.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: European wildcat, Felis silvestris, habitat selection, sex differences
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: BF - Biotehniška fakulteta
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2018
• Št. strani: Str. 9464-9477
• Številčenje: Vol. 8, issue 18
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-165588
• UDK: 591.5
• ISSN pri članku: 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4442
• COBISS.SI-ID: 216718851
• Datum objave v RUL: 09.12.2024

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Ecology and evolution
• Založnik: John Wiley & Sons
• ISSN: 2045-7758
• COBISS.SI-ID: 518617625

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: divja mačka, izbira habitata, razlike med samci in samicami

Projekti

• Financer: Drugi - Drug financer ali več financerjev
• Številka projekta: 2014RO16RFOP001
• Naslov: Competitiveness Operational Programme
• Akronim: COP

• Financer: FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.
• Številka projekta: 147365
• Naslov: Research Network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology
• Akronim: UID/BIA/50027/2013