Identifying Areas of Concentrated Use within the Home Range

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Abstract

(1) Animals generally use space disproportionately within the boundaries of their home range. Areas receiving concentrated use by resident animals can be termed core areas. Identifying these core areas is an important part of understanding the ecological factors that determine use. (2) Comparison of the observed space-use pattern with that expected from a uniform pattern of use is our basis for defining core areas. The difference in ordered cumulative distribution functions can be tested using a one-sided goodness-of-fit procedure. Core areas are delineated by enscribing those areas within the home range where use exceeds that expected from a uniform distribution. (3) This method of estimating core areas is illustrated with a hypothetical data set and applied to radio-telemetry locations of a black bear (Ursus americanus, Pallas). The bear used two distinct core areas, which enclosed 34% of the total home range and included 76% of the animal locations. (4) Patterns of core area use are demonstrated for male western tanagers (Piranga ludoviciana, Wilson). Although 90% home range boundaries overlap, core areas for four adjacent males are shown to closely resemble exclusive-use territories. (5) Interspecific use of core areas of western tanagers and chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina, Bechstein) are compared. Core areas for chipping sparrows tended to be a larger proportion of the home range and intensity of core area use was greater for western tanagers. (6) The size and location of core areas depend on the method of determination of home range size. Alternative home range methods may have a substantial influence on the estimation of core areas due to differences in the estimated home range boundary and underlying use distribution.

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