Effects of local and landscape processes on animal distribution and abundance

207 Pages·2016·7.54 MB·English

by  Aaron David Flesch

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Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Graduate School
Professional Papers
2013
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Aaron David Flesch
University of Montana, Missoula
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EFFECTS OF LOCAL AND LANDSCAPE PROCESSES ON ANIMAL
DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE

By
AARON DAVID FLESCH

B.A. Prescott College, Prescott, Arizona, 1995
M.S. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 2003

Dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
in Organismal Biology and Ecology

The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

Autumn 2013

Approved by:

Sandy Ross, Dean of The Graduate School
Graduate School

Dr. Richard L. Hutto, Chair
Organismal Biology and Ecology

Dr. Winsor H. Lowe
Organismal Biology and Ecology

Dr. John L. Maron
Organismal Biology and Ecology

Dr. Mark Hebblewhite
Wildlife Biology Program

Dr. Paul M. Lukacs
Wildlife Biology Program
UMI Number: 3611855
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by

Aaron David Flesch

2013

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ii
Flesch, Aaron D., Ph.D., 2013 Organismal Biology and Ecology

Effects of local and landscape processes on animal distribution and abundance

Advisor: Richard L. Hutto. Ph.D.

Abstract: Investigations of processes that drive animal distribution and abundance are
often approached at one of two different scales and therefore focus on different processes.
At local scales, animals are thought to select home ranges or territory patches in an ideal
manner by occupying them in order of their fitness potential, but a variety of processes
can decouple choices from their fitness consequences and create non-ideal patterns of
distribution. At landscape scales, the spatial arrangement of habitat patches and their size
and isolation are thought to influence distribution patterns because extinction probability
declines with increasing patch area and colonization probability declines with increasing
patch isolation. Although understanding the relative effects of local and landscape
processes on distribution is essential for conservation, very few studies have explicitly
considered the fitness potential or quality of habitat when doing so, especially at small
scales relevant to the behavioral choices of individuals. I integrated behavioral and
landscape approaches for understanding distribution by assessing the relative and
combined effects of habitat quality at territory-specific scales and the effects of habitat
amount, habitat configuration, and matrix structure at landscape scales on long-term
occupancy dynamics of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls over 12 years. To quantify habitat
quality, I considered the estimated additive and interactive effects of habitat resources,
stochastic factors (e.g., weather), and conspecific density on reproductive output based on
extensive demographic monitoring over 10 years in the same territory patches.
Habitat resources explained a much greater proportion of variation in reproductive
output than weather or conspecifics, but realized habitat quality was best described by the
interactive effects of all these factors. High-quality habitats buffered the negative effects
of conspecifics and amplified the benefits of favorable weather, but did not buffer the
disadvantages of harsh weather. The positive, density-independent effects of favorable
weather at low conspecific densities were offset by intraspecific competition at high
densities. Habitat quality had greater effects than landscape processes on patch
occupancy dynamics, and its effects were best described by interactions among habitat
resources, weather, and conspecifics. Nonetheless landscape factors also had important
effects: habitat amount had greater effects than habitat fragmentation or matrix structure,
effects that were either positive or negative depending on local habitat quality. Although
metapopulation theory is the dominant paradigm upon which many conservation
strategies are based, improving local habitat quality may yield greater returns, especially
when the surrounding landscape context is considered.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This dissertation is the culmination of 12 years of demanding but extremely
rewarding field work in the Sonoran Desert region of northwest Mexico. Despite its
challenges, working in Mexico has taught me a great deal about ecology while providing
a rare opportunity to explore a region few know well. This effort would not have been
possible without the support and commitment of many individuals and agencies. I am
especially grateful to my friend and field companion, Sky Jacobs for his help during the
majority of field seasons since 2000. Sky’s knowledge, skill, and dedication to field work
allowed efficient data collection across a large region in challenging field conditions and
greatly enhanced my experience during this effort. I am also grateful to the many
technicians that assisted me in the field.
I thank my advisor Dick Hutto for believing in me, for his enthusiastic participation
in many thoughtful conversations regarding the conceptual foundations of my work, and
for his help and patience in reviewing and commenting on my writing. Dick has been a
great inspiration to me on many levels, intellectually, personally, and for his always
positive demeanor. I am also grateful to my advisory committee, Mark Hebblewhite, Paul
Lukacs, John Maron, Winsor Lowe, and Elizabeth Crone for their time and constructive
feedback over the years, and for commenting on my writing. I am especially grateful to
John Maron for providing feedback on Chapter 2, which improved its quality and
readability. Although he was the last person to join my committee, I thank Paul Lukacs
for his time, help, and suggestions during the later stages of this process and for advice on
analyses and interpretation. I thank Winsor Lowe for his time in implementing my
comprehensive exams and for comments related to metapopulation concepts in Chapter 3.
iv
Consistency of effort and long-term commitment are required to collect data over
long time frames. My efforts would not have been possible without the support of
numerous agencies, organizations, and individuals. They include the U.S. National Park
Service, Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Tucson Audubon
Society, Arizona Department of Transportation, T & E Inc., Defenders of Wildlife,
