Comparison of Techniques to Determine Eastern Grey Kangaroo Home Range

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Abstract
The ellipse, modified harmonic mean, and Fourier transform models were used to examine the home range of adult western grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in the Sandy Creek Reserve, Bago State Forest, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Locations of kangaroos were determined by slighting number-collared or radio-collared individuals. The ellipse model was used to determine diurnal home range area, orientation, and geograpihcal mean center. Those females and males occupying the primary study area had similar home range areas (.hivin.x = 23.2 and 20.5 ha for M and F, respectively). Orientation and geographical center of the range varied with both time of day and season due to movements related to sheltering behavior. In winter, diurnal shelter was not sought and forage was poor; activity centers shifted further into the open pasture than in spring. Home range area of females was significantly reduced when accompanied by young. A modified harmonic mean model was used to deterine home range areas and to assess longer-term shifts in activity centers for widely ranging males. The ability of this method to discriminate multiple activity centers resolved long-term movement patterns of radio-tracked males, which were related to transient associations with female groups during the spring-summer mating period. The Fourier transform model was used to determine home range areas and boundaries. These areas were much smaller than those determined by the other 2 methods, and the boundaries were often discontinuous.