Assessing landscape relationships for habitat generalists

Stewart, Abbie; Komers, Petr E.; Bender, Darren J.

doi:10.2980/17-1-3284

Cited by 11 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Binary classifications must be backed by the investigation of not only how vegetation types are used relative to their availability but also how the different vegetation types influence the use of the other vegetation types in a landscape context. In other words, any given vegetation type may complement or supplement near by vegetation types, affecting their value as a resource [17,18]. Nevertheless, our previous analysis of moose habitat showed that, in our study area, shrubland was the habitat preferred by moose irrespective of complementation or supplementation by near by vegetation types [18].…”

Section: Low Fragmentation High Fragmentation Increasing Habitat Lossmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…In other words, any given vegetation type may complement or supplement near by vegetation types, affecting their value as a resource [17,18]. Nevertheless, our previous analysis of moose habitat showed that, in our study area, shrubland was the habitat preferred by moose irrespective of complementation or supplementation by near by vegetation types [18].…”

Section: Low Fragmentation High Fragmentation Increasing Habitat Lossmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…We use the term "habitat" to denote the vegetation type that is used significantly more than what would be expected from vegetation availability alone and has the highest observed proportion of pellet groups [18]. [19].…”

Section: Low Fragmentation High Fragmentation Increasing Habitat Lossmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Testing the Ideal Free Distribution Hypothesis: Moose Response to Changes in Habitat Amount

Stewart

Komers

2012

ISRN Ecology

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According to the ideal free distribution hypothesis, the density of organisms is expected to remain constant across a range of habitat availability, provided that organisms are ideal, selecting habitat patches that maximize resource access, and free, implying no constraints associated with patch choice. The influence of the amount of habitat on moose (Alces alces) pellet group density as an index of moose occurrence was assessed within the Foothills Natural Region, Alberta, Canada, using a binary patch-matrix approach. Fecal pellet density was compared across 45 sites representing a gradient in habitat amount. Pellet density in moose habitat increased in a linear or quadratic relationship with mean moose habitat patch size. Moose pellet density decreased faster thanwhat would be expected from a decrease in habitat amount alone. This change in pellet group density with habitat amount may be because one or both of the assumptions of the ideal free distribution hypothesis were violated.

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Section: Low Fragmentation High Fragmentation Increasing Habitat Lossmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Low Fragmentation High Fragmentation Increasing Habitat Lossmentioning

confidence: 72%

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Testing the Ideal Free Distribution Hypothesis: Moose Response to Changes in Habitat Amount

Stewart

Komers

2012

ISRN Ecology

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“…Instead, across seasons, overlaps were consistently highest for moose followed by elk or wolves depending on season and the measure of multiple resource potential. Moose, elk, and wolves are habitat generalists whose occurrence across landscapes is more ubiquitous than that of the other four species we examined (Munõz-Fuentes et al 2009;Stewart et al 2010;Brodie et al 2012). Consequently, broadly distributed high-value habitats of these three species increased the likelihood of their overlap with areas of high cumulative resource potential and high resource potential diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Populations of elk, with a preferred forage base of graminoid vegetation (Jenkins and Starkey 1993;Christianson and Creel 2007), would benefit initially. Moose, which forage primarily on shrubs (Stewart et al 2010), would benefit most in approximately 10-15 years after harvest once shrubs began to increase (Potvin et al 2005;Leclerc et al 2012b). The gradual increase in shrub biomass over time would continue to support moose populations for 30-40 years following timber harvesting (Proulx and Kariz 2005;Leclerc et al 2012b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential conflict between future development of natural resources and high-value wildlife habitats in boreal landscapes

Suzuki

Parker

2016

Biodivers Conserv

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We used the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area in northeast British Columbia, Canada as a case study to determine potential conflicts between future resource development and high-value habitats of large mammals in an undeveloped boreal landscape. More than 50 % of high-value habitats for caribou, moose, elk, wolves and grizzly bears were located in Special Resource Management Zones, where natural resource developments could occur. We developed geographic information system (GIS) layers of potential forest resources, oil and gas, minerals, wind power, all resources combined, and roads; and quantified the proportions of high-value habitats overlapping these potentials. Greater proportions of high-value habitats across seasons for moose, elk, and wolves overlapped areas with high cumulative resource potential (winter, 49-70 %, growing season, 35-63 %) more than for three other species (grizzly bears, Stone's sheep, mountain goats). This pattern was similar for forest resources, oil and gas, wind power, and roads. Caribou were more seasonally influenced. The proportions of their high-value habitat in areas with high cumulative resource potential (winter, 53 %, growing season, 16 %), as well as high forest and oil and gas potentials, were greatest in winter; in contrast, overlap with high mineral potential was greatest during the growing season. We recommend a quantitative and visual GIS approach to scenario planning in the Muskwa-Kechika to maintain the abundance and diversity of wildlife populations there. Resource development would likely increase early seral habitats, presumably benefiting moose, elk, and wolves, but could adversely affect caribou and grizzly bears through habitat loss and increased access.

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Conservation of wildlife populations: factoring in incremental disturbance

Stewart¹,

Komers²

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Progressive anthropogenic disturbance can alter ecosystem organization potentially causing shifts from one stable state to another. This potential for ecosystem shifts must be considered when establishing targets and objectives for conservation. We ask whether a predator-prey system response to incremental anthropogenic disturbance might shift along a disturbance gradient and, if it does, whether any disturbance thresholds are evident for this system. Development of linear corridors in forested areas increases wolf predation effectiveness, while high density of development provides a safe-haven for their prey. If wolves limit moose population growth, then wolves and moose should respond inversely to land cover disturbance. Using general linear model analysis, we test how the rate of change in moose (Alces alces) density and wolf (Canis lupus) harvest density are influenced by the rate of change in land cover and proportion of land cover disturbed within a 300,000 km 2 area in the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Using logistic regression, we test how the direction of change in moose density is influenced by measures of land cover change. In response to incremental land cover disturbance, moose declines occurred where <43% of land cover was disturbed; in such landscapes, there were high rates of increase in linear disturbance and wolf density increased. By contrast, moose increases occurred where >43% of land cover was disturbed and wolf density declined. Wolves and moose appeared to respond inversely to incremental disturbance with the balance between moose decline and wolf increase shifting at about 43% of land cover disturbed. Conservation decisions require quantification of disturbance rates and their relationships to predator-prey systems because ecosystem responses to anthropogenic disturbance shift across disturbance gradients.

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Assessing landscape relationships for habitat generalists

Cited by 11 publications

References 38 publications

Testing the Ideal Free Distribution Hypothesis: Moose Response to Changes in Habitat Amount

Testing the Ideal Free Distribution Hypothesis: Moose Response to Changes in Habitat Amount

Potential conflict between future development of natural resources and high-value wildlife habitats in boreal landscapes

Conservation of wildlife populations: factoring in incremental disturbance

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