Toward Reliable Estimates of Abundance: Comparing Index Methods to Assess the Abundance of a Mammalian Predator

Due to time and financial constraints indices are often used to obtain landscape-scale estimates of relative species abundance. Using two different field methods and comparing the results can help to detect possible bias or a non monotonic relationship between the index and the true abundance, providing more reliable results. We used data obtained from camera traps and feces counts to independently estimate relative abundance of red foxes in the Black Forest, a forested landscape in southern Germany. Applying negative binomial regression models, we identified landscape parameters that influence red fox abundance, which we then used to predict relative red fox abundance. We compared the estimated regression coefficients of the landscape parameters and the predicted abundance of the two methods. Further, we compared the costs and the precision of the two field methods. The predicted relative abundances were similar between the two methods, suggesting that the two indices were closely related to the true abundance of red foxes. For both methods, landscape diversity and edge density best described differences in the indices and had positive estimated effects on the relative fox abundance. In our study the costs of each method were of similar magnitude, but the sample size obtained from the feces counts (262 transects) was larger than the camera trap sample size (88 camera locations). The precision of the camera traps was lower than the precision of the feces counts. The approach we applied can be used as a framework to compare and combine the results of two or more different field methods to estimate abundance and by this enhance the reliability of the result

Habitat Use and Survival of Gray Partridge Pairs in Bavaria, Germany

Gray partridge (Perdix perdix) habitat studies have been undertaken in a number of countries but have generally focused on winter and brood rearing. We monitored survival of grey partridge pairs relative to habitat during the breeding season. Our study area was located near Feuchtwangen in north-west Bavaria, Germany. During 1991 to 1994, we used compositional analysis to assess habitat with survival and year as covariates for 38 radio-tagged partridge pairs. Comparing study area habitat to habitats within pair home ranges, we found overall habitat use was non-random with no year effect but a significant effect of survival status. Stubble habitat ranked high for both survival categories, whereas those pairs where the radio-tagged bird died were more associated with meadow habitat. Comparing home ranges to individual radio locations, only surviving partridge used habitat differently from availability. Edge and set aside ranked high whereas meadow ranked low in usage. Our results suggest differences between habitats of partridge which died versus those that survived during breeding season. At the landscape level, association with meadow habitat suggests that it may provide cover but may also support predators. Within home ranges, we see edge and set aside possibly providing more cover diversity, suggesting predation avoidance for those that survived. Our data suggests that late winter and early spring periods, where survival may impact numbers of adults going into the breeding season and ultimately recruitment, are also crucial

Species co-occurrence and management intensity modulate habitat preferences of forest birds

Background Species co-occurrences can have profound effects on the habitat use of species, and therefore habitat structure alone cannot fully explain observed abundances. To account for this aspect of community organization, we developed multi-species abundance models, incorporating the local effect of co-occurring and potentially associated species, alongside with environmental predictors, linked mainly to forest management intensity. We coupled it with a landscape-scale analysis to further examine the role of management intensity in modifying the habitat preferences in connection with the landscape context. Using empirical data from the Black Forest in southern Germany, we focused on the forest bird assemblage and in particular on the cavity-nesting and canopy-foraging guilds. We included in the analysis species that co-occur and for which evidence suggests association is likely. Results Our findings show that the local effect of species associations can mitigate the effects of management intensity on forest birds. We also found that bird species express wider habitat preferences in forests under higher management intensity, depending on the landscape context. Conclusions We suspect that species associations may facilitate the utilization of a broader range of environmental conditions under intensive forest management, which benefits some species over others. Networks of associations may be a relevant factor in the effectiveness of conservation-oriented forest management

Wind energy facilities affect resource selection of capercaillie Tetrao urogallus

The recent increase in wind energy facilities (WEF) has led to concerns about their effect on wildlife. While the focus of most studies has mainly been on increased mortality of birds and bats due to collision, indirect effects, such as behavioural responses, arc currently gaining attention. Indeed, effects of WEF on the behaviour of forest dwelling wildlife still remain largely unknown. Using GPS-tracking of 16 individuals, we studied how seasonal resource selection of the capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, a forest grouse species known as sensitive to disturbance by human presence and infrastructure, was related to wind turbines and other environmental covariates in a wind farm in Sweden. During the lekking season, the probability of site-selection by capercaillic decreased with increasing turbine noise, turbine visibility and turbine shadow. During summer, we found reduced resource selection with increasing proximity to the turbines (up to 865 m), turbine density, noise, shadow and visibility. Furthermore, we found an avoidance of turbine access roads. Due to the high collinearity of the wind turbine predictors it was not possible to identify the specific mechanism causing turbine avoidance. Our study reveals that forest dwelling species with known sensitivity to other forms of human disturbance (i.e. recreation) are also likely to be affected by wind turbine presence. In addition, we provide proximity thresholds below which effects are likely to be present as a basis for conservation planning

Woodpecker cavity establishment in managed forests: relative rather than absolute tree size matters

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Techno-economic feasibility study for mobile small scale combined heat and power incineration plant

