On habitat selection by the goral Nemorhaedus goral bedfordi (Bovidae, Artiodactyla)

Habitat selection, diet, and escape behaviour of grey goral ( Nemorhaedus goral bedfordi ) were studied in Majhatal Harsang Wildlife Sanctuary (MHWS) in the Indian Himalaya. Five trails covering a total length of 8.5 km were monitored in the morning hours for availability of habitat components and their use by goral. Habitat components quantified were: vegetation type, tree density, shrub understorey, shrub height, and slope angle. Diet composition of goral was determined through faecal analysis. Information on escape strategy was gathered by recording the escape areas used by disturbed animals.
Goral fed almost entirely on grass (92.2% in the cold season and 98.3% in the warm season). They preferred open vegetation communities with good grass cover and avoided shrub-rich patches, especially areas where the shrub height exceeded their shoulder height. Goral selected patches with fresh grass sprout and were partial to steep (>30°) slopes.
In the morning, goral avoided most forested vegetation types in the area owing to extensive understorey. However, there was high use of forest cover with little understorey 'for escape' (32%, n = 200). Other escape terrain used were cliffs (31%), open gullies (16%), and rocky areas (13%).     

Red deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphus</Emphasis>) avoid mountain biking trails

Human outdoor activities commonly affect animal behaviour. Ungulates often avoid roads and trails and increase their avoidance with expanding and intensifying human recreational activity. Recently, mountain biking has become increasingly popular in many regions in Norway, but we still have limited knowledge about how mountain biking may affect wildlife. In this study, we used pellet-group counts and camera traps to study the effect of mountain biking on red deer abundance in Kaupanger, Norway. Pellet-group counts decreased close to biking trails, and it appeared that red deer avoided using areas within 40 m of such trails. Camera trap data showed that there was a tendency for deer abundance to decrease with increasing human activity (trail width) during daytime. Males reacted more strongly to this increasing activity than did females. Even with a small-scale approach, focusing on within-stand effects, we found that red deer were affected by mountain bikers and avoided areas close to biking trails. Our findings imply that any further increase in mountain biking may result in greater avoidance and, thus, less suitable habitat for red deer in forest areas.     

Habitat use by desert bighorn sheep during lambing

Habitat used for predator escape may be a factor limiting restoration of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) in small mountain ranges in New Mexico. Female bighorn sheep seek isolation in discrete areas for parturition. Although parturition sites are used only for <3 days they play an important role in neonate survival. We compared habitat characteristics at pre-parturition (n = 21), parturition (n = 38), random (n = 38), and post-parturition sites (n = 21). At each site we calculated distance to steep terrain, elevation, ruggedness, slope, and visibility. Parturition and post-parturition sites were higher in elevation and more rugged than sites used during pre-parturition. Post-parturition sites were closer to terrain with 100% slope than the pre-parturition or parturition sites. Post-parturition sites had higher visibility and steeper slopes than the pre-parturition sites. Parturition sites were steeper, higher in elevation, more rugged, and had lower visibility than the random sites. Fidelity to parturition sites was observed on 1 of 38 occasions. Because lambing sites are used for short periods they are poorly understood and often ignored by land managers. Additional research is recommended in other desert bighorn sheep populations to understand better and predict habitat use during the lambing period.     

Modelling the nesting-habitat of the Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus on a fine scale for conservation purposes

Capsule Nests of Cinereous Vultures were found to be located farther from roads, villages and the edge of large vegetation patches. They preferred large vegetation patches containing extensive Cork Oak cover on steeper slopes and with lower solar radiation. Less than 8% of the study area was predicted to be suitable for nesting.

Aims To generate a predictive habitat suitability map for the Cinereous Vulture's nesting-habitat on a fine scale for conservation applications within its breeding range.

Methods Habitat features of 43 nest-locations and random points were compared in order to identify nest-habitat selected in the region of the Hornachuelos Natural Park (Spain). A logistic regression approach was used to create habitat models.

Results Compared with random points, nests were found to be located farther from roads, villages and patch edges, and in large vegetation patches containing extensive Cork Oak cover on steeper slopes with lower solar radiation. The predictive map revealed that less than 8% of the study area had a greater probability of occupancy than 0.8.

Conclusions Most habitats in the study area are unsuitable for nesting suggesting that conservation of the best suitable areas is important. The fine-scale predictive map approach may be valuable in designating conservation priority areas.     

