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Do American Black Bears Track Resource Waves in Yellowstone National Park?
No full textAmerican black bears (Ursus americanus) are opportunistic omnivores that consume diverse foods, allowing them to maintain a macronutrient diet and optimize body mass gains. During the spring in the Northern Range of Yellowstone National Park, black bears may synchronize their daily movements to resource waves, including when green vegetation reaches peak foraging quality (green wave) and a pulse of neonate elk (Cervus canadensis, calving wave). To understand how resource waves might influence black bear movements in spring, we instrumented 8 black bears with GPS collars in 2017 and 2018 and estimated fine-scale resource selection based on used and available locations with integrated step-selection functions. Our findings indicate that black bears selected areas with high forage quality, suggesting they followed the green wave during spring. Although the calving wave was an important covariate associated with black bear resource selection, bears avoided elk calving areas, suggesting that they instead consumed elk calves opportunistically. Due to their smaller body size and lower metabolic needs, black bears might be able to capitalize on the green wave, potentially providing an advantage if grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) are better competitors for neonate elk. Given that the distribution of foods may change due to variation in climatic patterns, understanding how black bears use resource waves may be vital, especially if nutrient-rich foods become limited, which could impact the growth and expansion of bear populations in the region
Gray Wolves Select Territories Economically
No full textEstimating wolf (Canis lupus) abundance is a key component of wolf management in Montana. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks uses a Patch Occupancy Model (POM) to estimate area occupied, from which they estimate abundance based on average territory and pack size. Abundance estimates thus depend on assumptions that territory size is fixed and consistent statewide. In reality, territories vary spatiotemporally, which will affect precision and accuracy of abundance estimates. We developed a mechanistic model of territory selection to better understand territorial behavior and improve abundance estimates from POM. We hypothesized that wolves select territories economically based on the benefits of food resources and costs of competition, travel, and predation risk. Using only simple behavioral rules and limited, readily-available data for food resources, terrain ruggedness, and human density, the model predicted wolf distribution in Montana and the territory sizes and locations for specific packs. It accomplished this without using empirical data for wolves. The model provided evidence for the mechanisms driving empirically-observed patterns in space use by wolves. It demonstrated, for example, how economical behavior will cause territory size to decrease and overlap to increase with greater densities of prey and competitors. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that wolves select territories economically based on the benefits and costs of territory ownership. The mechanistic nature of the model makes it reliable for predicting territorial behavior under a full range of conditions wolves might encounter. This information will help keep abundance estimates from POM calibrated, absent intensive monitoring effort
Montana BRAT: An Online Tool for Assessing Beaver Dam Capacity and Suitability in Montana Streams (Poster)
No full textThe Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool, originally developed by the Wheaton Lab at Utah State University, is a planning tool designed to evaluate a stream's potential to support beaver dams, whether build by beavers or by humans in the form of beaver dam analogs (BDAs). It operates at a drainage network level to assess dam capacity and the potential risks that dams might pose to infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges) or natural and human resources. The Montana Natural Heritage Program has adapted the USU BRAT model to run with Montana-specific data sets, and has turned it into an ArcGIS Onlone interactive tool for easy use by managers and planners. The poster presents the background and assumptions of BRAT, and demonstrates how it can be used to identify opportunities and risks associated with beaver conservation and restoration or BDA installation
Montana’s Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions Program (IMBCR) - Monitoring for Management and Conservation
