The Influence of Land Use and Fences on Habitat Effectiveness, Movements and Distribution of Pronghorn in the Grasslands of North America

Gates, C. Cormack; Jones, Patricia S.; Suitor, Michael J.; Jakes, Andrew F.; Boyce, Mark S.; Kunkel, Kyran; Wilson, Kevin J.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-0902-1_15

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The ability to move to areas that offer better resources, such as higher quality forage, may be even more important for pronghorn, as an animal potentially employing more of an income strategy (Clancey et al ), than many other ungulates in western North America that may rely more heavily on previously accrued energy reserves. Though there have been demonstrated changes in pronghorn movement behavior in relation to roads and fences (Sheldon , Gates et al , Sawyer et al , Yoakum et al ), and direct mortality caused by these features (O'Gara and Yoakum , Gavin and Komers , Harrington and Conover , Kolar et al ), we found no evidence of an indirect effect of roads and fences on pronghorn mortality risk.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Intrinsic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors related to pronghorn summer mortality

Reinking¹,

Smith²,

Monteith

et al. 2018

J Wildl Manag

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Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are an iconic wildlife species of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and grassland ecosystems in western North America. Over 50% of pronghorn have historically occurred in Wyoming; however, these populations have declined by nearly 30% in <2 decades, concurrent with expanding energy development and prolonged drought. Research suggests adult female pronghorn, unlike other temperate ungulates, are more likely to die in summer, when body condition is lower from extreme energetic demands of reproduction, which are higher for pronghorn than other ungulates. To evaluate the potential effects of intrinsic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors on summer mortality risk, we monitored 114 adult female pronghorn equipped with global positioning system transmitters in the Red Desert region of south‐central Wyoming, USA between 2013 and 2015. We modeled mortality risk using Cox's proportional hazards regression. Summer mortality risk was influenced by intrinsic and environmental factors; mortality risk increased when individuals were in poorer body condition entering the previous winter and when they experienced greater variation in average daily snow depth during the previous winter. We did not detect an effect of the distance to and density of roads, oil and gas wells, or fences on pronghorn summer mortality. During years of increased winter severity with deep and fluctuating snow depths, managers may observe higher winter mortality and higher mortality the following summer, likely as a consequence of the energetic expense associated with winter survival and spring reproduction for female pronghorn. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Intrinsic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors related to pronghorn summer mortality

Reinking¹,

Smith²,

Monteith

et al. 2018

J Wildl Manag

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show abstract

“…Pronghorn have difficulty crossing roads, many of which are lined with livestock fencing, and typically avoid fenced roads and right‐of‐ways (Sheldon ). Roads pose an impediment to migration of pronghorn within and between seasonal ranges and are a major concern for pronghorn conservation (Ockenfels et al , Gates et al ). In addition to roads, pronghorn in our study avoided the developed land class in our USGS GAP vegetation layer, which corresponds to roads, low‐ and high‐intensity residential areas, and industrial areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pronghorn resource selection and habitat fragmentation in North Dakota

2016

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Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in North Dakota have experienced habitat fragmentation due to agricultural practices, roads, and oil development. We analyzed patterns of female pronghorn habitat selection in 2006 and 2014, years with contrasting pronghorn density and oil production in western North Dakota. We quantified resource selection and fawn:female ratios relative to proximity to active wells, road density, land cover, development, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and agricultural practices. We also assessed patterns of well placement relative to the same environmental variables. Pronghorn selected sagebrush and areas with low NDVI but avoided developed areas, roads, forests, and wetlands. Pronghorn selected areas close to oil and gas wells because wells were located in high‐value habitats (e.g., native sagebrush‐steppe ecosystems selected by pronghorn). For the majority of variables tested, selection was stronger when pronghorn density was low, consistent with current resource selection theory. Although females selected relatively open habitats, fawn:female ratios within areas selected by females were positively correlated with NDVI. Our results demonstrate that pronghorn avoid human development and roads but not oil and gas wells. Although wells are not actively avoided by pronghorn, their placement in high‐value habitat for this species leads to significant habitat fragmentation. In light of these results, we recommend efforts to conserve pronghorn habitat such as constructing wells away from sagebrush, using existing roads to service newly constructed wells, and re‐vegetating well pads with sagebrush plantings once they are no longer in use. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

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“…Furthermore, when environmental conditions are particularly harsh, such as during winters with heavy snowfall, lost access to crucial resources due to anthropogenic infrastructure and activity can have a combined effect that exacerbates the challenges environmental conditions may present on their own (Bruns , Gates et al. , Yoakum et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Across scales, pronghorn select sagebrush, avoid fences, and show negative responses to anthropogenic features in winter

et al. 2019

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Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are endemic to western North America where they occupy expanses of grassland and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. The Red Desert region in south‐central Wyoming, USA, has historically served as a stronghold for pronghorn populations, but many herds there have experienced declining population trends over the last two decades, concurrent with oil and natural gas development. These demographic changes and the potential for such energy development, its associated infrastructure, and other anthropogenic features including roads and fences to influence pronghorn habitat selection were the impetuses for our study. We sought to evaluate the potential effect of human‐induced disturbance on multi‐scale seasonal resource selection of 142 adult female pronghorn from 2013 to 2016 using 442 unique animal‐season‐year datasets. We utilized a traditional resource selection function to evaluate seasonal home‐range selection and a step‐selection function to assess fine‐scale, patch‐level seasonal selection. We also compared resource selection during daytime and nighttime hours with step‐selection analyses. At the seasonal home‐range scale, pronghorn selected for areas with more sagebrush during both seasons and areas farther from fences during summer. This trend was also apparent at the patch‐scale level, where pronghorn selected sagebrush‐dominant habitats and avoided crossing fences in all seasons during both day and night. Additionally at this scale, pronghorn selected areas farther from fences during daytime in summer. At the broader, home‐range scale, pronghorn selected areas with greater road density during summer, but with lower road densities and farther from wells during winter. Avoidance of anthropogenic features during winter was also observed at the finer, patch‐scale, with pronghorn selecting for increased density of roads and oil and natural gas wells during daytime in summer, but selecting areas farther from these features during daytime in winter. We recommend minimizing fencing and other forms of anthropogenic disturbance in high‐quality seasonal pronghorn habitats with high proportions of sagebrush, particularly during winter when risk‐avoidance responses may be amplified.

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The Influence of Land Use and Fences on Habitat Effectiveness, Movements and Distribution of Pronghorn in the Grasslands of North America

Cited by 28 publications

References 32 publications

Intrinsic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors related to pronghorn summer mortality

Intrinsic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors related to pronghorn summer mortality

Pronghorn resource selection and habitat fragmentation in North Dakota

Across scales, pronghorn select sagebrush, avoid fences, and show negative responses to anthropogenic features in winter

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