International conservation planning at the end of the twentieth century is dominated by coarse-filter, supra-organismal approaches to conservation that may be insufficient to conserve certain species such as the jaguar ( Panthera onca ). If we are to retain broadly distributed species into the next century, we need to plan explicitly for their survival across their entire geographic range and through political boundaries while recognizing the variety of ecological roles the species plays in different habitats. In March 1999 the Wildlife Conservation Society sponsored a priority-setting and planning exercise for the jaguar across its range, from northern Mexico to northern Argentina. Field scientists from 18 countries reached consensus on four types of information: (1) the spatial extent of their jaguar knowledge, (2) the known, currently occupied range of jaguars, (3) areas with substantial jaguar populations, adequate habitat, and a stable and diverse prey base, and (4) point localities where jaguars have been observed during the last 10 years. During the exercise, these experts also conducted a range-wide assessment of the long-term survival prospects of the jaguar and developed an algorithm for prioritizing jaguar conservation units occurring in major habitat types. From this work, we learned that the known, occupied range of the jaguar has contracted to approximately 46% of estimates of its 1900 range. Jaguar status and distribution is unknown in another 12% of the jaguar's former range, including large areas in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. But over 70% of the area where jaguars are thought to still occur was rated as having a high probability of supporting their long-term survival. Fifty-one jaguar conservation units representing 30 different jaguar geographic regions were prioritized as the basis for a comprehensive jaguar conservation program. Planeación para Salvar una Especie: El Jaguar como ModeloResumen: La planeación de la conservación internacional al final del siglo veinte esta dominada por enfoques de grano grueso, supra-organísmicas que pueden ser insuficientes para conservar ciertas especies como el jaguar ( Panthera onca ). Si hemos de mantener especies ampliamente distribuidas en el próximo siglo, necesitamos planificar su supervivencia explícitamente en todo su rango geográfico a través de límites políticos al mismo tiempo que se reconozca la variedad de funciones ecológicas de las especies en diferentes hábitats. En marzo de 1999 la Sociedad de Conservación de Vida Silvestre promovió un ejercicio de definición de prioridades y de planeación para el jaguar en todo su rango de distribución, desde el norte de México hasta el norte de Argentina. Científicos de 18 países llegaron a consensos en cuatro tipos de información: (1) la extensión espacial de su conocimiento del jaguar, (2) el rango conocido, actualmente ocupado por el jaguar, (3) áreas con poblaciones importantes, hábitat adecuado y una base de presas estable y diversa y (4) localidades en las que se han observado jaguares durante los ú...

Corridors are commonly used to connect fragments of wildlife habitat, yet the identification of conservation corridors typically neglects processes of habitat selection and movement for target organisms. Instead, corridor designs often are based on binary patterns of habitat suitability. New technologies and analytical tools make it possible to better integrate landscape patterns with behavioral processes. We show how resource selection functions can be used to describe habitat suitability with continuous and multivariable metrics and review methods by which animal movement can be quantified, analyzed, and modeled. We then show how the processes of habitat selection and movement can be integrated with landscape features using least-cost paths, graph theory, and step selection functions. These tools offer new ways to design, implement, and study corridors as landscape linkages more objectively and holistically.

Summary 1.Corridors are commonly used to connect fragments of wildlife habitat, yet the identification of conservation corridors typically neglects processes of habitat selection and movement for target organisms. New technologies and analytical tools make it possible to better integrate landscape patterns with behavioural processes. We illustrate the integration of resource selection functions (RSFs) and least-cost path (LCP) analyses for the purpose of corridor planning for two large carnivores. 2. We used RSFs developed from Global Positioning System telemetry data to predict the seasonal distribution of two large carnivores: grizzly bears Ursus arctos and cougars Puma concolor. We then applied LCP analyses to identify potential corridors in two fragmented montane landscapesCanmore and Crowsnest Pass -in Alberta, Canada. 3. Grizzly bear habitat selection in both areas positively correlated with greenness in all seasons and soil wetness and proximity to water in the summer when both variables were associated with bear forage. During spring, grizzly bear occurrence in Canmore inversely correlated with road density. 4. For cougars, habitat selection varied by region: it negatively correlated with road density in Canmore during non-winter and positively correlated with terrain ruggedness in Crowsnest Pass. Cougar occurrence during the non-winter season in Canmore positively correlated with greenness. 5. For each species, seasonal RSFs were used to develop a cost surface for LCP analyses to identify potential corridor locations in each study area. Overlaying the paths for the two species highlighted where the landscape could support corridors for both species and potential highway crossing zones. The telemetry data supported some of these modelled crossings. 6. Synthesis and applications. We show how to integrate RSFs and least-cost modelling to identify corridors for conservation. We focus on two large carnivores in the Canadian Rocky Mountains to identify potential corridors in Canmore and provide a framework for corridor planning in Crowsnest. We suggest that our approach is applicable to many other target species in addition to large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes.

Commercially available telemetry collars for wildlife that employ Global Positioning System (GPS) devices generally have the ability to gather a large volume of precise location data. We appraised the performance of 12-channel Televilt GPS-Simplex collars (Televilt/TVP Positioning AB, Lindesberg, Sweden) deployed across western and northern Canada on grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). Of 71 collar deployments between 2000 and 2002, 38 were retrieved and performed according to their programmed schedule, 20 were retrieved and had some degree of failure, and 13 experienced catastrophic failures and were not retrieved. In addition to these deployments, 10 collars failed predeployment. GPS collar fix success rates were greater for the retrieved collars from the Northwest Territories than for the 4 study areas in British Columbia and Alberta (F 4,50 = 10.82, P<0.001); thus, the latter areas were grouped for further analyses. Collar fix success rates in the British Columbia and Alberta study areas differed between the retrieved collars that functioned normally (x -=65%, SE=2.3, n=28) and collars retrieved with failure events (x -= 56%, SE = 4.3, n = 17; t 43 = 2.09, P = 0.043). Fix success rates were lower the longer collars were in the field (r s =-0.35, n=45, P=0.020). Locations from the GPS collars had a mean dilution of precision of <4 for 2D and 3D locations and thus had a good degree of precision. We were satisfied with the volume and quality of the location data; however, we advise other researchers that significant time and money may be lost troubleshooting problems with the Televilt Simplex system. Other recommendations for future and current users are considered.