Habitat selection of the Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus in the Western Carpathians: the role of the landscape mosaic

Figures & data

Figure 1. The distribution of Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus localities (•) and random points (◦) in the Żywiec Beskid Mountains Special Protection Area (southern Poland).

Table 1. The landscape-scale habitat variables measured in breeding areas occupied by the Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus and random control localities.

Variables	Code	Method of measurement (unit)	Data source
(a) Topographical parameters
Altitude	ALT	Reading from DEM (m asl)	Digital elevation model (DEM)
Slope	SLP	Reading from DEM (degrees)
Aspect	ASP	Reading from DEM (degrees from 0 to 360)
(b) General geographic parameters
Distance from watercourse networks	DWN	Distance to the nearest watercourse (m)	Topographical database
Distance from roads	DRN	Distance to the nearest road (m)
Distance from built-up areas	DBA	Shortest distance to the limits of a built-up area (m)
(c) Linear habitat parameters
Distance from a canopy gap	DCG	Shortest distance to the limits of a canopy gap (m)	Orthophotomap
Distance from a small glade	DSG	Shortest distance to the limits of a small glade (m)
Distance from a large glade	DLG	Shortest distance to the limits of a large glade (m)
Distance from a clear-cut	DCL	Shortest distance to the limits of a clear-cut (m)
Minimum distance to an open area	MDO	Shortest distance of one of the four attributes mentioned above (m)
(d) Surface habitat parameters
Forest area in a buffer	FAB	Area occupied by a tree stand in a buffer with a radius of 125 m (m^2)	Orthophotomap
Length of the border of a forest/open area in a buffer	LFB	Length of the border between a tree stand and an open area in a buffer with a radius of 125 m (m)
Number of forest patches in a buffer	NFP	Number of forest patches present in a buffer with a radius of 125 m (units)

Figure 2. The distribution of Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus breeding areas in the Żywiec Beskid Mountains Special Protection Area (southern Poland).

Table 2. The mean values and standard deviations of the landscape-scale habitat variables of Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatu s localities (n = 126) and random control points (n = 126) in the Żywiec Beskid Mountains Special Protection Area (southern Poland).

Variables	Occupied (Mean ± sd)	Random (Mean ± sd)	t	P
Altitude	935.0 ± 129.6	829.2 ±183.0	5.6	< 0.0001
Slope	19.3 ± 7.9	18.4 ±7.8	1.0	0.33
Aspect	180.9 ± 113.4	181.3 ± 113.8	–0.0	0.98
Distance from watercourse networks	137.0 ± 97.1	122.0 ± 98.8	1.4	0.17
Distance from roads	157.7 ± 145.2	115.4 ± 109.1	2.4	0.017
Distance from built-up areas	2295.8 ± 983.6	1790.3 ± 987.0	4.1	0.0001
Distance from a canopy gap	31.3 ± 33.2	30.5 ± 54.5	0.6	0.53
Distance from a small glade	864.6 ± 597.0	520.0 ± 460.0	5.5	< 0.0001
Distance from a large glade	464.3 ± 423.4	380.1 ± 394.9	1.5	0.12
Distance from a clear-cut	156.7 ± 175.9	202.1 ± 233.3	–2.3	0.024
Minimum distance to an open area	16.9 ± 18.3	17.0 ± 15.7	–1.4	0.17
Forest area in a buffer	39791.9 ± 10622.1	41136.0 ± 8540.2	–1.2	0.21
Length of the forest/open area border in a buffer	357.9 ± 347.3	368.3 ± 354.2	–0.0	0.97
Number of forest patches in a buffer	1.3 ± 0.7	1.2 ± 0.6	1.4	0.16

Table 3. Logistic regression model of Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus occurrence in the Żywiec Beskid Mountains Special Protection Area (southern Poland).

Variables	Regression coefficient ± se	t 248	P	Wald's χ^2	Odds ratio (95% CI)
Constant	–7.56 ± 1.64	–4.6	< 0.0001	21.2
Distance from a small glade	0.06 ± 0.02	3.8	0.0002	14.6	16.3 (3.9–68.8)
Distance from a clear-cut	–0.04 ± 0.02	–2.1	0.035	4.5	0.2 (0.0–0.9)
Altitude	0.23 ± 0.06	4.0	0.0001	16.1	38.0 (6.4–226.1)
χ^2 = 50.7; P < 0.0001; n = 252.

Figure 3. The distribution of Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus densities in relation to altitude (m asl) in the Carpathians and Sudety Mountains.

