Four covariates depicted predominant human modifications of the landscape, distance (in meters) to the nearest oil or gas well, road, residential structure, and energy-related ancillary feature.
Table 1 Predictor variables important to resource selection by greater sage-grouse in Wyoming Variable Description Predominant human modifications of the landscape Distance to nearest well Distance (m) to the nearest oil or natural gas well.
Initially, a sample could be moved by up to 10%% of the maximum inter-landscape distance in either direction, which was reduced by 2%% every 1000 generations.
First, a simple model was created and its transition probabilities were based on observed frequencies of actual conversions between forest, pasture and scrub in the period 1946 1970, accounting for the impact of three landscape characteristics (distance to roads; distance to streams; land use in a 3×3 grid cell neighborhood).
The depositional strata, where resources tended to accumulate, occupied a larger proportion of the landscape as distance increased.
Landscape conditions (distance from the nearest hardwood forest and altitude) affected the abundance of small saplings and seedlings of tall tree species, but not the other classes.
At the landscape scale, distance from water but not from the woodland edge influenced occupancy dynamics, with roosts closer to water having higher probability of being occupied.
Data on abiotic factors (slope, solar irradiation, bedrock) and landscape structure (distance from relevé to the nearest road, settlement and habitat edge) were obtained from digital maps.
If the spatial distribution of patches is very uneven and/or some taxa/patches are characterised by low frequencies in the randomized landscape, this distance will become longer.
At the landscape scale, distance to nearest primary road was the most important landscape variable to female bobcats followed by agriculture, mixed pine-hardwood, mature pine, shrub-scrub, hardwoods, and young pine; distance to nearest secondary road was least important (Table 2).
Based on standardized coefficient estimate rankings at the landscape scale, distance to primary road was the most important landscape variable to male bobcats followed by young pine, agriculture, mature pine, mixed pine-hardwood, and shrub-scrub; distance to nearest secondary road was least important (Table 2).
