The relationship between resource availability and wildlife movement patterns is pivotal to understanding species behavior and ecology. Movement response to landscape variables occurs at multiple temporal scales, from sub‐diurnal to multiannual. Additionally, individuals may respond to both current and past conditions of resource availability. In this paper, we examine the temporal scale and variation of current and past resource variables that affect movement patterns of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) using sub‐hourly movement data from GPS‐GSM collared elephants in Etosha National Park, Namibia. We created detailed satellite‐based spatiotemporal maps of vegetation biomass, as well as distance from surface water, road and fence. We used step selection functions to measure the relative importance of these landscape variables in determining elephants’ local movement patterns. We also examined how elephants respond to information, in locations they have previously visited, on productivity integrated over different temporal scales: from current to historical conditions. Our results demonstrate that elephants choose patches with higher than average annual productivity and grass biomass, but lower tree biomass. Elephants also prefer to walk close to water, roads, and fences. These preferences vary with time of day and with season, thereby providing insights into diurnal and seasonal behavioral patterns and the ecological importance of the landscape variables examined. We also discovered that elephants respond more strongly to long‐term patterns of productivity than to immediate forage conditions, in familiar locations. Our results illustrate how animals with high cognitive capacity and spatial memory integrate long‐term information on landscape conditions. We illuminate the importance of long‐term high temporal resolution satellite imagery to understanding the relationship between movement patterns and landscape structure.

中文翻译：

---

非洲大象资源选择的时间变化遵循资源可用性的长期变化

资源可用性与野生动植物活动方式之间的关系对于理解物种行为和生态至关重要。对景观变量的运动响应发生在从次日到多年期的多个时间尺度上。此外，个人可能对当前和过去的资源可用性条件做出响应。在本文中，我们研究了影响非洲象的运动模式当前和过去的资源变量的时间尺度和变异（非洲象）使用纳米比亚埃托沙国家公园的GPS-GSM领象的亚小时运动数据。我们创建了详细的基于卫星的植被生物量时空图，以及与地表水，道路和围墙的距离。我们使用步骤选择功能来衡量这些景观变量在确定大象局部运动模式方面的相对重要性。我们还研究了大象在以前访问过的位置如何响应信息在不同时间尺度上的综合反应：从当前到历史情况。我们的结果表明，大象选择的斑块具有高于平均年生产力和草木生物量，但树木生物量较低的斑块。大象也喜欢走在靠近水，道路和栅栏的地方。这些偏好会随着一天中的不同时间和季节而变化，从而提供有关昼夜和季节性行为模式以及所检查景观变量的生态重要性的见解。我们还发现，在熟悉的地方，大象对长期生产力的反应比对立即觅食的反应更强烈。我们的结果说明了具有高认知能力和空间记忆的动物如何整合景观条件下的长期信息。我们阐明了长期高分辨率的卫星图像对于理解运动模式与景观结构之间关系的重要性。在熟悉的位置。我们的结果说明了具有高认知能力和空间记忆的动物如何整合景观条件下的长期信息。我们阐明了长期高分辨率的卫星图像对于理解运动模式与景观结构之间关系的重要性。在熟悉的位置。我们的结果说明了具有高认知能力和空间记忆的动物如何整合景观条件下的长期信息。我们阐明了长期高分辨率的卫星图像对于理解运动模式与景观结构之间关系的重要性。