Landscape use by fishers (<i>Pekania pennanti</i>): core areas differ in habitat than the entire home range

Home ranges have long been studied in animal ecology. Core areas may be used at a greater proportion than the rest of home range, implying core contains dependable resources. The Pacific fisher (Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777)) is rare mesocarnivore occupying small area Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA. Once statewide, fishers declined 1900s due to trapping, habitat fragmentation, and development. Recently, drought induced by climate change affecting this population. We examined space use their versus range for levels anthropogenic modifications (housing density, road silvicultural treatments), types, tree mortality. found contained more late-successional forest minimal human activity compared with territory. Their had higher dense canopy amounts conifer cover, while minimizing amount buildings, developed habitat, low cover. Fishers effect seeking refugia exposure these elements core. Conserving landscape components will important persistence isolated