Article
Ecology
Thomas Riecke, Dan Gibson, Alan G. Leach, Mark S. Lindberg, Michael Schaub, James S. Sedinger
Summary: Estimating demographic parameters using Bayesian methods is popular, but some models are still not available for quantitative ecologists. The novel parameterizations provided in this study offer accurate estimates for capture-recapture models implemented in Program MARK, enhancing user flexibility and expansion of parameter estimation. Incorporating these models in a Bayesian framework allows for mixtures, random variation, and informative priors to assist with parameter estimation.
Article
Ecology
Andi M. Stewart, Mary M. Conner, Jane S. McKeever, Alisa Ellsworth, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Thomas R. Stephenson
Summary: Monitoring big game populations is necessary for making well-informed management decisions. A new method, fecal DNA-based capture-recapture, was evaluated for estimating abundance of mule deer herds in the eastern Sierra Nevada. The results showed that while aerial mark-resight surveys provided more precise abundance estimates, fecal DNA capture-recapture was more cost-effective. The success of this method depends on weather conditions and the ability to survey an adequate proportion of the study area and collect enough samples.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
David J. Vales, Ryan M. Nielson, Michael P. Middleton
Summary: This study developed quantitative models to estimate habitat selection by black-tailed deer in the west-central Cascade Mountains. The study found that GPS-collar production year, deer activity, and diel period were associated with fix success. To remove fix success bias, the study used a probability of detection integrated step selection function (PDiSSF) to estimate habitat selection. The summer model predictions were satisfactory, while the winter model was less promising.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Patrick A. Rodgers, Hall Sawyer, Tony W. Mong, Sam Stephens, Matthew J. Kauffman
Summary: The study found that hunting has gender-specific effects on habitat selection and migratory behavior of ungulates, with males and females exhibiting different responses. Additionally, weather factors such as temperature and precipitation influence migration timing. For deer that survived to rifle season, hunting had less impact on migration timing compared to environmental factors.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zachary G. Wesner, Andrew S. Norton, Tyler R. Obermoller, David A. Osborn, Gino J. D'Angelo
Summary: This study tested the use of GPS technology and expandable collars to investigate the survival of white-tailed deer fawns. Different collar designs were evaluated, and it was found that the materials used in the collar bands affected their performance and stability. Further modifications are needed before these GPS collars can be effectively deployed in the field.
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Teagan A. Hayes, Nicholas J. DeCesare, Collin J. Peterson, Chad J. Bishop, Michael S. Mitchell
Summary: The study evaluated vegetation responses to disturbance management such as fire and timber harvest, finding that different types of disturbance had specific impacts on plant responses, with both desirable and undesirable outcomes. Generally, deer forage nutrition and invasive species biomass increased in disturbed areas, while floristic quality responded differently in various study areas.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Justin A. Dellinger, Carolyn R. Shores, Apryle D. Craig, Shannon M. Kachel, Michael R. Heithaus, William J. Ripple, Aaron J. Wirsing
Summary: Predators can alter niche overlap between prey species by eliciting divergent anti-predator behavior. In the case of mule deer and white-tailed deer studied in Washington, USA, mule deer manage risk by avoiding encounters with predators like wolves, while white-tailed deer respond by exploiting areas where they are likely to escape pursuit. This study suggests that predator risk mediates spatial but not dietary overlap between sympatric ungulates and divergent anti-predator behavior can reduce interspecific competition among prey.
Article
Ecology
Sean M. Johnson-Bice, Thomas D. Gable, Austin T. Homkes, Steve K. Windels, Joseph K. Bump, John G. Bruggink
Summary: Humans have a significant impact on predator-prey dynamics by modifying landscapes through activities such as logging and infrastructure development. In this study, the influence of different types of human-induced landscape modifications on the hunting behavior of wolves towards white-tailed deer fawns was evaluated. The results showed that timber harvest, linear features, and residential infrastructure all significantly influenced the predation of fawns by wolves.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Joseph M. Northrup, Eric Vander Wal, Maegwin Bon, John Fieberg, Michel P. Laforge, Martin Leclerc, Christina M. Prokopenko, Brian D. Gerber
Summary: Habitat selection is a fundamental animal behavior that affects a wide range of ecological processes. Technological and methodological advances in the past 20 years have led to a surge in studies addressing this process, but there is a lack of guidance on best analytical practices. This paper provides a non-technical overview and synthesis of literature on habitat-selection analyses, aiming to clarify the complex literature while serving as a reference and best practices guide for practitioners.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Robby R. Marrotte, Brent R. Patterson, Joseph M. Northrup
Summary: This study examined the drivers of moose population growth and found that negative density-dependent population growth and predation were the main factors limiting population growth. Harvest activities were also found to contribute to population declines. The study highlights the complex relationships between natural and human-caused mortality in driving ungulate population dynamics.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Eric J. Howe, Derek Potter, Kaela B. Beauclerc, Katelyn E. Jackson, Joseph M. Northrup
Summary: This study proposes a method to quickly and accurately estimate animal abundance across different landscapes, while avoiding biases caused by pooling spatially heterogeneous data.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Matthew G. Betts, Zhiqiang Yang, Adam S. Hadley, Adam C. Smith, Josee S. Rousseau, Joseph M. Northrup, Joseph J. Nocera, Noel Gorelick, Brian D. Gerber
Summary: A study in eastern Canada finds that forest-management strategies that lead to simplified forest structure and composition have resulted in loss of breeding habitat and associated population losses for many bird species.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Noah E. Wightman, Eric Howe, Abbygail Satura, Joseph M. Northrup
Summary: Effective wildlife management requires understanding the factors affecting population vital rates. In this study, the researchers investigated the factors influencing age at primiparity in American black bears in Ontario, Canada. They found that food availability, climate, and harvest density were significant drivers of age at primiparity. The study also revealed that the age at primiparity in this population was older compared to southern populations, and harvest could limit recruitment substantially.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robby R. Marrotte, Eric J. Howe, Kaela B. Beauclerc, Derek Potter, Joseph M. Northrup
Summary: Landscape structure affects animal movement and ignoring heterogeneity may cause severe negative bias. Modelling landscape structure using non-Euclidean least-cost paths can improve inference, especially in highly structured landscapes. Finite mixture models may lead to unreliable abundance estimates.