Den-Site Characteristics of Black Bears in Rocky Mountain National Park,Colorado

Abstract: We compared historic (1985–1992) and contemporary (2003–2006) black bear (Ursus americanus) den locations in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, USA, for habitat and physiographic attributes of den sites and used maximum entropy modeling to determine which factors were most influential in predicting den-site locations. We observed variability in the relationship between den locations and distance to trails and elevation over time. Locations of historic den sites were most associated with slope, elevation, and covertype, whereas contemporary sites were associated with slope, distance to roads, aspect, and canopy height. Although relationships to covariates differed between historic and contemporary periods, preferred den-site characteristics consistently included steep slopes and factors associated with greater snow depth. Distribution of den locations shifted toward areas closer to human developments, indicating little negative influence of this factor on den-site selection by black bears in RMNP.     

Brown Bear Den Habitat and Winter Recreation in South-Central Alaska

ABSTRACT Increasing demand for backcountry recreation opportunities during winter (e.g., snowshoeing, helicopter-assisted skiing, snowmobiling) in steep, high-elevation terrain has elevated concern about disturbance to brown bears (Ursus arctos) denning on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA. To help identify areas where such conflicts might occur, we developed a spatially explicit model to predict potential den habitat. The model indicated brown bears selected locations for den sites with steep slopes, away from roads and trails. Den sites were associated with habitat high in elevation and away from potential human contact. We then compared areas with the highest probability of providing den habitat with patterns of snowmobile and nonmotorized recreation on a portion of the Kenai Peninsula. We found limited overlap between the 2 recreation activities and potential den habitat for brown bears. At the landscape scale, however, backcountry skiing overlapped more high-quality den habitat than did snowmobile riding. Our results may be used by land management agencies to identify potential conflict sites and to minimize the potential effects of recreation activities on brown bears in dens.     

Desert bighorn sheep habitat selection,group size,and mountain lion predation risk

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) evolved for thousands of years in the presence of numerous predators, including mountain lions (Puma concolor). Bighorn sheep have presumably developed predator avoidance strategies; however, the effectiveness of these strategies in reducing risk of mountain lion predation is not well understood. These strategies are of increasing interest because mountain lion predation on bighorn sheep has been identified as a leading cause of mortality in some sheep populations. Therefore, we investigated how mountain lions affect both bighorn sheep habitat selection and risk of mortality in Arizona, USA. We used 2 approaches to investigate the predator-prey relationship between mountain lions and bighorn sheep. We fit 103 bighorn sheep (81 females and 22 males) with global positioning system radio-collars in 2 Arizona populations from 2013 to 2017, and used a negative binomial resource selection probability function to evaluate whether bighorn sheep selected for habitat features in accordance with presumed predator avoidance strategies, including terrain ruggedness, slope, topographic position, and horizontal obstruction, in 2 seasons (winter and summer). We then estimated how habitat features such as terrain ruggedness, slope, horizontal obstruction, and group size, influence the risk of mortality due to mountain lion predation using an Andersen-Gill proportional hazards model. Generally, both sexes selected areas with lower horizontal obstruction and intermediate ruggedness and slope, but selection patterns differed between seasons and sexes. The use of more rugged areas and steeper slopes decreased the risk of mortality due to mountain lion predation, consistent with presumed predator avoidance strategies. Increased group size decreased risk of bighorn sheep mortality due to mountain lion predation but this effect became marginal at approximately 10 individuals/group. We did not identify a relationship between horizontal obstruction and bighorn sheep mortality risk. Our findings can be used in habitat and population management decisions such as the prioritization of habitat restoration sites or selection of translocation sites. In addition, we suggest that augmentation of low-density bighorn sheep populations may reduce mountain lion predation risk by increasing group size, and that releasing large groups of bighorn sheep in population augmentation and reintroduction efforts may help to reduce mountain lion predation.     

