许多栖息地的专业生物存在于不同的,斑驳的栖息地,但不要占用所有补丁,一个重要的问题是,为什么看起来合适的栖息地仍然无人居住。我们研究了影响濒临灭绝的斑块占用的因素,鲜为人知的DiademedPlovers(Phegornismitchellii),可以说是安第斯高泥炭地最适合生活的鸟。安第斯泥炭地非常适合居住建模,因为它们是高海拔草原矩阵中潮湿栖息地的离散斑块。我们假设DiademedPlovers最好占据更大,更潮湿的泥炭地,避免美洲驼和维库尼亚斯放牧的泥炭地,这可能会践踏植被和巢穴。从2021年12月到2022年2月(繁殖季节),我们对LagunasdeVilama的40个泥炭地进行了plover占用率调查(2-4),阿根廷西北部4,500米以上的干旱草原和湿地景观。我们测量了泥炭地的大小,放牧压力,与湿度相关的地形和遥感变量,并将这些作为协变量纳入占用模型。占用模型表明,超过50%的研究泥炭地被DiademedPlovers使用,并且大多数显示出繁殖的迹象,强调了维拉马湿地对保护漂浮物的重要性。在泥炭地,不完整的Plovers通常与源头有关。排名靠前的入住模型包括持续检测,随机空间效应,和单个占用协变量:平均NDWI(归一化差异水指数,与水含量和湿度相关的指数)在过去三年中。与我们的预测相反,DiademedPlovers更喜欢水饱和较少的泥炭地(NDWI较低),可能是为了避免巢穴泛滥。这在潮湿的年份可能尤其重要,就像我们进行调查的那一年。泥炭地的大小或美洲驼和维库尼亚的放牧都不会影响DiademedPlovers的泥炭地使用,这表明在当前水平下放牧美洲驼可能与保护pl兼容。对于专门研究潮湿栖息地的生物来说,比如泥炭地,影响占用的因素可能会随着气候的变化而随时间变化,我们建议在多年时间尺度上进行后续调查,以理清气候对动物使用潮湿栖息地的影响。
Many habitat-specialist organisms occur in distinct, patchy habitat, yet do not occupy all patches, and an important question is why apparently suitable habitat remains unoccupied. We examined factors influencing patch occupancy in near-threatened, little-known Diademed Plovers (Phegornis mitchellii), arguably the bird most specialized to life in High Andean peatlands. Andean peatlands are well-suited to occupancy modelling because they are discrete patches of humid habitat within a matrix of high-altitude steppe. We hypothesized that Diademed Plovers occupy preferably larger and more humid peatlands, and avoid peatlands used for grazing by llamas and vicuñas, which may trample vegetation and nests. From December 2021 to February 2022 (breeding season), we conducted plover occupancy surveys (2-4) on 40 peatlands at Lagunas de Vilama, a landscape of arid steppe and wetlands above 4,500 m in NW Argentina. We measured peatland size, grazing pressure, topographic and remotely-sensed variables that correlate with humidity, and incorporated these as covariates in occupancy models. Occupancy models showed that more than 50% of the studied peatlands were used by Diademed Plovers and most showed signs of reproduction, highlighting the importance of the Vilama Wetlands for Diademed Plover conservation. Within peatlands, Diademed Plovers were most often associated with headwaters. The top ranked occupancy model included constant detection, random spatial effects, and a single occupancy covariate: mean NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index, an index correlated with water content and humidity) over the previous three years. Contrary to our prediction, Diademed Plovers preferred less water-saturated peatlands (lower NDWI), possibly to avoid nest flooding. This may be especially important in wet years, like the year when we conducted our surveys. Neither peatland size nor grazing by llamas and vicuñas affected peatland use by Diademed Plovers, suggesting that llama grazing at current levels may be compatible with plover conservation. For organisms that specialize on humid habitats, such as peatlands, factors affecting occupancy may vary temporally with variation in climate, and we recommend follow-up surveys across multi-year timescales to untangle the impact of climate on animals\' use of humid habitats.