title: Habitat suitability and demography, a time-dependent relationship.
abstract: The habitat suitability index, which reflects spatial variability in species occurrence probability, has been shown to exhibit various contrasting relationships with local demographic performances (survival, productivity) in several species. One proposed explanation for these discrepancies is that the link between the habitat suitability index and demography is influenced by density-dependent, temporally variable processes. Based on the survival rates of more than 3,000 nests monitored over 12 years in the North African Houbara Bustard, we investigated whether the habitat suitability index computed over the species breeding range is related to nest survival throughout the breeding season, accounting for variation in meteorological conditions. We found that the relationship between the habitat suitability index and nest survival progressively changes along the breeding season and that this intra-annual variation is consistent between years. Our results support the hypothesis that variation in space use occurs intra-annually and that biotic interactions throughout the breeding season strongly influence the habitat suitability index-demography relationship.
authors.affiliation: Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation Missour Morocco; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO UMR 7204) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France.
authors.forename: Léo
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1200-9902
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bacon
authors.affiliation: Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation Missour Morocco; RENECO International Wildlife Consultants LLC Abu Dhabi UAE.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hingrat
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO UMR 7204) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jiguet
authors.affiliation: Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation Missour Morocco; Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO UMR 7204) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France.
authors.forename: Anne-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Monnet
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO UMR 7204) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sarrazin
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO UMR 7204) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robert
keywords: Biotic interactions; nest survival; niche modeling; niche switch; seasonal dynamics