Moving beyond the plane: measuring 3D home ranges of juvenile salamanders with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags

摘要: An individual’s home range, or how much space it requires to obtain resources and meet its needs for survival reproduction, affects the scale of many fundamental processes in ecology can inform management species. Although range size has been described taxa two dimensions (2D), species that also have a strong vertical component their movement, such representations miss core components ecology, including ranges amount overlap, thus competition, between individuals. Measuring three-dimensional (3D) small-bodied life history stages be particularly difficult, as they cannot tolerate high resolution tracking technologies like GPS collars. In this study, we used Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags measure 2D 3D fossorial juvenile salamander: ringed salamander (Ambystoma annulatum) spotted (A. maculatum). We tested whether individuals modified habitat selection movement behavior response environmental variation. Salamanders our study frequently subterranean habitats. However, rarely detected them more than 5 cm below ground. Additionally, overlap among ranges, respectively, were similar. These findings indicate these salamanders may move vertically through less previously thought. Alternatively, moved into soil strata beyond detection PIT telemetry. conclude telemetry suitable technique determining life-stages which other are unsuitable. When animal includes movements with component, simplifying assumptions affect ecological inferences by overestimating competition underestimating size. describe 3D. The modulated weather, but general remained close surface. As result, juveniles susceptible thought practices alter local microclimate. Because predicted, had similar patterns. demonstrate facilitate cryptic stage. technology is limited depth, until antenna strength improved, limited.