Revisitation dynamics and fine-scale habitat use of tigers in a tropical dry deciduous forest of central India

Introduction Understanding how apex predators allocate space-use intensity within their home ranges is essential for linking individual-level movement decisions to broader ecological and conservation management. This study presents the first investigation of recursive movement ecology in tiger from the Indian subcontinent, examining the environmental determinants of site revisitation frequency and patch residence time in the tropical dry deciduous forests of Panna Tiger Reserve, central India. Methods Using continuous GPS telemetry data of 12 resident tigers across three seasons (summer, monsoon, winter), recursive-use patches were quantified at a 250-m analytical neighbourhood, and revisitation rate and residence time were modelled separately using mixed-effects fine-scale habitat-use models. Results Revisited sites were non-randomly distributed with respect to all measured covariates, although effect sizes differed: tree canopy height produced the strongest univariate separation between revisited and available sites, whereas distance to villages and water showed intermediate separation, while enhanced vegetation index and topographic position showed weaker separation. Females had consistently higher descriptive revisitation and residence-time values than males, and both metrics were highest in summer and lowest during monsoon. The mixed-effects models revealed persistent sex- and season-specific non-linearity. Topographic position showed the most consistent negative linear association around average conditions, but the complete response curves demonstrated cohort-specific curvature. Associations with water, vegetation greenness, canopy structure, and village distance differed between revisitation and residence time, showing that frequently returned-to sites were not necessarily the places where tigers remained longest. Fixed environmental effects explained a modest proportion of variation relative to models including tiger identity, emphasizing substantial individual heterogeneity. Discussion These results identify recursive space use as a distinct dimension of tiger habitat use and show that fine-scale site fidelity in dry deciduous forests reflects context-dependent associations with structural vegetation, hydrology, topography, and human-use interfaces rather than a single habitat optimum.