Human disturbance alters the predation rate of moose in the Athabasca oil sands

Abstract

Citation: Neilson, E. W., and S. Boutin. 2017. Human disturbance alters the predation rate of moose in the Athabasca oil sands. Ecosphere 8(8):e01913. 10.1002Ecosphere 8(8):e01913. 10. /ecs2.1913 Abstract. Human disturbance can alter predation rates to prey in various ways. Predators can use human disturbance to facilitate hunting, thereby increasing exposure to prey. Conversely, when predators avoid human disturbance and prey do not, prey refugia are generated. Because the direction and magnitude of such effects are not always predictable, it is important to examine if and how predation rates vary with human disturbance. Alberta's Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) is a region of boreal forest characterized by extensive human disturbance and is home to moose (Alces alces) and wolf (Canis lupus) populations. We examined whether the wolf predation rate of moose varies with human disturbance in the AOSR. We compared the distribution of wolf kills of moose to a spatial index of moose density in uplands and wetlands, near and far from rivers, mines and facilities, and at high and low densities of linear features near human habitation. Moose were killed closer to mines and rivers and at lower densities of linear features than expected by random. When compared to the relative availability of habitats, more kills of moose occurred in upland forest than in wetlands. However, when compared to the relative density of moose, kills only increased with decreasing distance to mines and rivers. We conclude that predation rates of moose have increased near human disturbance in AOSR because the mining footprint has removed habitat causing changes to the intensity of wolf use of areas near the boundary of mines. We discuss possibility of sink habitat near mining features and whether that is expected to reduce moose population density across AOSR.

Close encounters of the fatal kind: Landscape features associated with central mountain caribou mortalities

“…We also found that predation risk outside of protected areas was higher for caribou using habitat closer to streams, and kill sites were also closer to streams than surviving caribou locations. This result is consistent with previous research indicating that grizzly bears, cougars, and wolves select streams and riparian areas for foraging, cover, and movement (DeCesare, 2012a; Dickson et al., 2005; Phoebus et al., 2017), and that prey vulnerability to being killed is higher near streams (Kunkel & Pletscher, 2000; Nielson & Boutin, 2017). Within protected areas, caribou predation risk was linked to natural landscape characteristics previously associated with predators (e.g., streams, lower angle slopes).…”

The calm during the storm: Snowfall events decrease the movement rates of grey wolves (Canis lupus)

“…They typically spend less than 24 h at deer kills [ 26 , 43 , 67 ] but spend several days at carcasses of larger prey such as moose [ 41 , 43 , 45 , 67 ]. Wolves in our study area spent more than 20 h at deer kills and more than two days at moose kills [ 43 ]. Wolves in northeastern Alberta also spent a mean of 1.7 days at moose calf kill sites [ 45 ].…”

“…Industry-related linear features are widespread, reaching a mean density of 1.63 km/km 2 ( Fig 1 ). In the winter, wolves prey mainly on moose ( Alces alces ) [ 43 , 44 ], which are found at low densities (0.04 to 0.15 moose/km 2 ) across the landscape [ 43 , 45 ]. White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) are common and increasing in the AOSR, and serve as an alternative prey source [ 46 ].…”

“…Animal handling was conducted by an experienced crew and followed protocols approved by the University of Alberta’s Animal Care and Use Committee and the Government of Alberta (Research Permit #54143 and #54187, Wildlife Animal Care Committee Class Protocol #009). Although the wolves we analyzed were part of a larger collaring effort [see 43 ], we restricted our analyses to individuals with fix rates every 30 minutes (min) or less because estimates of fine-scale movements require fast fix rates [ 47 ]. Eighteen individuals had fast-fix collars, but one was excluded from our analyses because of collar failure.…”

Individual-based seasonal habitat selection in a forest-dwelling population of reintroduced bison Bison bison

“…Some bison populations occupy wilderness regions, whereas others persist in industrialized landscapes, and many have highways bisecting their range. For some ungulates, anthropogenic disturbance causes detrimental habitat loss or increased predation rates (Neilson and Boutin 2017, Plante et al 2018), but bison may benefit from some degree of disturbance. Linear features such as seismic lines and roads may reduce the energetic costs of travel (Bruggeman et al 2006, Jung 2017, DeMars et al 2020) and support the growth of key forage plants such as graminoids and shrubs (Strong et al 2013, Finnegan et al 2018).…”