No full textThe 2019 field season marks the 10th consecutive year of statewide implementation of the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program (IMBCR) in the state of Montana. Today, the IMBCR program represents the second largest breeding landbird monitoring program in the US. IMBCR is made possible via a broad partnership of government and non-government agencies from the Great Plains to the Intermountain West. The randomized, hierarchical sampling design allows for sampling on private and public lands and within all vegetation types. The sampling framework allows for inference about avian populations at multiple scales, from a National Forest or Bureau of Land Management field office, up to the regional level. Using a spatially-balanced, hierarchical study design, the IMBCR program provides density and occupancy estimates for bird species at various spatial extents across the western U.S. Managers can use these baseline estimates and habitat-specific information for project-level planning and environmental assessments. The IMBCR program also provides context for targeted monitoring in project areas to evaluate impacts of land-use change or conservation actions. We highlight several case studies where short-term monitoring efforts leverage the long-term IMBCR data to evaluate avian response to land management practices
Mount Dean Stone Planning for Growth and Balancing Use at the Edge of The City
No full textMissoula's Mount Dean Stone community open space project is a 4,200 acre proposed complex located on the wildland-urban interface of the city's fast growing south side. The Mount Dean Stone Committee, comprised of community partners including organizations, agencies, businesses and individuals, have worked together since the inception of the overall proposed complex in 2016 to help understand how to best meet the recreation needs of a growing Missoula area and to leverage these recreational opportunities into broad and engaged community support for conservation of community open space and wildlife habitat. This session aims to share about the role of a community land trust in private lands conservation to meet the conservation values of publicly accessible community open space and protection of wildlife habitat along the wildland-urban interface
Seasonality of Bobcat Resource Selection
No full textHome range size of bobcats varies by sex, season, and latitude, with bobcats reducing home range size in winter. Additionally, bobcats may shift habitats seasonally, but may also reduce movements to conserve energy in winter. We found that bobcats on the Flathead National Forest, Montana seasonal home ranges did not change size significantly for all bobcats pooled; thus, bobcats did not reduce winter home range size as compared to other seasons. For all bobcats combined, winter home ranges (N = 3) were 65.3 ± 37.5 km2, spring home ranges (N = 5) were 74.2 ± 16.7 km2, summer home range (N = 4) were 81.4 ± 13.9 km2, and fall home ranges (N = 4) were 72.0 ± 10.9 km2. Bobcats significantly reduced daily movement distances dependent on season, specifically reducing movement distances in winter and increasing movements summer. Habitat selection differed significantly for both 2nd order (home range to study area) and for 3rd order habitat selection (GPS locations to home range), but did not differ across seasons, or for the interaction of 2nd and 3rd order selection season. Specifically, habitat selection differed with burned and wetland habitats being avoided, and lodgepole and dry site mixed species coniferous stands being preferred. Bobcats on the Flathead exhibited seasonal movements comparable to Canada lynx. If bobcats were typical of the broader population, bobcats in northwest Montana may demonstrate a mixture of behaviors characteristic of both bobcats and lynx that allow them to be successful in deep winter snows of this region
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina) Nesting Habitat on a Tributary of The Yellowstone River (Poster)
No full textSnapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are considered a “Species of Concern” in Montana due to the lack of knowledge of their life history and distribution. Information on turtle home ranges, adult survival, and female nesting locations are critical for understanding the viability of snapping turtle populations. We used geospatial data about snapping turtle movement along Razor Creek (a tributary of the Yellowstone River) and environmental factors (slope, aspect, land use, proximity to water) to map linear home ranges and identify suitable nesting habitat. The study area is at the northwestern-most range edge of the species distribution, where no previous studies have occurred. Snapping turtle location data and attributes were collected with standardized trapping to document movements, and randomly selected turtles of both sexes were fitted with radio-telemetry tags to facilitate a more comprehensive analysis of habitat use and linear home range sizes. For nest habitat modeling we selected adult female locations during the nesting season (May - June). The resulting datasets were processed using ArcMap 10.5 GIS software. Geoprocessing workflows were then used to identify potential nesting areas based on the following factors known to influence nesting habitat: distance from water, land use, aspect, and slope. Average linear home ranges were longer for females (3,079 m) (n = 6) when compared to males (2,914 m) (n = 6) but not significantly different. Of the total accessible nesting habitat in our study area, 40% was deemed as “suitable nesting habitat”. Of the total “suitable nesting habitat” area , 58% was located on private lands. This refined area will guide nest searches next spring and hopefully lead to the documentation of the first snapping turtle nests in Montana, a better understanding of nesting habitat, and improved efforts to conserve this species
