Appendix S1 Review of the factors previously identified by other authors as influencing wildcat distribution and selected as explanatory variables for the modelling process.
Variables used in
the present study
Rb_p
Rod_div
Confor_a
Confor_p
Confor_pma
Mixfor_a
Mixfor_p
Mixfor_pma
Heath_a
Heath_p
Heath_pma
Grass_a
Grass_p
Grass_pma
N_hab
Water_main
Authors
Study Location
Main habitat
Study aims
Sample type
Results
a) Feeding ecology
a) Scats
a) Rabbit as main resource. Also small mammals as constant
resource namely Microtus agrestis. Significant presence of
birds namely red grouse and pheasant.
b) Feeding ecology
b) Stomach contents
b) Rabbit as principal diet resource. Considerable presence of
wood mice, voles and birds.
c) Exposed areas with
heather cover, pasture and
c) Feeding ecology
patches of birch woodland
and scrub
c) Scats
c) Rodents as main prey, namely Microtus agrestis.
Significant predation on birds, rabbits as supplementary
resource
d) Jura Vaudois,
Switzerland
d) Forest and pasture
d) Eco-Ethology
d) Scats
d) Small mammals as main resource. Mostly Arvicola
terrestris. Microtus sp. and Apodemus sp. as constant
resource.
e) Biró et al.
(2005)
e) Hungary
e) Forest, pastures and
arable land
e) Feeding ecology
e) Stomach contents
and scats
e) Small mammals as main resource. Mostly, Microtus arvalis
and Apodemus sp.
f) Lozano et
al. (2006)
f) Continental scale
f) N/A
f) Biogeographical
patterns of diet
f) Selection of rabbits when present and small mammals when
f) Revision of 15 diet
rabbits are absent. At high latitudes in Europe most of the
studies
small mammals consumed are Microtinae.
a) Corbett
(1979)
a) Wooded valley and
a) Glen Tanar, Scotland
open moorland
a) Spatial ecology
a) Radio-tracking
a) Wide selection of habitats (pine, birch, scrub, moors, farm).
Core areas in pine forest and significant number of
movements along forest edges and areas with scrub cover.
Movements over open heather moorlands during summer.
b) Scott
(1993)
b) Ardnamurchan,
Scotland
b) Wood and grassland
more wet areas
b) Spatial ecology
b) Radio-tracking
b) Use of young forestry plantations and gorse during the day
with exploration movements in open ground and around farms
and villages during the night.
c) Daniels et
al. (2001)
c) Angus Glen,
Scotland
c) Mixed and coniferous
woodland + moor and
grassland
c) Ecology and Genetics
c) Radio-tracking
of wild-living cats
c) Wild-living cats preferred stream edge and woodland
habitats and avoided pasture and heather moorland.
d) Klar et al.
(2008)
d) Southern Eifel,
Germany
d) Forest, mainly
coniferous
d) Habitat selection at
local scale.
d) Presence of forest did not totally explains habitat use.
Edges between forest and watercourses were also important.
a) Corbett
(1979)
a) Glen Tanar, East
Scotland
a) Wooded valley and
open moorland
b) Kolb
(1977)
b) North East Scotland b) N/A
c) Hewson
(1983)
c) Drimnin, West
Scotland
d) Liberek
(1999)
d) Radio-tracking
Water_sec
Variables used in
the present study
Urb_a
Urb_p
Urb_pma
Rds_main
Rds_sec
Sport_est
Elev_Range
Mean_tc
N/A – Not applicable
e) Davis &
Gray (2010)
Authors
e) Scotland (10x10km
scale)
Study Location
e) Scottish wildcat
survey (2006-08)
e) NA
Main habitat
e) Wildcat sightings
and interviews
Study aims
Sample type
e) Sightings in grassland along river margins with scrub and
tree cover.
Results
a) Scott
(1993)
a) Ardnamurchan,
Scotland
a) Wood and grassland
more wet areas
a) Spatial ecology
a) Radio-tracking
a) Movements around farms and villages during night.
b) Klar et al.
(2008)
b) Southern Eifel,
Germany
b) Forest, mainly
coniferous
b) Habitat selection
b) Radio-tracking
b) Probability of wildcat habitat use decreases significantly
near villages and moderately near roads and single houses.
c) Davis &
Gray (2010)
c) Scotland (10x10km
scale)
c) N/A
c) Scottish wildcat
survey (2006-08)
c) Wildcat sightings
and interviews
c) Records of wildcats were mostly found near human
settlements and new housing developments.
d) Ferreira et
al. (2010)
d) Iberian Peninsula
d) N/A
d) Large-scale
d) Distribution data
determinants of wildcat from Portugal and
presence
Spain atlas
d) In Atlantic area, non-natural areas and road-length
contributed positively for wildcat presence. Elevation range
was the most important predictor.
