Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c4f8m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T10:01:19.478Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Wildlife habitat selection on landscapes with industrial disturbance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

BOGDAN CRISTESCU ,
GORDON B. STENHOUSE ,
MARC SYMBALUK ,
SCOTT E. NIELSEN  and
MARK S. BOYCE
BOGDAN CRISTESCU*
Affiliation:
Grizzly Bear Program, Foothills Research Institute, Hinton, Alberta, Canada Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
GORDON B. STENHOUSE
Affiliation:
Grizzly Bear Program, Foothills Research Institute, Hinton, Alberta, Canada
MARC SYMBALUK
Affiliation:
Environment Department, Teck Coal Ltd, Canada
SCOTT E. NIELSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
MARK S. BOYCE
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
*
*Correspondence: Bogdan Cristescu, e-mail: cristesc@ualberta.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Technological 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.

Keywords

environmental impact assessmentgrizzly bearindividual variationminingresource selection functionRSFscaleUrsus arctos
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , December 2016 , pp. 327 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AGBRT (2008) Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan 2008–2013. Government of Alberta, Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Team, Alberta Species at Risk Recovery Plan No. 15.Google Scholar
Beyer, H.L. (2004) Hawth's Analysis Tools for ArcGIS [www document]. URL www.spatialecology.com/htools Google Scholar
Bleich, V.C., Davis, J.H., Marshal, J.P., Torres, S.G. & Gonzales, B.J. (2009) Mining activity and habitat use by mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis). European Journal of Wildlife Research 55: 183–191.Google Scholar
Blum, M.E., Stewart, K.M. & Schroeder, C. (2015) Effects of large-scale gold mining on migratory behavior of a large herbivore. Ecosphere 6: 74.Google Scholar
Bolnick, D.I., Svanback, R., Fordyce, J.A., Yang, L.H., Davis, J.M., Hulsey, C.D. & Forister, M.L. (2003) The ecology of individuals: incidence and implications of individual specialization. American Naturalist 161: 1‒28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boulanger, J., Stenhouse, G.B., Proctor, M., Himmer, S., Paetkau, D. & Cranston, J. (2005) 2004 population inventory and density estimates for the Alberta 3B and 4B grizzly bear management area. Report prepared for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division. Nelson, Canada: Integrated Ecological Research.Google Scholar
Boyce, M.S. & McDonald, L.L. (1999) Relating populations to habitats using resource selection functions. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 14: 268‒272.Google Scholar
Boyce, M.S. (2006) Scale for resource selection functions. Diversity and Distributions 12: 269‒276.Google Scholar
Boyce, M.S., Vernier, P.R., Nielsen, S.E. & Schmiegelow, F.K.A. (2002) Evaluating resource selection functions. Ecological Modelling 157: 281‒300.Google Scholar
Bristow, K.D., Wennerlund, J.A., Schweinsburg, R.E., Olding, R.J. & Lee, R.E. (1996) Habitat use and movements of desert bighorn sheep near the Silver Bell Mine, Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department Technical Report 25. pp.57 [www document]. URL www.gf.state.az.us/w_c/documents/TR-25-HABITATUSEANDMOVEMENTSOFDESERTBIGHO-RNSHEEPNEARTHESILVERBELLMINEARIZONA.pdf Google Scholar
Burnham, K.P. & Anderson, D.R. (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach. New York, USA: Springer.Google Scholar
Cade, B. (2015) Model averaging and muddled multimodel inferences. Ecology 96: 2370‒2382.Google Scholar
Cagnacci, F., Boitani, L., Powell, R.A. & Boyce, M.S. (2010) Animal ecology meets GPS-based radiotelemetry: a perfect storm of opportunities and challenges. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 365: 2157‒2162.Google Scholar
Ciarniello, L.M., Boyce, M.S., Seip, D.R. & Heard, D.C. (2007) Grizzly bear habitat selection is scale dependent. Ecological Applications 17: 1424‒1440.Google Scholar
Cristescu, B. & Boyce, M.S. (2013) Focusing ecological research for conservation. Ambio 42: 805–815.Google Scholar
Cristescu, B., Stenhouse, G.B. & Boyce, M.S. (2014) Grizzly bear ungulate consumption and the relevance of prey size to caching and meat sharing. Animal Behaviour 92: 133–142.Google Scholar
Cristescu, B., Stenhouse, G.B. & Boyce, M.S. (2015) Grizzly bear diet shifting on reclaimed mines. Global Ecology and Conservation 4: 207‒220.Google Scholar
Fernández-Gil, A., Swenson, J.E., Granda, C., Naves, J., Perez, T., Dominguez, A., Ordiz, A. & Delibes, M. (2010) Sexually selected infanticide in an endangered brown bear population. Animal Behaviour 79: 521–527.Google Scholar
Graham, K., Boulanger, J., Duval, J. & Stenhouse, G. (2010) Spatial and temporal use of roads by grizzly bears in west-central Alberta. Ursus 21: 43–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamer, D. & Herrero, S. (1987) Grizzly bear food and habitat in the front ranges of Banff National Park, Alberta. Bears: Their Biology and Management 7: 199–213.Google Scholar
Johnson, C.J. & Boyce, M.S. (2004) A quantitative approach for regional environmental assessment: application of a habitat-based population viability analysis to wildlife of the Canadian central Arctic. Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Research and Development Monograph Series. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.Google Scholar
Johnson, C.J., Boyce, M.S., Case, R.L., Cluff, H.D., Gau, R.J., Gunn, A. & Mulders, R. (2005) Cumulative effects of human developments on Arctic wildlife. Wildlife Monographs 160: 1–36.Google Scholar
