Variation in habitat selection by white‐bearded wildebeest across different degrees of human disturbance

摘要

Resident white‐bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus ) have experienced widespread population declines across much of their range over the past few decades, the drivers of which are attributed to landscape changes. Despite the ecological significance of this decline, surprisingly little is known about the resource needs and habitat use of these animals. Using global positioning system data collected from 2010 to 2013, we assessed resource selection of wildebeest inhabiting three study areas in Kenya with varying degrees of natural and anthropogenic disturbance to identify potential behavioral mechanisms underlying potential landscape‐driven declines. Wildebeest were observed to consistently avoid anthropogenic features and dense woody cover, irrespective of season, suggestive of avoidance of landscape features that would likely be associated with increased predation risk. Wildebeest also avoided primary roads, particularly across the Athi‐Kaputiei Plains where human density and landscape alteration was greatest. The strongest response to normalized difference vegetation index was observed across the Amboseli Basin, the least productive and anthropogenically altered of our three study areas, leading to pronounced seasonal shifts in space use. Selection of natural and anthropogenic features was similar across the Mara and Athi‐Kaputiei Plains, with the exception of the response to roads which likely relates to differences in road use. We also observed strong shifts in space use between day and night periods, particularly in relation to anthropogenic features and likely related to human circadian activity patterns. The observed variability in selection provides detailed information to how wildebeest react to local environmental factors across landscapes, and provides insight to how landscape fragmentation amplifies habitat loss for wildebeest by driving spatial avoidance, a likely mechanism contributing to population declines in this species. The quantified responses of wildebeest to landscape features can aid future conservation management efforts and planning to sustain imperiled wildebeest populations.