The Continental-Scale Implications of Point Source Lead Exposure in Golden Eagles
No full textLead poisoning threatens many species of raptors, including golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Much of this lead likely comes from bullet fragments that remain in carrion after hunting. The likelihood of lead exposure in golden eagles may peak when migratory and nonmigratory birds congregate in the fall and winter. From 2011 to 2018 in western Montana, we captured 91 golden eagles in the winter, tested their blood lead levels (BLL), and outfitted a subset of birds (n = 30) with GPS transmitters to determine their migratory status. Nearly all golden eagles (94.5%) had elevated BLL (Y=10 μg dL-1), and eight of them had BLL at or above concentrations expected to cause clinical lead poisoning. Blood lead levels decreased as the winter progressed because hatch-year and juvenile birds tended to have lower BLL later in the season. At least two-thirds of the golden eagles equipped with GPS transmitters migrated northward, spending the summer throughout Alaska and northwestern Canada. Blood lead levels did not differ between migratory and nonmigratory golden eagles. Overall, we show that elevated BLL are widespread among golden eagles overwintering in western Montana, regardless of sex, age, and whether they migrate
The Montana Big Game Migration and Seasonal Range Mapping and Research Initiative
No full textFor the last 15 years, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and collaborators have been deploying GPS collars across the state to help address local and regional management and research objectives. The continuous capture and instrumentation efforts have resulted in large and ever-growing spatial data sets for elk, mule deer and pronghorn. For elk in particular, the aggregated datasets now include over 850 individuals sampled from over 20 populations and nearly 10 million GPS locations. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently prioritized a broad effort to delineate migration routes and seasonal ranges of elk, mule deer and pronghorn using rigorous methodologies that account for varied terrain, habitat, and big game migration behaviors across the state. This effort has been bolstered by Sectorial Order 3362, which mandated that Department of Interior bureaus work with state wildlife agencies to enhance and improve habitat quality of big game winter range and migration corridors. The broad mapping effort and associated new research will help fulfill local information needs as well as contribute towards regional coordinated mapping efforts across the western US. Spatial files and maps from the mapping effort will be made available to Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff and the public. Our talk will provide an overview of the aggregated data sets to be used in the mapping effort, initial data summaries of migratory behaviors and land ownership use, and the planned methods to delineate migratory corridors and seasonal ranges
Characterizing Summer Roosts of Male Little Brown Myotis in Lodgepole Pine-Dominated Forests
No full textAlthough bat roosts have been well-studied in the eastern United States, we know less about roosts in the west. Western bats may make use of trees and snags, as in the east. However, the topography of the Rocky Mountains provides more exposed rock, and western bat species likely use different roosting features compared to the eastern US. Some western bats use rock features as autumn and winter roosts, but we know little about use as summer roosts. Additionally, roost studies often focus on maternity colonies, and information on roosts used by male bats is limited. Given that roosting sites may be limiting, we aimed to quantify characteristics of male roosts in lodgepole pine-dominated forests during the summer. We mist-netted for bats during summer 2017 and 2018 and attached transmitters to 34 male little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus). We located at least 1 roost for 20 individuals (average = 1.6 roosts/bat; range = 1-5). Although snags were available, most bats roosted in rock features (15% in snags, 85% in rocks). Rock-roosting bats mainly used crevices (85%) instead of rock cavities (15%) and were more likely to select roosts with less canopy cover that were closer to water. They were also more likely to select roosts with wider entrances that provide access to a skyward-facing crevice. These results suggest that rock features may provide important summer habitat for male little brown myotis roosting in lodgepole-dominated forests. Understanding roost selection in these forests will help inform management decisions for conserving western bat