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Gewählte Master / Diploma Thesis:

Benjamin Kostner (2021): Provinzdeckende Habitatmodellierung als Entscheidungsgrundlage für das Auerhuhnmanagement (Tetrao urogallus) in Südtirol.
Master / Diploma Thesis - Institut für Wildbiologie und Jagdwirtschaft (IWJ), BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur, pp 54. UB BOKU obvsg FullText

Data Source: ZID Abstracts

Abstract:: The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is a prominent representative of the alpine biocenosis and classified as an umbrella species. Protection and improvement of its structure-rich habitat can therefore result in a broader positive effect for the subalpine biodiversity. In the last decades, negative population trends have been studied in various European regions where habitat loss and fragmentation were found to be amongst the main drivers. Negative population trends have also been observed in our study area of South Tyrol. Habitat fragmentation and loss due to unsuitable forest structure, increasing infrastructure and outdoor activities are likely to be drivers also in this region. In the last two decades habitat improvement has been one of the main tools for capercaillie conservation in South Tyrol. To provide a versatile tool for a province-wide capercaillie management the goal of this study was the elaboration of a species distribution model. MaxEnt has been chosen as modeling software. It´s based on presence-only data and uses the concepts of maximum entropy and machine learning for creating a model that relates presence data, environmental variables and anthropogenic factors. The final model shows a preference for sub-alpine spruce forests (Vaccinio-Piceetea) and larch forests (Larix decidua) between 1500 and 2000m a.s.l. with a bilberry cover (Vaccinium myrtillus) of 25 - 50% and slopes between 0° and 20°. A distance to nearby roads of <300m has a slight negative effect. To guarantee for a medium-term applicability, highly variable parameters like canopy cover have been excluded a priori. The model therefore projects habitat potential and not relative habitat suitability and is suggested as a tool for identifying priority areas in a province-wide habitat management. Due to its central location, the Province of South Tyrol plays an important role in the conservation of the alpine capercaillie metapopulation.; Beurteilende*r: Nopp-Mayr Ursula; 2.Mitwirkender: Kunz Florian