APPENDIX 1. STUDY RESULTS OF SAMPLE PLOTS IN THE CARPATHIANS AND SUDETY MOUNTAINS

Locality (mountain range)	Density (pairs/10 ha)	Habitat type	Altitude (m asl)	Source
Karkonosze	0	Beech forest	470–560	Dyrcz (1973)
Karkonosze	0	Norway Spruce forest	720–800	Dyrcz (1973)
Karkonosze	0	Mountain Pine communities	1250–1300	Dyrcz (1973)
Karkonosze	+	Norway Spruce forest	1130–1320	Dyrcz (1973)
Karkonosze	0	Alpine meadows with Mountain Pine	1240–1420	Dyrcz (1973)
Góry Bystrzyckie	0	Norway Spruce forest	520–550	Mikusek (1996)
Góry Bystrzyckie	0	Norway Spruce forest	670	Mikusek (1996)
Beskid Żywiecki	0	Subalpine meadow	1240–1315	Faber (2000)
Beskid Żywiecki	0.9	Norway Spruce–Mountain Pine forests	1240–1485	Faber (2000)
Beskid Żywiecki	2.1	Subalpine meadow–Norway Spruce forest	1280–1330	Faber (2000)
Beskid Żywiecki	0.6	Norway Spruce forest	1295–1485	Faber (2000)
Babia Góra	0.9	Mountain Pine communities	1374–1525	Bashta (2005)
Babia Góra	+	Mountain Pine communities	1525–1610	Bashta (2005)
Babia Góra	+	Alpine meadows with Mountain Pine	1610–1650	Bashta (2005)
Babia Góra	0	Alpine meadows	1650–1725	Baszta (2005)
Babia Góra	+	Beech forest	950–1050	Kieś (1991)
Polica	0.5–1	Norway Spruce forest	1200–1300	Slizowski (1991)
Mala Fatra	0.01–0.87	Beech–Silver Fir forest	825–1123	Kornan (2004)
Vel'ka Fatra	3.2–3.6	Norway Spruce–Beech forest	1150–1200	Saniga & Saniga (2004)
Tatry	+	Beech forest	960–1100	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	1.5	Norway Spruce forest	1300–1400	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	0–0.2	Mountain Pine communities	1400–1580	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	+	Mountain Pine communities	1550–1720	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	0	Alpine meadows with Mountain Pine	1600–1800	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	0	Alpine meadows	1720–2000	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	0	Alpine meadows with rocks	1900–2120	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	0	High-mountain zone	2171–2233	Głowaciński & Profus (1992)
Tatry	0.6	Mountain Pine communities	1420–1580	Baszta (2005)
Tatry	+	Mountain Pine communities	1500–1720	Bashta (2005)
Tatry	0	Alpine meadows with Mountain Pine	1560–1840	Bashta (2005)
Tatry	0	Alpine meadows	1660–1940	Bashta (2005)
Tatry	0	High-mountain zone	2050–2193	Bashta (2005)
Tatry	+	Mountain Pine communities	1650	Kocian (1998)
Gorce	0	Mountain riparian forest	500–550	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	0.2	Mountain riparian forest	690–700	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	0.4	Beech–Silver Fir forest	810–920	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	0.8	Beech forest	810–950	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	0.4	Beech–Silver Fir forest	950–1050	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	4.9	Beech–Norway Spruce forest	1180–1210	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	0	Subalpine meadow	1200–1240	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	1.7	Norway Spruce forest	1130–1210	Głowaciński (1991)
Gorce	0	Beech forest	950–1050	Kozłowski (1974)
Gorce	0.4–0.9	Norway Spruce forest	1050–1220	Kozłowski (1974)
Beskid Wyspowy	0.35–0.6	Norway Spruce forest	925–1170	Kajtoch 2011
Bieszczady	0–0.3	Beech forest	725–1150	Cichoń & Zając (1991)
Bieszczady	0–0.4	Beech forest	725–1275	Cichoń & Zając (1991)
Bieszczady	0	Alpine meadows	1175–1310	Cichoń & Zając (1991)
Bieszczady	0.2	Beech forest	464–776	Stój & Kawa (2002)
Bieszczady	0	Silver Fir–Norway Spruce forest	500–620	Stój & Kawa (2002)
Bieszczady	0	Mountain riparian forest	570–580	Stój & Kawa (2002)
Bieszczady	1.3	Beech forest	680–800	Stój & Kawa (2002)
Bieszczady	0	Beech forest	600–800	Cichoń et al. (1995)
Bieszczady	+	Mountain riparian forest	675–750	Głowaciński & Profus (1996)
Bieszczady	0	Beech forest	680–900	Głowaciński & Profus (1996)
Bieszczady	0	Beech forest	600–950	Ciach (unpubl. data)
Bieszczady	0.23	Beech forest	740–1081	Ciach (unpubl. data)
Skolivski Beskids	0.4–0.7	Norway Spruce forest	650–800	Bashta (1999)
+ represents density lower than 0.1/10 ha.

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