Incorporating local ecological knowledge to explore wolverine distribution in Alberta, Canada

• Published in: Wildlife Society Bulletin
• Main Authors: Webb, Shevenell M., Anderson, Robert B., Jokinen, Michael E., Abercrombie, Bill, Bildson, Brian, Manzer, Douglas L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019
• Subjects: Canada; Gulo gulo
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1005; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fwsb.1005; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wsb.1005; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/wsb.1005

ABSTRACT Wolverines ( Gulo gulo ) occur at low densities in remote areas that are typically difficult to access, which has resulted in a lack of baseline data and uncertain status across parts of their range. We surveyed trappers in 2012 to gather information on local ecological knowledge of wolverine occurrence across a range of latitudes (49–59°N) in Alberta, Canada. We received questionnaires from 164 trapping areas in the Boreal Forest, Foothills, and Rocky Mountains. Similar to results from other methods of data collection, trapper observations of wolverines were associated with cooler climates and less anthropogenic disturbance. When we included data from all regions, the best model that explained recent wolverine observations included percent intact forest within the surrounding area. The odds ratio suggested that each increase of 1% in the amount of intact forest increased the odds of a trapper observing wolverine sign by 4%. In the Boreal Forest, the top model indicated that wolverines were more likely to be found in areas that had a cooler climate and more intact forest. Insights from trappers provided valuable baseline data on a sensitive species that is complementary to other research findings, and stimulated hypotheses that wolverines are linked to cooler climates and less disturbed environments. © 2019 Alberta Conservation Association. Wildlife Society Bulletin Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc on behalf of The Wildlife Society.