REALIZED ECOLOGICAL NICHE OF THE MEXICAN SPOTTED OWL (Strix occidentalis lucida) IN MEXICO

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the realized niche of the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) and to compare the environmental values used between Mexican physiographic provinces.

Design/methodology/approach: The variables of temperature (n = 7), precipitation (n = 7) and elevation (n = 1) were extracted from 79 sites of unique occurrences of S. o. lucida. These values ??were grouped by physiographic provinces: Sierra Madre Occidental (n = 59), Sierra Madre Oriental (n = 13) and Transversal Neovolcanic Belt (n = 6). The climate and elevation of the sites were described and compared through the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni-Dunn tests (P?0.05).

Results: The spotted owl presences was dispersed and focally distributed over the geographic space in Mexico. It was found that the temperature and elevation variables have similar characteristics in the physiographic provinces. On the other hand, the precipitation variables showed significant differences among sites.

Limitations on study/implications: This study describes the environmental characteristics of the realized niche of the Mexican spotted owl; however, it is necessary to investigate other habitat variables on a smaller scale.

Findings/conclusions: The environmental characteristics of temperature and elevation of the ecological niche of the Mexican spotted owl are similar between physiographic provinces.