Maailmalla on kasvava jäteongelma. Tämän diplomityön tarkoitus on selvittää, kannattaako Ferroplan Oy:n kehittää uutta jätteenpolttokonseptia hajautettuun energiatuotantoon ja paikallisten jäteongelmien ratkaisuksi. Tavoitteena on polttaa jätteet ja tuottaa samalla sähköä ja lämpöä yhteistuotannolla. Tässä työssä selvitetään, onko tällainen uusi konsepti teknisesti mahdollista toteuttaa, ja onko se taloudellisesti kannattava Suomessa. Työssä simuloidaan kannattavuuslaskennan menetelmin uuden konseptin soveltuvuutta eri asiakasryhmille. Lisäksi tutkitaan, löytyykö markkinoilta soveltuvaa teknologiaa konseptin toteuttamiseksi. Kirjallisuusselvityksen ja tarjouskyselyjen mukaan haasteita voi tulla löytää sopiva arinapolttolaite pienen kokoluokan jätteenpolttoon ja sopiva höyryä tuottava lämmöntalteenottokattila. Muun tekniikan osalta uusi konsepti on mahdollista toteuttaa Suomessa kohtuullisin kustannuksin. Kannattavuuslaskelma ja herkkyystarkastelut osoittivat, että hajautettu jätteenpolttoon perustuva sähkön ja lämmön yhteistuotanto voi olla kannattavaa liiketoimintaa. Tämän työn tulosten pohjalta on mahdollisuus kehittää uusi voimalaitoskonsepti kannattavaksi liiketoiminnaksi, kun potentiaalisille asiakkaille pystytään perustelemaan investoinnin kannattavuus.The waste problem in the world is rising. Company in case, the Ferroplan Oy want’s to develop a new waste incineration concept. This Master’s thesis purpose is to evaluate, if there is a good cause to develop a new waste incineration concept, to answer the waste problems locally. The object is to incinerate different kind of waste and produce energy as decentralized solution. In this thesis it was examined, if this kind of new concept has a technical feasibility and profitability. The profitability analysis was done by calculation simulations for various customer cases. Also the technology availability for the main equipment was investigated from market. Availability of the grate furnace and steam producing waste heat recovery boiler might be a challenge. Other main equipment’s for the small scale combined heat and power plant are mature technology. According to the literature survey and the quotations made for the main equipment delivering companies, the new concept is possible to implement in Finland with reasonable investment cost. Profitability study and sensitive analysis indicate that small scale incineration based on the combined heat and power production can be a profitable economic activity. This study can be a platform for developing a new power plant concept for profitable business as the reason for the investment can be demonstrated for potential customers

On Spatial Resolution in Habitat Models: Can Small-scale Forest Structure Explain Capercaillie Numbers?

This paper explores the effects of spatial resolution on the performance and applicability of habitat models in wildlife management and conservation. A Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for the Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in the Bavarian Alps, Germany, is presented. The model was exclusively built on non-spatial, small-scale variables of forest structure and without any consideration of landscape patterns. The main goal was to assess whether a HSI model developed from small-scale habitat preferences can explain differences in population abundance at larger scales. To validate the model, habitat variables and indirect sign of Capercaillie use (such as feathers or feces) were mapped in six study areas based on a total of 2901 20 m radius (for habitat variables) and 5 m radius sample plots (for Capercaillie sign). First, the model's representation of Capercaillie habitat preferences was assessed. Habitat selection, as expressed by Ivlev's electivity index, was closely related to HSI scores, increased from poor to excellent habitat suitability, and was consistent across all study areas. Then, habitat use was related to HSI scores at different spatial scales. Capercaillie use was best predicted from HSI scores at the small scale. Lowering the spatial resolution of the model stepwise to 36-ha, 100-ha, 400-ha, and 2000-ha areas and relating Capercaillie use to aggregated HSI scores resulted in a deterioration of fit at larger scales. Most importantly, there were pronounced differences in Capercaillie abundance at the scale of study areas, which could not be explained by the HSI model. The results illustrate that even if a habitat model correctly reflects a species' smaller scale habitat preferences, its potential to predict population abundance at larger scales may remain limited

Abundance, species richness and diversity of forest bird assemblages-The relative importance of habitat structures and landscape context

The variability in the amount and configuration of broad habitat types in the landscape, together with their structural complexity, influence observed biodiversity patterns. When considering structurally similar sites of the same habitat type, the variability in the abundance, species richness or diversity of organisms may be explained by the landscape context. To assess the numerical response of species to the landscape context, in terms of amount and configuration of forest environments, we investigated the bird assemblages of similarly structured forest habitats in an extensively managed forest region, encompassing different landscape contexts. We considered the numerical response of bird assemblages, in terms of abundance, species richness and diversity, and relative abundance of specific guilds, to the landscape context. We considered the forest cover at different spatial scales as a measure of habitat amount, while we quantified aspects of habitat configuration using various landscape metrics, and measured local forest structures. We found significant responses in multiple forest bird species to three important indices of forest structures: mean diameter of living trees, mean diameter of dead trees and volume of lying deadwood. Within similarly structured forest plots, bird assemblages showed responses linked with the landscape context, while plots with different habitat structure showed similar responses to the landscape context. In particular, there was a clear positive response of birds to the amount of broadleaf and mixed forest cover in the landscape. In addition, the distance between forest patches negatively affected species richness and diversity. Within landscapes, the increase of broadleaf in the existing forest area could boost abundance and diversity, decrease isolation levels for species dependent on broadleaves and enhance structural connectivity, generally favouring the majority of the species. Our findings suggest that the simple provision of habitat structures cannot represent a viable solution for biodiversity conservation and that the use of structural indicators of biodiversity like deadwood and age of canopy trees for assessing conservation value of forest needs to be integrated with landscape-scale indices. Our analysis clearly shows that the amount of habitat available in the surrounding landscape is linked with positive biodiversity responses. As human activities can alter both the provision of important habitat structures in stands across the landscape, as well as their overall landscape context, an integrated multi-scale biodiversity management is highly advisable