Fulltext

Choice of analytical method can have dramatic effects on primate home range estimates

Grueter, Cyril ; Li, Dayong ; Ren, Baoping ; Wei, Fuwen

In: Primates, 2009, vol. 50, no. 1, p. 81-84

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    Titre
    • Choice of analytical method can have dramatic effects on primate home range estimates
    Auteur
    • Grueter, Cyril. Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Li, Dayong. Qinling Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Research Centre, College of Life Science, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China
    • Ren, Baoping. Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
    • Wei, Fuwen. Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:318239
    Summary
    Primate home range sizes can vary tremendously as a consequence of the analytical technique chosen to estimate home range. This is exemplified by a recent dataset on free ranging snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) in Northwest Yunnan, China. Our findings show that the grid cell method cannot substitute for the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method and vice versa. MCP-based estimates are far too large, especially when the form of the home range is irregular due to forays into peripheral areas. Here, we propose an adjusted polygon method, whereby unsuitable and never visited areas are clipped out from the polygon, thus producing more accurate results. Compared to the grid cell method, the adjusted MCP is much more robust when the number of group relocations is limited; MCP turned out to be the method of choice for calculation of monthly and seasonal home ranges. The grid cell method on the other hand yielded the most precise estimates for total or annual home ranges. The style of ranging exhibited by a given primate taxon or population determines which analytical procedures should be applied to estimate home range size, and we would stress the need for thorough evaluation of the pros and cons of home range estimators before conducting field work and analysing data