Differential risk effects of wolves on wild versus domestic prey have consequences for conservation

Predators play integral roles in shaping ecosystems through cascading effects to prey and vegetation. Such effects occur when prey species alter their behavior to avoid predators, a phenomenon called the risk effects of predators. Risk effects of wild predators such as wolves are well documented for wild prey, but not for free ranging domestic animals such as cattle despite their importance for ecosystem function and conservation. We compared risk effects of satellite‐collared wolves (n = 16) on habitat selection by global‐positioning‐system‐collared elk (n = 10) and cattle (n = 31). We calculated resource selection functions (RSFs) in periods before, during and after wolf visits in elk home ranges or cattle pastures. The habitat variables tested included: distance to roads and trails, terrain ruggedness, food‐quality and distance to forest. When wolves were present, elk stayed closer to forest cover and selected less for high‐quality‐food habitat. Thus, the risk effects of wolf presence on elk produced a change in the tradeoff between food and cover selection. Cattle responded by avoiding high‐quality‐food habitat and selecting areas closer to roads and trails (where people likely provided security), but these effects manifested only after wolves had left. Artificial selection in cattle may have attenuated natural anti‐predator behaviors. The effects of predators on ecosystems are likely different when mediated through risk effects on domestic compared to wild animals. Furthermore, predator control in response to livestock predation, an important conservation issue, may produce broad ecosystem effects triggered by decrease of an important predator species. Conservation planners should consider these effects where domestic herbivores are dominant species in the ecosystem.     

Least-effort pathways?: a GIS analysis of livestock trails in rugged terrain

Livestock trails frequently evolve in pastures when plant growth or establishment cannot keep pace with vegetation disturbance. In some instances, man-made trails are established in rangeland settings to encourage uniform use of forages or facilitate livestock passage through dense vegetation or across rugged terrain. A long-term assumption has been that livestock establish pathways of least resistance between frequented areas of their pastures, but this hypothesis has never been tested. We mapped cattle trails in three 800+ ha pastures with global positioning units. A geographic information system (GIS) helped quantify characteristics of trails and the landscape and was used to plot least-effort pathways between water sources and distant points on selected trails in the pastures. Characteristics of the cattle trails and least-effort pathways were compared to test the hypothesis that cattle develop least-effort routes of travel in rugged terrain. The mean slope of the three pastures was 13.5%, and the average slope of the topography traversed by the cattle trails was 8%. The slope of the trails was reduced to 5.2% by selection of cross-slope routes. When we compared the characteristics of 10 selected cattle trails and least-effort pathways generated by our GIS, the cattle trails were 11% shorter (P=0.046) than the least-effort pathways, and the topography traversed by cattle had a gradient about 1% less than the least-effort pathways (P=0.02). The slope of the selected trails (5.5%) and pathways (5.6%) were similar (P=0.74), however. Analyses of values extracted from cost surfaces indicated that, on the average, 183 units of effort were needed to traverse the trails and 170 units of effort expended to traverse the least-effort pathways (P=0.07). These data support the hypothesis that cattle establish least-effort routes between distant points in rugged terrain and suggest that GIS software may be useful in designing systems of livestock trails in extensive settings.     

Is Habitat Constraining Bighorn Sheep Restoration? A Case Study

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) restoration continues to be a challenge throughout western North America despite nearly a century of efforts dedicated to the species' recovery. Though bighorn sheep restoration may be constrained by several environmental factors and behavioral tendencies, areas with unrealized restoration potential may exist if novel restoration strategies are considered. We used global positioning system (GPS) location data from 27 female bighorn sheep within the southern portion of the Madison Range in southwest Montana, USA, 2015–2017, to develop and validate winter and summer habitat models, which we extrapolated throughout the entire Madison Range to identify potential seasonal habitat. We estimated potential bighorn sheep minimum population estimates within the extrapolation area by linking our top-ranked winter habitat model to population count data. During summer, female bighorn sheep selected areas characterized by rugged and steep terrain, reduced canopy cover, southwestern aspects, and ridgelines. During winter, female bighorn sheep selected areas characterized by low elevations, southwestern aspects, steep slopes, reduced canopy cover, ridgelines, high normalized difference vegetation index amplitude, and areas close to steep terrain. Predicted summer habitat was concentrated along the high-elevation ridgelines associated with steep slopes and reduced canopy cover. Predicted winter habitat occurred in a non-contiguous distribution primarily along the low-elevation, southwest-facing aspects along the western slopes of the Madison Range. Our results suggest that the Madison Range may be capable of supporting 780–1,730 animals, which is 2–4 times the number of bighorn sheep currently observed within the range. Further, our findings provide managers with a quantification of female bighorn sheep habitat and suggests that a strategy focused on establishing a metapopulation through a series of within-range translocations may enhance bighorn sheep restoration. We suggest that similar restoration opportunities may be common in other unoccupied areas of bighorn sheep historical range. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

