Stream health, topography, and land use influences on the distribution of the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in the Nakdong River basin, South Korea

摘要: Abstract In South Korea, Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) habitat has increased since the 1990 s because of legal protection, forest development, and public awareness. Although otters have been detected throughout country, a precise investigation conditions not previously undertaken. We hypothesized that higher values stream health assessment programme (SHAP) indices would indicate better for otters. Otter distribution based on spraint density was investigated along 600 m riverside transects at 250 sites in Nakdong River basin. defined four population categories (absent, rare, normal, abundant) compared results with presence absence data. Use provided more details about than analysis. The highest densities were found altitudes, declined areas high human urbanization. benthic macro-invertebrate community index highly positively related to indices. terms fish as prey items, proportion species tolerant environmental change negatively indices, otherwise number sensitive related. Overall, correlations numbers distribution.