e) Jerosh et al. e) Harz Mountains,
(2010)
Germany
e) Forest and Pastures
e) Selection of resting
sites
e) Radio-tracking
e) Wildcat can habituate to human-made structures, detection
of resting sites near forest roads and motorways
a) Corbett
(1979)
a) Wooded valley and
open moorland
a) Spatial ecology
a) Radio-tracking
a) Wildcats moved to lowland valleys during snow period.
b) Mermod &
b) Jura Mountains,
Liberek
Switzerland
(2002)
b) Forest, pasture and
cultures
b) The role of snow
cover for wildcat
b) Radio-tracking
b) Wildcats use highland areas if vertical migration is possible
and mostly during summer, after the snow disappearance.
c) Daniels et
al. (1998)
c) Scotland
c) N/A
c) Morphological and
pelage characteristics
c) Road casualties;
Predator control;
Live-trapping
c) Distribution of wild-living cats with characteristics
normally associated with wildcat showed to be related with
mean annual temperature
d) Davis &
Gray (2010)
d) Scotland (10x10km
scale)
d) N/A
d) Scottish wildcat
survey (2006-08)
d) Wildcat sightings
and interviews
d) Records were generally from lowland areas.
a) Glen Tanar, Scotland
Appendix S2 Models tested incorporating variables of each descriptor
Model
ΔAICc
Akaike
weight (wi)
AIC
AICc
Rb_p + Rod_div
49.680
50.990
0.000
0.652
Rb_p + Rod_div + MSI
51.010
52.790
1.798
0.265
Rb_p + MSI
55.470
55.820
4.831
0.058
Rb_p
57.410
57.590
6.596
0.024
Rod_div
70.860
71.780
20.790
0.000
Rod_div + MSI
72.180
73.490
22.500
0.000
MSI
94.170
94.340
43.350
0.000
Null model
99.280
99.340
48.350
0.000
PC1 + PC2 + PC3 + MSI
88.690
89.610
0.000
0.237
PC2 + MSI
89.390
89.750
0.135
0.221
PC2 + PC3 + MSI
89.230
89.830
0.219
0.212
PC1 + PC2 + MSI
89.600
90.210
0.595
0.176
PC1 + PC2 + PC3
93.350
93.950
4.341
0.027
MSI
94.170
94.340
4.730
0.022
PC3 + MSI
94.250
94.610
4.993
0.019
PC1 + MSI
94.450
94.810
5.196
0.018
PC1 + PC3 + MSI
94.220
94.820
5.209
0.017
PC2 + PC3
94.590
94.950
5.339
0.016
PC1 + PC2
94.920
95.280
5.667
0.014
PC2
95.890
96.070
6.455
0.009
PC1+PC3
97.430
97.790
8.179
0.004
PC3
98.300
98.480
8.865
0.003
PC1
98.490
98.660
9.052
0.003
Null model
99.280
99.340
9.728
0.002
Urb_a + Sport_est + MSI
71.710
72.320
0.000
0.313
Sport_est + MSI
72.160
72.520
0.197
0.284
Rds_main + Sport_est + MSI
72.040
72.650
0.330
0.265
Urb_a + Rds_main + Sport_est + MSI
73.170
74.090
1.771
0.129
Urb_a + MSI
81.880
82.240
9.922
0.002
Urb_a + Sport_est
82.410
82.770
10.450
0.002
Urb_a + Rds_main + MSI
82.750
83.360
11.040
0.001
Urb_a + Rds_main + Sport_est
82.920
83.530
11.210
0.001
Rds_main + Sport_est
83.330
83.690
11.370
0.001
Urb_a
85.080
85.250
12.930
0.000
Urb_a + Rds_main
85.470
85.820
13.510
0.000
Sport_est
86.420
86.600
14.280
0.000
Rds_main + MSI
87.290
87.640
15.320
0.000
Rds_main
90.340
90.520
18.200
0.000
MSI
94.170
94.340
22.020
0.000
Null model
99.280
99.340
27.020
0.000
Prey diversity
Land cover
Disturbance
Topography and climate
Mean_tc + Elev_range + MSI
74.440
75.040
0.000
0.787
Mean_tc + MSI
78.680
79.040
3.996
0.107
Elev_range + MSI
78.710
79.070
4.027
0.105
Mean_tc + Elev_range
89.010
89.370
14.330
0.001
Elev_range
89.680
89.860
14.820
0.000
Mean_tc
90.690
90.860
15.820
0.000
MSI
94.170
94.340
19.300
0.000
Null model
99.280
99.340
24.300
0.000
Appendix S3 Variables representing each descriptor in
the combined models.
Descriptor
Variables
Rb_p
Prey diversity
Land cover
Disturbance
Topography
and climate
Averaged Selected
estimates variables
2.310
Rod_div 1
-0.953
Rod_div 2
2.280
Rod_div 3
2.720
Rod_div 4
1.550
Rb_p,
Rod_div
PC1
-0.430
PC2
-1.440 PC2
PC3
-0.486
Sport_est
-3.180
Rds_main
0.381 Sport_est
Urb_a
0.606
Elev_Range
Mean_tc
-1.740 Elev_Range
1.700