Decomposing the Spatial and Temporal Effects of Climate and Habitat on a Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) Population in Northeastern Chinese Mountains

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The timely monitoring of the population fluctuations of endangered species and discovering their causes are critical for biodiversity conservation in mountainous areas. To monitor population dynamics and explore the effects of climate and habitat on the population distribution of the hazel grouse, a second-class protected animal in China, infrared cameras were installed in Hunchun, China (Jilin Province). The hazel grouse preferred stable climate conditions. A distribution close to paved roads in the summer benefitted birds’ survival and breeding, but the activity of local people in the mountain disturbed them significantly in autumn. We report here how the hazel grouse has responded to anthropogenic disturbances in the mountains of northeast China over a decade, and we call for further attention to this species that is sensitive to climatic fluctuations at high latitudes. ABSTRACT: Habitat, climate, and human disturbances have important effects on wildlife, and these are especially critical for threatened species. In this study, we used infrared camera traps to monitor the population dynamics of the hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) from 2012 to 2021 in northeast China and explore the effects of habitat, climate, and human disturbance on their distribution. We analyzed 16 environmental variables related to significant differences between presence recordings and absence recordings within and between seasons. Temperatures and roads influenced the distribution of the hazel grouse, but topography and vegetation types did not. The hazel grouse preferred deciduous forest and oak forest from spring to autumn. This study provides ecological information to help guide the mountain habitat management of the hazel grouse in national parks.