Wronski, T, Sun, P and Plath, M (2017) Resource availability predicts the distribution of Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) on Farasan Islands. In: Ward, C, (ed.) Wildlife: Perceptions, Threats and Conservation. Wildlife Protection, Destruction and Extinction . Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, NY, pp. 1-16. ISBN 978-1-53611-059-3

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Abstract

Understanding how habitat parameters affect distribution patterns of threatened mammalian species is imperative for their conservation. Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) are on stark decline, while the population on Farasan Islands seems to be largely unaffected by human pursuit. Here, we asked whether vegetation-related parameters predict their local abundance. We conducted home range analyses, using cumulative kernel density estimates per study quadrant as an estimate of local abundance. We also established several vegetation-related parameters and subjected them to principal component (PC) analysis. Multiple regressions uncovered a statistically significant effect of PC 1 (with high axis loading from several food-related plants like Acacia ehrenbergiana Hayne), while PC 2 (Capparis sinaica Veill., a presumed source of hygroscopic water) had no effect on abundance estimates, probably because gazelles visit hygroscopic plants only sporadically. Our study is the first to provide empirical evidence that the occurrence of Arabian gazelles is tightly linked to that of Acacia spp.

Item Type:	Book Section
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions:	Biological and Environmental Sciences (from Sep 19)
Publisher:	Nova Science Publishers
SWORD Depositor:	A Symplectic
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2025 10:30
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2025 10:30
Editors:	Ward, C
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/25924

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