Johnson, C.J., Nielsen, S.E., Merrill, E.H., McDonald, T.L. & Boyce, M.S. (2006) Resource selection functions based on use-availability data: theoretical motivation and evaluation methods. Journal of Wildlife Management 70: 347–357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laberee, K., Nelson, T.A., Stewart, B.P., McKay, T. & Stenhouse, G.B. (2014) Oil and gas infrastructure and the spatial pattern of grizzly bear habitat selection in Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Geographer 58: 79–94.Google Scholar
Leban, F.A., Wisdom, M.J., Garton, E.O., Johnson, B.K. & Kie, J.G. (2001) Effect of sample size on the performance of resource selection analyses. In: Radio-Tracking and Animal Populations, eds. Millspaugh, J.J. & Marzluff, J.M.. New York, USA: Academic Press.Google Scholar
MacCallum, B.N. & Geist, V. (1992) Mountain restoration: soil and surface wildlife habitat. GeoJournal 27.1: 23–46.Google Scholar
Mace, R.D., Waller, J.S., Manley, T.L., Ake, K. & Wittinger, W.T. (2008) Landscape evaluation of grizzly bear habitat in western Montana. Conservation Biology 13: 367–377.Google Scholar
Manly, B.F.J., McDonald, L.L., Thomas, D.L., McDonald, T. & Erickson, W.P. (2002) Resource Selection by Animals. Statistical Design and Analysis for Field Studies. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.Google Scholar
McLellan, B.N. & Shackleton, D.M. (1988) Grizzly bears and resource-extraction industries: effects of roads on behaviour, habitat use and demography. Journal of Applied Ecology 25: 451–460.Google Scholar
McLellan, B.N. (1990) Relationships between human industrial activity and grizzly bears. Bears: Their Biology and Management 8: 57–64.Google Scholar
Merrill, E.H., Hemker, T.P., Woodruff, K.P. & Kuck, L. (1994) Impacts of mining facilities on fall migration of mule deer. Wildlife Society Bulletin 22: 68–73.Google Scholar
Morehouse, A.T. & Boyce, M.S. (2013) Deviance from truth: telemetry location errors erode both precision and accuracy of habitat-selection models. Wildlife Society Bulletin 37: 596–602.Google Scholar
Muhly, T.B., Semeniuk, C., Massolo, A., Hickman, L. & Musiani, M. (2011) Human activity helps prey win the predator–prey space race. PLoS ONE 6: e17050.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, S.E. (2005) Habitat ecology, conservation and projected population viability of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos L.) in west-central Alberta, Canada. PhD Thesis. Edmonton, Canada: University of Alberta.Google Scholar
Nielsen, S.E., Boyce, M.S. & Stenhouse, G.B. (2004a) Grizzly bears and forestry I: selection of clearcuts by grizzly bears in west-central Alberta, Canada. Forest Ecology and Management 199: 51–65.Google Scholar
Nielsen, S.E., Herrero, S., Boyce, M.S., Mace, R.D., Benn, B., Gibeau, M.L. & Jevons, S. (2004b) Modelling the spatial distribution of human-caused grizzly bear mortalities in the Central Rockies ecosystem of Canada. Biological Conservation 120: 101–113.Google Scholar
Nielsen, S.E., Shafer, A.B.A., Boyce, M.S. & Stenhouse, G.B. (2013) Does learning or instinct shape habitat selection? PLoS ONE 8: e53721.Google Scholar
Nielsen, S.E., Stenhouse, G.B. & Boyce, M.S. (2006) A habitat-based framework for grizzly bear conservation in Alberta. Biological Conservation 130: 217–229.Google Scholar
Northrup, J.M., Pitt, J., Muhly, T.B., Stenhouse, G.B., Musiani, M. & Boyce, M.S. (2012) Vehicle traffic shapes grizzly bear behaviour on a multiple-use landscape. Journal of Applied Ecology 49: 1159–1167.Google Scholar
Rodgers, A.R. & Carr, A.P. (2007) HRE: The Home Range Tools for ArcGIS™ (Beta Test Version 0.9). Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources [www document]. URL http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~arodgers/hre/ Google Scholar
Roever, C.L., Boyce, M.S. & Stenhouse, G.B. (2010) Grizzly bear movements relative to roads: application of step selection functions. Ecography 33: 1113–1122.Google Scholar
Roever, C.L., Boyce, M.S. & Stenhouse, G.B. (2008) Grizzly bears and forestry II: grizzly bear habitat selection and conflicts with road placement. Forest Ecology and Management 256: 1262–1269.Google Scholar
Strickland, M.D. & McDonald, L.L. (2006) Introduction to the special section on resource selection. Journal of Wildlife Management 70: 321–323.Google Scholar
Weir, J.N., Mahoney, S.P., McLaren, B. & Ferguson, S.H. (2007) Effects of mine development on woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus distribution. Wildlife Biology 13: 66‒74.Google Scholar
Wielgus, R.B. & Bunnell, F.L. (1994) Sexual segregation and female grizzly bear avoidance of males. Journal of Wildlife Management 58: 405‒413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiens, T., Dale, B., Boyce, M.S. & Kershaw, P. (2008) Three way k-fold cross-validation of logistic regression models. Ecological Modelling 212: 244–255.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Appendix S1

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 786.4 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Appendix S2

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 837.1 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Appendix S3

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 114.2 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Appendix S4

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 506.4 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Figure S1

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 72.7 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Table S1

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 45.6 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Table S2

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 64 KB
Supplementary material: File

Cristescu supplementary material

Table S3

Download Cristescu supplementary material(File)
File 30.2 KB