Mobility and home range use by pine martens (Martes martes) in a Polish primeval forest

We measured daily movements and use of home ranges for 14 radio-collared pine martens (Martes martes) in Bialowieza National Park (eastern Poland) in 1991-1996. Data were collected during 70 continuous sessions of 24-h radio-tracking with locations taken at 15-min intervals. Daily movement distance (DMD, sum of straight-line distances between consecutive locations) averaged 5.1 km(.)d(-1) (min-max: 0.4-12.6) in females and 5.8 km(.)d(-1) (min-max: 0.7-12.7) in males. The mean speed of martens was 0.6 km(.)h(-1) (min-max: 0.2-1.4). Daily ranges (DR) used by martens averaged 49 ha. (min-max: 1-149) in females and 54 ha (min-max: 1-182) in males and constituted 0.3% to 88% (mean 26% and 29%, respectively) of annual home ranges held by martens. Indices of penetration of daily ranges (IPDR, in metres of route per hectare of DR) showed whether the daily routes of martens were densely packed and concentrated or loosely distributed. IPDR averaged 220 m(.)ha(-1) in females and 139 m(.)ha(-1) in males. Ambient temperature, abundance of forest rodents (martens' main prey resource), sex, and reproductive activity of an animal were crucial factors shaping the variation in all parameters. DMD, DR, and speed were positively correlated with ambient temperature (from -17 degreesC to 26 degreesC). With increasing temperature, martens moved faster, covered longer distances, and used larger daily ranges. Mobility and home range use were affected by breeding activity. In spring, females rearing cubs had longer DMD and moved faster than non-breeding females. In summer, males covered larger daily ranges during the mating period than outside it. We reviewed the available data on pine martens' wintertime DMD in Europe. In locations ranging from 41degrees to 69degrees N, the average and maximum recorded DMD of martens increased from south to north. We propose that pine martens have to cover longer routes to fulfil their food requirements in the conditions of declining ecosystem productivity and shrinking prey resources found along the south-north gradient.