Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use?
In the desert zones of Northern México, the main economical activity is the raising of cattle. In the Mapimí Biosphere reserve, located in the Chihuahuan desert, exists two kinds of cattle: feral and domestic. To propose a reliable and standardizad technique to evalúate the use of habitat, we compar...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Online |
| Language: | eng |
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Instituto de Ecología, A.C.
1998
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| Online Access: | https://azm.ojs.inecol.mx/index.php/azm/article/view/1709 |
| _version_ | 1799770255859384320 |
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| author | Hernández, Lucina Barral, Henri Sánchez Colón, Salvador |
| author_facet | Hernández, Lucina Barral, Henri Sánchez Colón, Salvador |
| author_sort | Hernández, Lucina |
| collection | AZM |
| description | In the desert zones of Northern México, the main economical activity is the raising of cattle. In the Mapimí Biosphere reserve, located in the Chihuahuan desert, exists two kinds of cattle: feral and domestic. To propose a reliable and standardizad technique to evalúate the use of habitat, we compare two fieid methods: a) feces count transects, proportional to each habitat type and b) radiotelemetry relocations collected over 24 hour cycles. Both techniques gave similar results in habitat preferences and avoidances. Two habitat types, hillsides with clay soil {H9) and volcanic rocky mountains (H10) were preferred by feral cattle. The habitats avoided were flat-topped hills (H1) and hillsides with sandy-clay soils (H6). However oniy with feces transects could we estímate the frequency of habitat use in canyon areas where it was difficult to follow animáis with telemetry. We conclude that both techniques can be applied to assessing cattle habitat use in the desert environment. |
| format | Online |
| id | azm-article-1709 |
| institution | Acta Zoológica Mexicana |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 1998 |
| publisher | Instituto de Ecología, A.C. |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | azm-article-17092022-09-28T22:16:30Z Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? Hernández, Lucina Barral, Henri Sánchez Colón, Salvador feral cattle habitat use Mapimí Chihuahuan Desert estiércol feral uso del hábitat Mapimí Desierto Chihuahuense In the desert zones of Northern México, the main economical activity is the raising of cattle. In the Mapimí Biosphere reserve, located in the Chihuahuan desert, exists two kinds of cattle: feral and domestic. To propose a reliable and standardizad technique to evalúate the use of habitat, we compare two fieid methods: a) feces count transects, proportional to each habitat type and b) radiotelemetry relocations collected over 24 hour cycles. Both techniques gave similar results in habitat preferences and avoidances. Two habitat types, hillsides with clay soil {H9) and volcanic rocky mountains (H10) were preferred by feral cattle. The habitats avoided were flat-topped hills (H1) and hillsides with sandy-clay soils (H6). However oniy with feces transects could we estímate the frequency of habitat use in canyon areas where it was difficult to follow animáis with telemetry. We conclude that both techniques can be applied to assessing cattle habitat use in the desert environment. En las zonas desérticas del Norte de México una de las principales actividades económicas es la ganadería extensiva de bovinos. En la Reserva de la Biosfera de Mapimí, ubicada en el Desierto Chihuahuense, habitan dos tipos de ganado; el ganado asilvestrado y el ganado doméstico. Con el propósito de evaluar el uso de hábitat de estos grandes herbívoros, en este trabajo se comparan dos métodos de campo: a) frecuencia de excretas en transectos, cuya longitud y número es proporcional a la superficie del hábitat y b) frecuencia de localizaciones en cada hábitat usando técnicas de radiotelemetría en ciclos de 24 horas. Con ambas técnicas se obtuvieron resultados semejantes. Dos tipos de hábitat, laderas de montañas con suelos arcillosos (H9) y montes con rocas de origen volcánico (H1O) fueron preferidas por el ganado asilvestrado. Los hábitats evitados fueron las mesetas (H1) y las laderas con suelos arenosos-arcillosos (H6). Sólo con el primero, se logró detectar la frecuencia de uso de hábitat en áreas escarpadas. Concluimos que ambas técnicas pueden usarse para determinar el uso de hábitat del ganado en medio ambientes desérticos. Instituto de Ecología, A.C. 1998-12-14 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Original articles Artículos originales application/pdf https://azm.ojs.inecol.mx/index.php/azm/article/view/1709 10.21829/azm.1998.75751709 ACTA ZOOLÓGICA MEXICANA (N.S.); No. 75 (1998); 117-123 ACTA ZOOLÓGICA MEXICANA (N.S.); Núm. 75 (1998); 117-123 2448-8445 0065-1737 eng https://azm.ojs.inecol.mx/index.php/azm/article/view/1709/1823 Derechos de autor 2018 Acta Zoológica Mexicana (parte1) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | Hernández, Lucina Barral, Henri Sánchez Colón, Salvador Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| title | Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| title_full | Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| title_fullStr | Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| title_short | Are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| title_sort | are scats and radiotelemetry data similar indicators of habitat use? |
| url | https://azm.ojs.inecol.mx/index.php/azm/article/view/1709 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hernandezlucina arescatsandradiotelemetrydatasimilarindicatorsofhabitatuse AT barralhenri arescatsandradiotelemetrydatasimilarindicatorsofhabitatuse AT sanchezcolonsalvador arescatsandradiotelemetrydatasimilarindicatorsofhabitatuse |
