1,720,973 research outputs found
Predicting livestock depredation by wolves in southwestern Alberta: implications for wolf management in agricultural areas
No full textNo abstract availabl
Seasonality and reoccurrence of depredation and wolf control in western North America
No full textDue primarily to wolf (Canis lupus) predation on livestock (depredation), some livestock producers and other interest groups oppose wolf conservation, which is an important objective for large sectors of the public. Predicting depredation occurrence is difficult, yet necessary to prevent it. Better prediction of wolf depredation also would facilitate application of sound depredation management actions. In this paper we analyze temporal trends in wolf depredation occurrence and wolf control, which is employed as a depredation management action. We gathered data from wolf depredation investigations for Alberta, Canada, from 1982-1996 and for Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, USA, from 1987-2003. We showed that wolf attacks occurred with a seasonal pattern, reflecting the seasonality of livestock calving, grazing practices, and seasonal variation in energetic requirements of wolf packs. Seasonal wolf attacks were auto-correlated with lags of one year, indicating annual reoccurrence. Cross-correlation analyses indicated that limited wolf control was rapidly employed as a short-term response to depredation, and was not designed to decrease wolf depredation at a regional scale or in the long-term. We therefore discovered a reoccurring seasonal-annual pattern for wolf depredation and wolf control in western North America. Ranchers and managers could use our data for focusing investment of resources to prevent wolf depredation increases during high-depredation seasons
Conservation of grizzly bears using access management
No full textGrizzly bears avoid roads in some areas but select areas near roads in others. This is driven
by mechanisms such as traffic patterns and food resources near roads. Understanding what
mechanisms drive the relationship between grizzly bears and roads is of particular
importance in Alberta where the majority of grizzly bear mortalities occur within 500 m of a
road. We modelled a suite of potential mechanisms underlying grizzly bear selection or
avoidance of roads and tested which of these best predicted grizzly bear habitat use and
movement around roads. A combination of food, traffic, and large-scale landscape variables
best predicted grizzly bear distribution. We used these results to simulate the impacts of road
access changes as a result of road construction, reclamation, or gating. Our findings highlight
the importance of examining the mechanisms driving habitat use and movement of large
mammals in human altered landscapes. Access management, the closing of roads during
certain times of the year, soon will be implemented in Alberta to conserve grizzly bear
populations. Understanding the mechanisms behind grizzly bear use of roaded areas will be
essential in choosing which roads to close and when to close them
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