印度喜马拉雅山区西藏盘羊的警戒行为

在几个动物类群中开展的许多行为研究中发现,个体的警觉水平与群体大小存在着负相关关系。一般认为,这种关系是由于个体在一个较大的群体中被捕杀的概率小。在本研究中,我研究了濒危的印度喜马拉雅地区西藏盘羊(Ovis ammon hodgsoni)的警戒行为与群体大小和逃逸地形的关系。我假设小群体中的、位于悬崖旁的盘羊比那些大群体中的、开阔地带(逃逸地形)中的盘羊的警戒水平高。结果发现随着群体增大,盘羊的警戒水平下降,但是,逃逸地形与盘羊的警戒水平没有关系。盘羊的不同性别、年龄组之间的时间预算存在显著差异。与雄性和亚成年个体比较,雌性用于警觉的时间多,它们比雄性采食时间长,移动少。因此,警戒行为是是盘羊的一种重要反捕食行为     

Grizzly bear movements relative to roads: application of step selection functions

Access management is among the most important conservation actions for grizzly bears in North America. In Alberta, Canada, nearly all grizzly bear mortalities are caused by humans and occur near roads and trails. Consequently, understanding how bears move relative to roads is of crucial importance for grizzly bear conservation. We present the first application of step‐selection functions to model habitat selection and movement of grizzly bears. We then relate this to a step‐length analysis to model the rate of movement through various habitats. Grizzly bears of all sex and age groups were more likely to select steps closer to roads irrespective of traffic volume. Roads are associated with habitats attractive to bears such as forestry cutblocks, and models substituting cutblocks for roads outperformed road models in predicting bear selection during day, dawn, and dusk time periods. Bear step lengths increased near roads and were longest near highly trafficked roads indicating faster movement when near roads. Bear selection of roads was consistent throughout the day; however, time of day had a strong influence over selection of forest structure and terrain variables. At night and dawn, bears selected forests of intermediate age between 40 and 100 yr, and bears selected older forests during the day. At dawn, bears selected steps with higher solar radiation values, whereas, at dusk, bears chose steps that were significantly closer to edges. Because grizzly bears use areas near roads during spring and most human‐caused mortalities occur near roads, access management is required to reduce conflicts between humans and bears. Our results support new conservation guidelines in western North America that encourage the restriction of human access to roads constructed for resource extraction.     

COLONY AND HABITAT SELECTION OF SIX KELP GULL LARUS DOMINICANUS COLONIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Kelp Gulls nested in six colonies on rocky islands, sand and rock cliffs, sand dunes and on a sand, gravel island in a salt lake. The colony sites selected were different from the surrounding areas and were generally inaccessible to ground predators. Kelp Gulls nested in a wide variety of habitats. Within colonies, the gulls did not nest randomly with respect to habitats but preferred to nest on flat, stable areas with some cover (either rocks or vegetation). They generally avoided heavily vegetated areas, areas devoid of vegetation and areas with steep slopes. Their specific habitat choices relate to predation and cannibalism pressures. Intermediate cover provides adequate protection for chicks while allowing for increased visibility and open escape routes for parents. Nearest neighbour distances were similar among colonies and habitats, indicating strong social attraction.     

