Food patch distribution determines home range size of adult male chamois only in rich habitats

The home range sizes of 10 adult male chamois were studied in association with the spatial distribution of intensively used food patches and rest sites in two contrasting areas, in the Maritime Alps Regional Park (a "rich habitat", in terms of vegetation and habitat features) and Gran Paradiso National Park (a "poor habitat"). Radiotelemetry was used to locate chamois for which the time budget and feeding behaviour were recorded. Preferred sites for feeding were assessed monthly through the relative redundancy of usage of all home range sites. In both study areas, only the number of peripheral preferred sites for feeding influenced the home range size. An increase in the mean distance of peripheral preferred sites for feeding from the home range centre was associated with an increase in home range size in the "rich habitat", but not in the "poor habitat" where other factors were probably involved (e.g. female availability in the mating season).