Center for Biological Diversity, Sonoran Joint Venture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Arizona Zoological Society, Global Owl Project, Rincon and Grand Canyon chapters of
the Sierra Club, and Chiyoda Raft. I am especially grateful to the many non-profit
organizations that supported my efforts during times when public support was
unavailable. Their commitment to science-based management and conservation is a great
motivating force. Specifically, I thank Matt Clark of Defenders of Wildlife and Paul
Green of Tucson Audubon Society for support during later years, and Tom Wootten of
T&E Inc. for providing small but critical support during middle years of the study. I
thank Larry Norris and Peter Holm of the U.S. National Park Service for support during
several field seasons. Finally, I thank The University of Montana Graduate School and
those that contributed generously to the scholarships I was awarded. They include the
Bertha Morton Graduate Scholarship (2008-2009), Clancy Gordon Environmental
Scholarship (2010-2011), Bertha Morton Graduate Fellowship (2011-2012), and the
important Besancon Graduate Fellowship for Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (2011-2012).
Numerous others helped with data entry and acquisition, analyses, logistical support,
and permits. I thank Luke Felig, Anthony Smith, Josh Goldberg, and Megan Girsch for
assistance in the lab. I thank Alan Swanson for his help and expertise in using R. For
v
logistical support, I thank Eduardo Lopez Saavedra of Instituto del Medio Ambiente y el
Desarrollo Sustentable del Estado de Sonora, Jaqueline Garcia Hernandez of Centro de
Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, José Fernando Villaseñor Gómez,
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo. I thank Gilberto Lagarda Vásquez
of Comisión Nacional de Auga for weather data from Mexican stations and Peter Holm
for data on lizards and weather in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I thank
Willem J. D. van Leeuwen and Kyle Hartfield of the Arizona Remote Sensing Center,
School of Natural Resources and the Environment at University of Arizona for assistance
measuring large-scale environmental factors using remote-sensing techniques.
Administration of my projects was facilitated largely by the University of Arizona,
School of Natural Resources and the Environment. I am especially grateful to Cecily
Westphal and Kathi Moroz for administrative support and the entire office staff of the
School of Natural Resources and the Environment for help with travel, logistics, and
grant administration. I thank Robert Steidl, R. William Mannan, and William Shaw for
suggestions during early years this work.
At The University of Montana, I thank Teresa Daniels of the Division of Biological
Sciences for administrative support, Jay Bruns for computer support, and the entire office
staff of the Division of Biological Sciences. I am very grateful to Megan Fylling, Kristina
Smucker, and Anna Noson of the Avian Science Center for their help, advice, and
encouragement over the years, and for providing a fun and congenial environment in my
lab. I thank Erick and Anne Greene for making the second floor of the Health Sciences
building a great place to work. Finally, I thank the entire community of graduate students
vi
and faculty of the Organismal Biology and Ecology program for making OBE a great
place to study.
This work was made possible by the people and landowners of Sonora, Mexico. Their
generosity, hospitality, and goodwill across the great state of Sonora facilitated work in
many remote and wild areas of the borderlands, virtually all of which was on private
lands and completed without incident.
Most importantly, I thank my family and friends. My mom, Cathy Slatas, encouraged
me to follow my passion for field biology and to believe in myself. My grandfather,
Benjamin M. Chameides, encouraged me to explore the outdoors and to do what I love,
and this effort is very much in the spirit of his counsel. My aunt, Harriet Spiegelman, my
grandmother Dorothy Chameides, and my cousins Scott and Todd Spiegelman have
always been great sources of love and support. I also thank my friend Mac Hudson for
accompanying me on field trips, providing me with a home in Tucson, and for his
enduring friendship. Lastly, I thank my friends Glenn, Alan, Dylan, Chris, Heath, Kyla,
Claire, Amy, Deana, Jennifer, and others for their support and companionship over the
years. Thank you all for being great sources of strength and inspiration.

vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. viii
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xii
LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xvi
PREFACE ....................................................................................................................... xxii

CHAPTER 1
SPATIOTEMPORAL TRENDS AND DRIVERS OF POPULATION DYNAMICS IN A
DECLINING NEOTROPICAL OWL ................................................................................ 1
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 2
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3
METHODS ......................................................................................................................... 6
Sampling and survey design ......................................................................................... 6
Trend analyses .............................................................................................................. 7
Environmental drivers ................................................................................................... 9
RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 11
Trends and variances................................................................................................... 11
Environmental drivers ................................................................................................. 12
DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................... 13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. 19
LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................................................... 19
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL ...................................................................................... 24

CHAPTER 2
SPATIAL, TEMPORAL, AND DENSITY-DEPENDENT COMPONENTS OF
HABITAT QUALITY FOR FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWLS .................................... 35
Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 36
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 37
STUDY SYSTEM ............................................................................................................ 43
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