Wildlife habitat selection on landscapes with industrial disturbance

Abstract

SUMMARYTechnological advancements in remote sensing and telemetry provide opportunities for assessing the effects of expanding extractive industries on animal populations. Here, we illustrate the applicability of resource selection functions (RSFs) for modelling wildlife habitat selection on industrially-disturbed landscapes. We used grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) from a threatened population in Canada and surface mining as a case study. RSF predictions based on GPS radiocollared bears (nduring mining = 7; npost mining = 9) showed that males and solitary females selected areas primarily outside mineral surface leases (MSLs) during active mining, and conversely inside MSLs after mine closure. However, females with cubs selected areas within compared to outside MSLs irrespective of mining activity. Individual variability was pronounced, although some environmental- and human-related variables were consistent across reproductive classes. For males and solitary females, regional-scale RSFs yielded comparable results to site-specific models, whereas for females with cubs, modelling the two scales produced divergent results. While mine reclamation may afford opportunities for bear persistence, managing public access will likely decrease the risk of human-caused bear mortality. RSFs are powerful tools that merit widespread use in quantitative and visual investigations of wildlife habitat selection on industrially-modified landscapes, using Geographic Information System layers that precisely characterize site-specific conditions.

Hunting as a management tool? Cougar-human conflict is positively related to trophy hunting

“…Females might use suboptimal areas with human development by means of spatially avoiding male-caused mortality risk for themselves and their offspring, possibly resulting in increased conflict for females in connection to human densities, as we detected. Selection of areas close to human development by females with offspring presumably to avoid males has been recently documented for cougars in California [ 50 ] and grizzly bears in Alberta [ 51 ]. Thompson-Okanagan was the only region where human density was related with conflict for both sexes, with conflicts most likely at intermediary densities of people.…”

Mine reclamation enhances habitats for wild ungulates in west‐central Alberta

“…We obtained spatial data from numerous sources including Foothills Research Institute (Hinton, Alberta, Canada), Teck, BWT, and GeoBase Series (Natural Resources Canada). We obtained spatial data for years 2004–2010 from Cristescu et al (), as these layers were created for previous research on the study area and already represented annual landscape changes. We updated all spatial data between 2011 and 2017 to reflect annual landscape changes by interpreting annual orthorectified aerial photography, following Cristescu et al () to ensure consistency.…”

“…We obtained spatial data for years 2004–2010 from Cristescu et al (), as these layers were created for previous research on the study area and already represented annual landscape changes. We updated all spatial data between 2011 and 2017 to reflect annual landscape changes by interpreting annual orthorectified aerial photography, following Cristescu et al () to ensure consistency. Progress in mining and reclamation is represented through annually updated spatial layers.…”

Towards grizzly bear population recovery in a modern landscape

“…There is evidence that major transportation routes and the accompanying infrastructure are fragmenting populations (Proctor et al., ), and the effects of barriers to movement and habitat connectivity on the genetic structure of grizzlies requires further investigation. Furthermore, the responses of grizzlies to anthropogenic habitat alterations, such as oil and gas exploration (Sorenson, Stenhouse, Bourbonnais, & Nelson, ), mining (Cristescu, Stenhouse, Symbaluk, Nielsen, & Boyce, ), forestry (Phoebus, Segelbacher, & Stenhouse, ), agriculture (Northrup, Stenhouse, & Boyce, ), and human recreation (Ladle, Steenweg, Shepherd, & Boyce, ) need to be better understood. Given their large home ranges, wide provincial distribution, remote and hard to access habitats, and limited operational resources, monitoring the provincial grizzly bear population also presents significant logistical challenges.…”