Spatial and temporal scaling in habitat utilization by klipspringers (Oreotragus oreotragus) determined using giving-up densities

An animal's pattern of habitat use can reveal how different parts of its environment vary in quality based on the costs (such as predation risk) and benefits (such as food intake) of using each habitat. We studied klipspringer habitat use in Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa using giv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Austral ecology 2009-08, Vol.34 (5), p.577-587
Main Authors: DRUCE, DAVE J, BROWN, JOEL S, KERLEY, GRAHAM I.H, KOTLER, BURT P, MACKEY, ROBIN L, SLOTOW, ROB
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Biogeography
Ecology
escape substrate
foraging costs
GUD
Habitats
landscape of fear
Oreotragus oreotragus
Predation
predation risk
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Summary:An animal's pattern of habitat use can reveal how different parts of its environment vary in quality based on the costs (such as predation risk) and benefits (such as food intake) of using each habitat. We studied klipspringer habitat use in Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa using giving-up densities (GUDs; the amount of food remaining in a resource patch following exploitation) in experimental food patches. We tested hypotheses related to how salient habitat variables might influence klipspringers' perceptions of foraging costs. At small spatial scales (3-4 m), klipspringer GUDs did not vary with cover and open microhabitats, or with the four cardinal aspects (shading) around shrubs. Adding water adjacent to food patches did not influence GUDs, showing that water is not a limiting complementary resource to food. Generally, klipspringers do not appear to be physiologically constrained. There was no difference in GUDs between four daily time periods, or between summer and winter; however, a significant interaction effect of time-of-day with season resulted from GUDs during the midday time period in winter being significantly higher (perceived value lower) than during the same time period in summer. At moderate spatial scales (10-60 m), klipspringer GUDs increased with distance from rocks because of increased predation risk. Based on GUDs collected at the largest scale (two 4.41-ha grids), klipspringers preferred foraging at greater distances from drainage lines and on pebble and cobble substrates. Overall, this study has shown the efficacy of measuring GUDs to determine klipspringers' habitat utilization while foraging.
ISSN:1442-9985
1442-9993
DOI:10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01963.x