Selection of anthropogenic features and vegetation characteristics by nesting Common Ravens in the sagebrush ecosystem

The condor

Kristy B. Howe¹ 

关键词: anthropogenic features;    Centrocercus urophasianus;    Common Raven;    Corvus corax;    energy development;    Greater Sage-Grouse;    nest habitat;    resource selection function;   

DOI  :  10.1650/CONDOR-13-115-R2.1

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Central Ornithology Publication Office

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT Common Raven (Corvus corax) numbers and distribution are increasing throughout the sagebrush steppe, influencing avian communities in complex ways. Anthropogenic structures are thought to increase raven populations by providing food and nesting subsidies, which is cause for concern because ravens are important nest predators of sensitive species, including Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). During 2007–2009, we located raven nests in southeastern Idaho and conducted a resource selection analysis. We measured variables at multiple spatial scales for 72 unique nest locations, including landscape-level vegetation characteristics and anthropogenic structures. Using generalized linear mixed models and an information-theoretic approach, we found a 31% decrease in the odds of nesting by ravens for every 1 km increase in distance away from a transmission line. Furthermore, a 100-m increase in distance away from the edge of two different land cover types decreased the odds of nesting by 20%,...

【 授权许可】

CC BY