Context Developed landscapes are increasingly important movement habitat for many large carnivore populations, despite fragmentation and heightened anthropogenic risks. The availability of vegetation cover is a key factor mediating carnivore use of human-dominated landscapes. Restoring or modifying networks of vegetation patches may therefore provide an important tool for enhancing the connectivity value of developed areas, but requires understanding how vegetation patch networks are functionally linked by carnivore movement decisions, which occur at scales considerably finer than those typically addressed by connectivity analyses. Objectives We investigated the factors driving fine-scale movement decisions by pumas ( Puma concolor ) in fragmented habitats and applied our results to enhancing puma connectivity through human-dominated landscapes. Methods We used high-resolution data on vegetation cover and puma locations from central California to model puma habitat selection at the scale of individual movements between vegetation patches. These results informed network-based connectivity models comparing the benefits of specific wildlife corridor restoration actions (e.g., revegetation). Results Puma movements between vegetation patches were driven by patch size, vegetation type, and spatial arrangement relative to sources of anthropogenic risk (buildings). Pumas avoided buildings but accepted higher building densities as patch area increased or inter-patch travel distances decreased. Connectivity modeling revealed that the strategic placement of vegetation patches can substantially reduce resistance to puma movement across an otherwise high resistance developed landscape by diversifying movement options. Conclusion Our results reveal the factors mediating large carnivore use of human-dominated landscapes and provide a generalizable tool for increasing movement potential via the manipulation of vegetation cover.

中文翻译：

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大型食肉动物的精细运动决定为人类主导景观的保护规划提供信息

背景 对于许多大型食肉动物种群而言，已开发的景观日益成为重要的运动栖息地，尽管存在碎片化和人为风险加剧的情况。植被覆盖的可用性是调解食肉动物使用人类主导景观的关键因素。因此，恢复或修改植被斑块网络可能为提高发达地区的连通性价值提供一个重要工具，但需要了解植被斑块网络如何通过食肉动物运动决策在功能上联系起来，其发生的尺度比连通性分析通常解决的尺度要小得多. 目标我们调查了美洲狮 (Puma concolor) 在支离破碎的栖息地中推动精细运动决策的因素，并将我们的结果应用于通过人类主导的景观增强美洲狮的连通性。方法 我们使用来自加利福尼亚中部的植被覆盖和美洲狮位置的高分辨率数据，以在植被斑块之间的个体运动范围内模拟美洲狮栖息地选择。这些结果为基于网络的连通性模型提供了比较特定野生动物走廊恢复行动（例如，重新植被）的好处。结果 植被斑块之间的美洲狮运动受斑块大小、植被类型和相对于人为风险源（建筑物）的空间排列驱动。美洲狮避开建筑物，但随着斑块面积的增加或斑块间移动距离的减少，接受了更高的建筑密度。连通性模型显示，植被斑块的战略布局可以通过使运动选项多样化，大大降低美洲狮在其他高阻力开发景观中运动的阻力。结论我们的结果揭示了影响大型食肉动物使用人类主导景观的因素，并提供了一种通用工具，通过操纵植被覆盖来增加运动潜力。