The Effect of Snowmobile Trails on Coyote Movements Within Lynx Home Ranges

Abstract: Coyotes (Canis latrans) and Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are sympatric throughout much of the lynx's southern range. Researchers and managers have suggested that the presence of compacted snowmobile trails may allow coyotes to access lynx habitat from which they were previously excluded by deep, unconsolidated snow. This could then allow coyotes to more effectively compete with lynx for snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), the lynx's primary prey. We investigated how coyotes interacted with compacted snowmobile trails by conducting carnivore track surveys and by snow tracking adult coyotes (4 M, 8 F) in areas of western Montana, USA, with both documented lynx presence and recreational snowmobile use. Coyotes remained in lynx habitat having deep snow throughout the winter months. They used compacted snowmobile trails for 7.69% of their travel distance and traveled on them for a median distance of 124 m. Coyotes used compacted forest roads (5.66% of total travel) and uncompacted forest roads (4.62% of total travel) similarly. Coyotes did not travel closer to compacted snowmobile trails than random expectation (coyote x̄ distance from compacted trails = 368 m, random expectation = 339 m) and the distance they traveled from these trails did not vary with daily, monthly, or yearly changes in snow supportiveness or depth. However, they strongly selected for naturally shallower and more supportive snow surfaces when traveling off compacted snowmobile trails. Coyotes were primarily scavengers in winter (snowshoe hare kills composed 3% of coyote feed sites) and did not forage closer to compacted snowmobile trails than random expectation. The overall influence of snowmobile trails on coyote movements and foraging success during winter appeared to be minimal on our study area. The results of this study will allow land managers to better assess the effects of snow-compacting activities on coyotes and lynx.     

粤北南岭典型矿山生态修复工程技术模式与效益预评估——基于广东省山水林田湖草生态保护修复试点框架

广东粤北南岭山区地处国家生态安全格局“两屏三带”中的南方丘陵山地带的核心区,由于历史上有色金属矿产无序开采、选矿和冶炼等活动,导致区域生态环境问题突出,并造成下游区域土壤、水、农作物污染。修复历史遗留矿山、做好源头控制是解决区域生态环境问题的关键所在。以典型矿山废弃地单元（废土堆）为例,提出其生态修复工程技术模式与关键技术,开展修复效益预评估方法和实践研究。研究结果表明：粤北南岭山区矿区生态环境问题主要包括矿山植被破坏和水土流失问题突出、地质灾害风险隐患较大、矿山周边水土污染严重几个方面;矿山生态修复应以防控安全隐患为基础,以恢复生态功能为主要目标,同时治理矿山水土污染。构建了遵循山水林田湖草系统共治的“依山就势”重塑地形、“因势利导”疏导水流、“柔性防护”稳定边坡的粤北南岭废土堆立体生态修复模式,提出了相应的场地平整、清污分流、土壤改良、边坡生态袋植生、立体植被配置等生态恢复关键技术;建立了包括涵养水源、保持水土、净化环境及净化水质4个方面的生态效益评估模型,废土堆修复后生态效益预计可达到66754.25元/a。研究结果可为粤北南岭山区及类似区域山水林田湖草系统共治提供技术支撑。     

Mountain roads shift native and non‐native plant species' ranges

Roads are known to act as corridors for dispersal of plant species. With their variable microclimate, role as corridors for species movement and reoccurring disturbance events, they show several characteristics that might influence range dynamics of both native and non‐native species. Previous research on plant species ranges in mountains however seldom included the effects of roads. To study how ranges of native and non‐native species differ between roads and adjacent vegetation, we used a global dataset of plant species composition along mountain roads. We compared average elevation and range width of species, and used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to compile their range optimum and amplitude. We then explored differences between roadside and adjacent plots based on a species’ origin (native vs non‐native) and nitrogen and temperature affinity. Most non‐native species had on average higher elevational ranges and broader amplitudes in roadsides. Higher optima for non‐native species were associated with high nitrogen and temperature affinity. While lowland native species showed patterns comparable to those in non‐native species, highland native species had significantly lower elevational ranges in roadsides compared to the adjacent vegetation. We conclude that roadsides indeed change the elevational ranges of a variety of species. These changes are not limited to the expansion of non‐native species along mountain roads, but also include both upward and downward changes in ranges of native species. Roadsides may thus facilitate upward range shifts, for instance related to climate change, and they could serve as corridors to facilitate migration of alpine species between adjacent high‐elevation areas. We recommend including the effects of mountain roads in species distribution models to fine‐tune the predictions of range changes in a warming climate.     

