1. Multi-scale foraging decisions made by woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in summer.
- Author
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McNeill, E.P., Thompson, I.D., Wiebe, P.A., Street, G.M., Shuter, J., Rodgers, A.R., and Fryxell, J.M.
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CARIBOU , *REINDEER , *RADIO telemetry , *FORESTS & forestry , *FOOD preferences - Abstract
Multi-scale selection patterns can be understood from two perspectives: coarse-scale patterns as the summation of fine-scale patterns (scaling-up), or as a hierarchy produced from multiple contributory factors with differential effects on organismal fitness (hierarchical). We examined woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou (Gmelin, 1788)) selection of foraging locations across two spatiotemporal scales to test whether selection patterns between them were consistent (scaling-up) or different (hierarchical) to determine which framework most accurately describes their foraging behaviour. Seven adult female woodland caribou were equipped with GPS telemetry radio collars outfitted with high-definition video cameras that recorded woodland caribou foraging choices throughout the summer. Fine-scale data from videos combined with direct measurements in the field along movement trajectories obtained from GPS fixes were used to estimate (i) feeding station selection and (ii) food patch selection. We estimated resource selection functions for each scale following a use–availability structure. Woodland caribou exhibited resource selection at both scales. Apart from selection for species of the lichen Cladina (Nyl.) Nyl. and patches associated with high abundance of Cladina, few patterns were consistent across both scales. Our study suggests that even at very fine scales, woodland caribou selection for foraging locations is hierarchical in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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