Patchy resource distribution can cluster predator activity around areas of the highest productivity in ecosystems. For the endangered Western Spiny-tailed Skink (Egernia stokesii badia) in Western Australia, the log piles that they permanently inhabit in an otherwise patchy, arid landscape, represent a potentially reliable, high abundance food source for predators. Not only are encounter rates by potential predators of E. s. badia likely to be influenced by vegetation structure at the microhabitat scale but also E. s. badia occurs in a region where mine sites and associated infrastructure, such as landfill sites, likely concentrate generalist predators (e.g. Feral Cats and corvids). We assessed the influence of the presence of coarse woody debris (CWD) and distance to the landfill on predator behaviour towards E. s. badia through plasticine model experiments, unbounded point count bird surveys and camera trapping. We found that CWD inhabited by E. s. badia attracted a greater relative activity of corvids compared with uninhabited CWD, or control sites without CWD. The relative activity of corvids and predatory birds combined increased with decreasing distance from the landfill. Preferential hunting by corvids at CWD inhabited by E. s. badia compared to both uninhabited CWD and open sites suggests that inhabited CWD may be targeted by generalist predators in the region, and that adaptive management may be required for species conservation around active mining areas.

中文翻译：

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采矿景观中的捕食者：对行为独特、濒临灭绝的蜥蜴的威胁

零散的资源分布可以将捕食者活动聚集在生态系统中生产力最高的区域周围。对于西澳大利亚濒临灭绝的西部棘尾石龙子 ( Egernia stokesii badia ) 而言，它们永久栖息在原本斑驳的干旱景观中的原木堆，代表了捕食者潜在的可靠、丰富的食物来源。不仅是大肠杆菌潜在捕食者的遭遇率。badia可能受到微生境尺度植被结构的影响，但也可能受到E. s. 的影响。巴迪亚发生在矿场和相关基础设施（如垃圾填埋场）可能集中多面食肉动物（如野猫和乌鸦）的地区。我们评估了粗木屑 (CWD) 的存在和到垃圾填埋场的距离对捕食者对大肠杆菌的行为的影响。badia通过橡皮泥模型实验、无界点数鸟类调查和相机诱捕。我们发现 CWD 居住着E. s。与无人居住的 CWD 或没有 CWD 的对照站点相比，badia吸引了更大的鸦科动物相对活动。鸦科和掠食性鸟类的相对活动随着与垃圾填埋场距离的减小而增加。在E. s。巴迪亚与无人居住的 CWD 和开放场地相比，这表明有人居住的 CWD 可能成为该地区通才捕食者的目标，并且可能需要对活跃矿区周围的物种保护进行适应性管理。