Title
Understanding habitat selection of the Vulnerable wild yak Bos mutus on the Tibetan Plateau
Author(s)
Liang, Xuchang ;Kang, Aili ;Pettorelli, Nathalie
Published
2017
Publisher
ORYX
Abstract
We tested a series of hypotheses on drivers of habitat selection by the Vulnerable wild yak Bos mutus, combining distribution-wide sighting data with species distribution modelling approaches. The results indicate that climatic conditions are of paramount importance in shaping the wild yak's distribution on the Tibetan Plateau. Habitat selection patterns were seasonal, with yaks appearing to select areas closer to villages during the vegetation-growing season. Unexpectedly, our index of forage quantity had a limited effect in determining the distribution of the species. Overall, our results suggest that expected changes in climate for this region could have a significant impact on habitat availability for wild yaks, and we call for more attention to be focused on the unique wildlife in this ecosystem.
Keywords
Climate change;generalized additive model;highland;large herbivore;MaxEnt;random forest;seasonal habitats;species distribution model

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PUB22404