Archives of Biological Sciences 2017 Volume 69, Issue 4, Pages: 637-647
https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS161124009D
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Species distribution modeling for the invasive raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Austria and first range predictions for alpine environments
Duscher Tanja (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria)
Nopp-Mayr Ursula (Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria)
Species distribution models are important tools for wildlife management
planning, particularly in the case of invasive species. We employed a recent
framework for niche-based invasive species distribution modeling to predict
the probability of presence for the invasive raccoon dog (Nyctereutes
procyonoides) in Austria. The raccoon dog is an adaptive, mobile and highly
reproductive Asiatic canid that has successfully invaded many parts of
Europe. It is known to occur in Austria since 1963 and is now widespread in
the northern and eastern parts of the country, but its population density
remains low. With the help of a species distribution model we identified
focal areas for future monitoring and management actions, and we address some
management implications for the raccoon dog in Austria. We also determined
the environmental predictors of raccoon dog distribution in this alpine
country. Its distribution seems to be mainly limited by climatic factors
(snow depth, duration of snow cover, winter precipitation and mean annual
temperature) and is thus linked to elevation. Consequently, we assumed the
Alps to be a barrier for the spread of the invasive raccoon dog in Europe;
however, its ecological permeability is expected to increase with ongoing
climate change.
Keywords: raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides, species distribution model, MaxEnt, Alps