Habitat requirements of the threatened snake species Hoplocephalus stephensii (Elapidae) in eastern Australia

Abstract Although forested habitats in eastern Australia have attracted significant conservation‐related research, this work has focused strongly on endothermic vertebrates. Threatened reptile taxa have received less attention, but information on their habitat requirements should be central to management planning. The arboreal elapid snake Hoplocephalus stephensii is largely restricted to remnant forests in eastern Australia, and is listed as a threatened species under wildlife legislation. We collated 84 records of the current New South Wales geographical distribution of H. stephensii, and compared attributes of these locations to those of randomly chosen points within the same forests, in adjacent forests, in timber plantations and on freehold land across the geographical range of the taxon. Data on climatic and topographic characteristics of these sites were obtained from Geographic Information Systems databases and entered into a principal components analysis. Unsurprisingly, locations where snakes were recorded differed from the random sites in several respects (e.g. rainfall, elevation, seasonality of precipitation). Within a given forest, H. stephensii was generally found in areas similar to randomly chosen points. Comparison of vegetation communities used with those available within forests provided no evidence for active habitat selection. Comparisons of Geographic Information Systems‐derived data for snake‐collection localities along roads versus those within the forest revealed significant biases, and we warn that such methodological errors could generate spurious conclusions about non‐random habitat use by threatened species. In combination with previous data from radio‐tracking, we conclude that although H. stephensii is highly specialized in its arboreality and dependence upon hollow trees, its broad tolerance with respect to other factors (climatic conditions, vegetation communities, food types, etc.) allows populations to persist so long as large areas of forest with high numbers of hollow‐bearing trees are available. These requirements are similar to those of many other components of the Australian forest fauna. Thus, the findings of this study support the idea that the same kinds of management programmes can effectively conserve a wide range of taxa, if such programmes protect critical habitat components at suitable spatial scales.     

Infra‐red thermometry of alpine landscapes challenges climatic warming projections

Rough mountain terrain offers climatic conditions (niches) to plants and animals poorly represented by conventional climate station data. However, the extent to which actual temperatures deviate from those of the freely circulating atmosphere had never been assessed at a landscape level. Here, we quantify thermal life conditions across topographically rich mountain terrain by using a combination of thermal (IR) imagery of surface temperature with data from a large number of miniature data loggers buried at 3 cm soil depth. The data obtained from six alpine (Alps) and arctic‐alpine slopes (Norway, Sweden, Svalbard) evidence persistent root zone temperatures of 2–4 K above air temperature during summer. Surface temperatures show strong positive (2–9 K) and negative (3–8 K) deviations from air temperature on bright days and clear nights, respectively. As to be expected, south oriented slopes are warmer than west and north slopes but microclimatic variation on clear sky days was strong within all slopes, with 8.4±2.5 K (mean±SD) surface temperature differences persisting over several hours per day along horizontal (i.e., equal elevation) transects. Life conditions of alpine organisms are thus strongly decoupled from conditions in the free atmosphere and cannot reliably be inferred from climate station data in both, temperate and arctic latitudes. Microtopography can mimic temperature differences of large elevational (or latitudinal) gradients over very short horizontal distances. This is important in the context of climate change because it shows that species do not necessarily need to climb several hundred meters in elevation to escape the warmth. Quite often, few meters of horizontal shift will do. For plants unable to, or too slow to adapt to a warmer climate, thermal microhabitat mosaics offer both refuge habitats as well as stepping stones as atmospheric temperatures rise.     

Factors influencing the occurrence of the Southern Long‐nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta Geoffroy) during a population irruption and decline

Modelling the occupancy of species is a key part of the discipline of ecology, with particular efforts often focused on identifying which environmental, vegetation and other factors influence why a given species occurs where it does. Here, based on data gathered between 2003 and 2016, we developed models of the environmental, terrain and vegetation factors associated with site occupancy of the Southern Long‐nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta Geoffroy) at Booderee National Park in the Jervis Bay Territory, south‐eastern Australia. The Long‐nosed Bandicoot is a nocturnal omnivorous marsupial which feeds primarily on subterranean invertebrates and fungi. The species has undergone a major reduction in abundance and site occupancy following a peak irruption in 2006 with the percentage of the sites at which the species was present declining from 74.3% of sites trapped in 2006 to 10.5% of sites trapped in 2016. We found the Long‐nosed Bandicoot was distributed widely across Booderee National Park and occurred in all six broad vegetation types in the reserve (forest, heathland, woodland, shrubland, sedgeland and rainforest). Detection‐occupancy modelling revealed that the persistence and colonisation of sites by the species were negatively associated with the per cent cover of leaf litter, irrespective of broad vegetation type. Occupancy models are an important tool in identifying parts of landscapes most likely to support populations of particular species, such as the Long‐nosed Bandicoot over time, and they may assist management of protected areas to prioritise resources to manage the habitat of those areas.