Winter Habitat Selection Of Wild Boars (Sus Scrofa) And Spatial Memory Study Based On Satellite Tracking Technology

Many wildlife groups exhibit movement behaviors that make decisions based on various environmental information in habitat selection,especially in winter when food resources are scarce and the animals’ ability to survive depends on information about resources and the dynamics of past experiences gained during their movements.There is a growing body of research that finds that spatial memory plays a non-negligible role in habitat selection and can be used to move within home ranges.Wild boars(Sus scrofa)have a strong ability to use food resources,and in addition to a well-developed olfactory ability,they also have a strong spatial memory and are able to make movement decisions in habitat selection.There is no study on habitat selection involving spatial memory of wild boars in China,and this study analyzed the winter movement trajectory data of 13 wild boars in the southern Lesser Khingan Mountains from 2019-2022 based on Global Positioning System.Firstly,the habitat selection of wild boars in winter was analyzed using the step selection function model;then analyzed recursive movement,decision point and habitual route habitat characterization of wild boar spatial memory,while the cognitive map ability of wild boars was judged by identifying decision points and habitual routes;finally,the results of each part were summarized to show the influence of spatial memory in the process of habitat selection of wild boars.The main results obtained are as follows:1.Habitat selection using the step selection function shows that wild boars prefer sunny slopes with high altitudes and large slopes,and prefer places close to water sources,but rarely appear in places close to evergreen broad-leaved forest,deciduous coniferous forest,deciduous broad-leaved forest and farmland.2.Wild boar spatial memory is reflected in its recursive movement pattern.The maximum number of revisits can reach 157.Habitat factors affecting repeated visits to an area include slope,aspect,distance to broadleaf evergreen forest,agricultural land,water source,wetland,deciduous coniferous forest,deciduous broadleaf forest and mixed forest.Most of the revisited areas were located on sunny slopes with high slope,and the areas with many visits were closer to evergreen broad-leaved forests,water sources,wetlands,deciduous broad-leaved forests,and mixed forests,and farther from farmlands,tertiary roads,and deciduous coniferous forests.3.Wild boars move using a route-based cognitive map,and use decision points and habitual routes during movement.A total of 439 decision points were identified,and 156 habitual routes were used more than 20 times,with the largest number of uses reaching 54 times.Decision points favored by feral pigs used in places close to water sources and wetlands;less often used in places close to farmland and deciduous coniferous forests.Wild boars preferred to use habitual routes in places close to evergreen broad-leaved forest,mixed forest,deciduous broad-leaved forest,tertiary roads,and wetlands;less often used habitual routes in places close to deciduous coniferous forest.When habitat selection using the step selection function model was compared with the results of habitat characterization studies on revisiting areas,decision points and habitual routes with respect to spatial memory,the correlations of the habitat factor variables were approximately the same except for the correlations of broadleaf forest and slope,indicating that habitat selection of wild boars was influenced by spatial memory.The results of this study enriched the theory of wild boar habitat selection studies in the region while contributing to the management of wild boar populations in the region.