Article
Ecology
Joseph M. Northrup, Eric Howe, Jeremy Inglis, Erica Newton, Martyn E. Obbard, Bruce Pond, Derek Potter
Summary: Human-wildlife conflict can lead to declines in wildlife populations and endanger human safety and livelihoods. This study focused on the conflict between humans and American black bears in Ontario, Canada, examining the effectiveness of implementing a spring hunting season to reduce conflict. The results showed that while harvest increased with the new season, there was no reduction in interactions or incidents, and these were actually higher in areas with the new season. It was also found that human-bear interactions, incidents, and harvest were strongly influenced by the availability of natural foods. Thus, programs promoting coexistence and managing unnatural food sources are the most effective in reducing conflicts.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Maegwin Bonar, Spencer J. Anderson, Charles R. Anderson Jr, George Wittemyer, Joseph M. Northrup, Aaron B. A. Shafer
Summary: Animal migrations are a widespread and threatened ecological process globally. Analyzing migratory traits based on genetic mechanisms is crucial for understanding species' adaptive potential in novel environments and environmental changes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonathon J. Valente, James W. Rivers, Zhiqiang Yang, S. Kim Nelson, Joseph M. Northrup, Daniel D. Roby, Carolyn B. Meyer, Matthew G. Betts
Summary: This study focuses on how habitat fragmentation affects the endangered marbled murrelet's breeding distribution. The results show that habitat fragmentation negatively impacts murrelet occupancy, particularly at the species' nesting range edge. The study also found a decrease in murrelet habitat and an increase in fragmented edge habitat in the Pacific Northwest.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Evan Kopsala, Christopher Kyle, Eric Howe, Derek Potter, Kaela Beauclerc, Joseph M. Northrup
Summary: Characterizing patterns and drivers of dispersal is crucial for understanding animal ecology and informing conservation strategies. In this study, microsatellite data from 3941 black bears in 73 sampling areas were used to characterize dispersal through gene flow. Spatial models were fitted to investigate potential drivers of dispersal patterns. The results suggested positive density-dependent dispersal with a male bias, and a relationship between dispersal and food productivity gradients. These findings provide valuable insights into the drivers of dispersal in a wide-ranging mammal.
Article
Ecology
Anni Yang, Mark Q. Wilber, Kezia R. Manlove, Ryan S. Miller, Raoul Boughton, James Beasley, Joseph Northrup, Kurt C. VerCauteren, George Wittemyer, Kim Pepin
Summary: Quantifying spatiotemporally explicit interactions within animal populations using continuous-time movement models (CTMMs) fit to GPS tracking data allows for understanding social structure and its relationship with ecological processes. The method can overcome challenges in estimating interactions from discrete and coarse temporal resolution data, and can be used to infer dynamic social networks, transmission potential in disease systems, consumer-resource interactions, and more. The new CTMM-Interaction method recovers a majority of true interactions and provides a framework for future predictive models linking observed spatiotemporal interaction patterns to environmental drivers.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Brynn A. Mclellan, Eric Howe, Robby R. Marrotte, Joseph M. Northrup
Summary: Reliable estimates of population density are crucial for wildlife management and conservation. Spatially explicit capture-recapture models and information-theoretic model selection criteria are commonly used for density estimation. This study tested the performance of these models and criteria in the presence of realistic levels of density and detectability variation. Simulations of American black bear populations were used to assess the reliability of model selection criteria and the accuracy of density estimates. The study found that unmodeled heterogeneity in density and detectability can lead to biased estimates, but including a good approximating model can yield accurate results.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Danielle Bilyeu Johnston, Charles R. R. Anderson Jr
Summary: Land managers in western North America often use mechanical methods such as chaining, roller-chopping, and mastication to reverse succession and reduce fire risk. These methods differ in cost and impact on vegetation and animal responses.
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tim C. C. Swearingen, Robert W. W. Klaver, Charles R. R. Anderson Jr, Christopher N. N. Jacques
Summary: The probability of obtaining images of target species may differ based on camera models and alignment of cameras. The alignment of cameras within paired stations can affect species detection due to exposure issues. Our study found that the alignment of cameras did not significantly impact the number of usable mammal photos, but reliability varied between different camera models. Further testing is recommended before large-scale deployment to optimize reliability and performance.
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2023)