Summer Bed Sites of Elk (Cervus elaphus) in the Black Hills, South Dakota: Considerations for Thermal Cover Management

2007

Acta Theriol

Z. 2007. Effects of human disturbance on movement, foraging and bed selection in red deer Cervus elaphus xanthopygus from the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China. Acta Theriologica 52: 435-446.We characterized 716 sites (including 22 beds, 60 foraging and 604 movement sites) used by red deer Cervus elaphus xanthopygus Milne-Edwards, 1867 in the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China in the winter period. We used covariates for vegetation, topography, disturbances by other ungulates, and disturbance by humans to develop movement, forage and bed site resource-selection models. We used an information-theoretic approach to select the top 5 models for movement, forage and bed site occurrences respectively. The three most parsimonious autologistic models were good predictors of movement, forage and bed occurrence of this species. Vegetation covariates were important components of all models. We recorded avoidance responses by the behaviours of species to each disturbance type (ie, villages, forest roads and abandoned roads); bed site occurrences were most sensitive to all human disturbances for their lowest odds encountered. Across all parsimonious models, villages have the largest negative effect on movement, foraging and bed occurrences. Movement and bedding behaviours were also affected by other ungulate disturbances. Altitude had slightly negative effect on movement and foraging behaviours. Ridges, topographic aspect and shrub stands were all correlated with bed-site selection. Although different behaviours may be associated with different microhabitat features, behaviours of red deer responded similarly to the same human disturbance on a broad scale. Based on the observations above, we believe that red deer are avoiding human-altered habitat for movement, bedding and foraging because of disturbances during the critical late winter period. Furthermore, various behavioural resource selection models and corresponding graphs of important habitat disturbances can be used to guide and evaluate future development proposals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of human disturbance on movement, foraging and bed selection in red deerCervus elaphus xanthopygus from the Wandashan Mountains, northeastern China

2007

Acta Theriol

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“…However, the effect of habitat loss or fragmentation would be expected to be relatively more important (Jaeger and Fahrig 2004;Jaeger et al 2005). Land and forest managers should focus on quality of habitat by restoring the vegetation cover altered by road construction and thus minimize the influence of roads (Millspaugh et al 1998). In addition, although the presence of trails was not an important predictor, our results showed a significant tendency for moose to be attracted to trails (or abandoned roads) ( Table 2).…”

Section: Human Disturbancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple spatial‐scale resource selection function models in relation to human disturbance for moose in northeastern China

et al. 2008

Ecological Research

The moose (Alces alces cameloides) population in northeastern China is on the southernmost edge of its distribution in Asia. A survey was conducted to determine moose resource selection and the effects of human disturbance on moose in a study area of 20,661 ha located on the northwestern slope of the Lesser Khingan Mountains, located in northeastern China. Predictive models of resource selection were developed using logistic and autologistic regression. All models considered resource variable selection at two spatial scales, patch and landscape. At the patch scale, moose preferred larger birch (Betula platyphylla) patches, but avoided larger tamarack (Larix gmelinii) patches. At the landscape scale, moose preferred higher densities of tamarack patches, i.e., heterogeneity of tamarack stands, selected areas with more abundant annual shoots, terrain conducive to better concealment, higher altitudes and areas saturated with soil moisture. Roads and forest harvest intervals were identified as important human disturbance factors. This is the first time that moose have been reported to avoid roads, and the avoidance distance was nearly 3 km. We believe that in this region moose under the influence of roads are behaviorally plastic, compared with the indifference of moose to the presence of roads in other regions. Moose avoided forest areas logged more than 3 years previously and preferred areas logged 1-2 years previously. In addition, it may be necessary to monitor the effect of the dynamic of density of roe deer on the spatial distribution of the moose population.

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“…Hence, it is important to understand how resources and human disturbance affect population density, behaviour and distribution (Latham 1999). Adequate topography and vegetation cover may mitigate the impacts of human disturbances on deer habitat selection (Millspaugh et al 1998). Furthermore, the roe deer is one of the foremost examples of a behaviourally flexible species in response to human disturbance (Jepsen and Topping 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of human activities on the spatial distribution of eastern roe deerCapreolus pygargus bedfordi in the Lesser Khingan Mountains, northeastern China

et al. 2009

Acta Theriol