@misc{10481/57731,
year = {2018},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10481/57731},
abstract = {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.},
organization = {FEDER funds through the Operational
Programme for Competitiveness
Factors—COMPETE; National Funds
through FCT—Foundation for Science
and Technology, Grant/Award Number:
UID/BIA/50027/2013 and POCI-
01-0145-FEDER-006821; Spanish Ministry
of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness,
Grant/Award Number: FJCI-2015-24949},
publisher = {Wiley},
keywords = {European wildcat},
keywords = {Resource selection},
keywords = {Sex-biased habitat selection},
keywords = {Space use},
keywords = {Spatial behavior},
title = {Females know better: Sex-biased habitat selection by the European wildcat},
doi = {10.1002/ece3.4442},
author = {Oliveira, Teresa and Ballesteros Duperón, Elena and Barea-Azcón, José Miguel and Moleón Páiz, Marcos and Gil Sánchez, José María},
}