Movements of two Svalbard polar bears recorded using geographical positioning system satellite transmitters

Until recently, studies on polar bear (Ursus maritimus) movements and space use have used data collected by satellite telemetry collars that provided positions infrequently (typically weekly) and with low precision (by Doppler Shift method). A new generation of transmitters incorporated into collars use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide highly accurate positions, and have the ability to provide many positions per day. We used data from two GPS collars fitted to female polar bears, that attempted to collect six positions per day (4-h apart) for 546 days (from April 2000 to September 2001) and 413 days (from April 2000 to May 2001) to estimate how estimated speed of movement and home range size increase with increasing number of data points. Using all the positions, we estimated that the bears moved a minimum of 14.3 and 15.8 km per day on average. The fractal dimension (D) of the movement pathways for the two bears were D = 1.28 and 1.31, respectively, indicating low tortousity of the movements. Their minimum estimated annual home range areas were 20,794 and 112,183 km². Simulations showed that a commonly used sampling regime of one location every 6th day would have significantly underestimated the movement rates and the home range sizes compared to our estimates. We also used the high accuracy of GPS positions to look at distances moved within 4-h periods. Maximum movement rate during a 4-h period for the two bears was 4.21 and 4.58 km/h, respectively. Variation in median values by month was significant (0.01 km/h in November for N23476 to 1.48 km/h in December for N7955). Diurnal variation was observed to differ between defined periods.     

野生大熊猫与放牧家畜的空间利用格局比较

空间利用是野生动物对环境资源的利用模式和活动格局,影响着种群之间的基因交流和生存发展。我们于2010～2012年在四川卧龙国家级自然保护区的“核桃坪”及其附近区域,采用GPS颈圈跟踪技术对分布和放养于该区域的野生大熊猫和放牧家畜—马群进行了定位监测和样地调查。分别选择了3只大熊猫和3个马群的代表性个体的GPS颈圈数据,在地理信息系统（GIS）中通过数字高程模型（DEM）、动物移动模块等工具提取和计算了它们活动区域的地形地势、巢域大小、日移动距离和核域数量,并检验了野生大熊猫和放牧家畜空间利用的差异性。结果表明：野生大熊猫和放牧家畜不同月份和整体之间在海拔高度、坡度坡向、巢域面积、日移动距离和核域数量等方面都具有显著性的差异。野生大熊猫表现为随季节和食物类型（竹笋、竹秆、枝叶）丰度的变化分别活动于拐棍竹林、短锥玉山竹林和冷箭竹林中,活动空间较大（海拔范围、巢域大小）、日移动距离较短和核域数量多等特征的随机扩散模式,且不同个体和月份之间波动性较大;放牧家畜则因初始放养于不同区域的竹林（拐棍竹林、冷箭竹林）和人为干涉程度的大小差异,显示出不同的空间利用格局,但与大熊猫相比,总体而言都具有巢域面积小、日移动距离略大、核域数量极少等“步步为营”空间利用模式的特征,且不同畜群和不同时间之间的变化幅度也小于大熊猫。不同的空间利用格局对环境资源的影响强度截然不同,大熊猫的利用模式有利于竹子资源的更新恢复和生境结构的持续发展,而放牧家畜的利用模式将造成竹子资源的死亡衰败和生境结构的破坏退化。因此,加强放牧家畜的管控,有效协调社区经济发展和生物多样性保护成为卧龙自然保护区（特区）今后工作和管理的当务之急。