Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data
Abstract Aim We used data from aerial surveys of wolverine tracks collected in seven winters over a 10‐year period (2003–2012) within a 574,287 km 2 study area to evaluate the broad‐scale pattern of wolverine occurrence across a remote northern boreal forest region, identifying areas of high and low...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13240 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjbi.13240 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jbi.13240 |
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crwiley:10.1111/jbi.13240 2024-06-23T07:53:28+00:00 Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data Ray, Justina C. Poley, Lucy G. Magoun, Audrey J. Chetkiewicz, Cheryl‐Lesley B. Meg Southee, F. Neil Dawson, F. Chenier, Chris World Wildlife Fund Ministry of Natural Resources Environment Canada W. Garfield Weston Foundation 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13240 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjbi.13240 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jbi.13240 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Biogeography volume 45, issue 7, page 1478-1489 ISSN 0305-0270 1365-2699 journal-article 2018 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13240 2024-06-13T04:24:54Z Abstract Aim We used data from aerial surveys of wolverine tracks collected in seven winters over a 10‐year period (2003–2012) within a 574,287 km 2 study area to evaluate the broad‐scale pattern of wolverine occurrence across a remote northern boreal forest region, identifying areas of high and low occupancy. Location Northern Ontario, Canada. Taxon Wolverine ( Gulo gulo Linnaeus, 1758). Methods We collected wolverine tracks and observations in 100‐km 2 hexagonal survey units, making a total of 6,664 visits to 3,039 units, visiting each 1–9 times. We used hierarchical Bayesian occupancy modelling to model wolverine occurrence, and included covariates with the potential to affect detection and/or occupancy probability of wolverines. Results we detected wolverines on 946 visits, 14.2% of total visits. Probability of detecting a wolverine varied among years and between the two ecozones in the study area. Wolverine occupancy was negatively related to two important covariates, the geographical coordinate Easting and thawing degree‐days. A site occupancy probability map indicated that wolverine occupancy probabilities were highest, and standard error lowest, in the western and northern portions of the study area. Main conclusions The occupancy framework enabled us to use observation data from tracks of this elusive, wide‐ranging carnivore over a vast, remote area while explicitly considering detectability and spatial autocorrelation, yielding a map of probable wolverine distribution in northern Ontario that would not be possible using other methods of detection across a large region. With resource development pressures increasing in this globally significant region in the face of a changing climate, it is important to monitor changes in distribution of species like wolverines that have low population growth rates, large spatial requirements and sensitivity to human disturbance. This study demonstrates a relatively cost‐effective and non‐invasive alternative to monitoring based on wolverine harvest records, which have ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Gulo gulo Wiley Online Library Canada Journal of Biogeography 45 7 1478 1489 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Aim We used data from aerial surveys of wolverine tracks collected in seven winters over a 10‐year period (2003–2012) within a 574,287 km 2 study area to evaluate the broad‐scale pattern of wolverine occurrence across a remote northern boreal forest region, identifying areas of high and low occupancy. Location Northern Ontario, Canada. Taxon Wolverine ( Gulo gulo Linnaeus, 1758). Methods We collected wolverine tracks and observations in 100‐km 2 hexagonal survey units, making a total of 6,664 visits to 3,039 units, visiting each 1–9 times. We used hierarchical Bayesian occupancy modelling to model wolverine occurrence, and included covariates with the potential to affect detection and/or occupancy probability of wolverines. Results we detected wolverines on 946 visits, 14.2% of total visits. Probability of detecting a wolverine varied among years and between the two ecozones in the study area. Wolverine occupancy was negatively related to two important covariates, the geographical coordinate Easting and thawing degree‐days. A site occupancy probability map indicated that wolverine occupancy probabilities were highest, and standard error lowest, in the western and northern portions of the study area. Main conclusions The occupancy framework enabled us to use observation data from tracks of this elusive, wide‐ranging carnivore over a vast, remote area while explicitly considering detectability and spatial autocorrelation, yielding a map of probable wolverine distribution in northern Ontario that would not be possible using other methods of detection across a large region. With resource development pressures increasing in this globally significant region in the face of a changing climate, it is important to monitor changes in distribution of species like wolverines that have low population growth rates, large spatial requirements and sensitivity to human disturbance. This study demonstrates a relatively cost‐effective and non‐invasive alternative to monitoring based on wolverine harvest records, which have ... |
author2 |
World Wildlife Fund Ministry of Natural Resources Environment Canada W. Garfield Weston Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ray, Justina C. Poley, Lucy G. Magoun, Audrey J. Chetkiewicz, Cheryl‐Lesley B. Meg Southee, F. Neil Dawson, F. Chenier, Chris |
spellingShingle |
Ray, Justina C. Poley, Lucy G. Magoun, Audrey J. Chetkiewicz, Cheryl‐Lesley B. Meg Southee, F. Neil Dawson, F. Chenier, Chris Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
author_facet |
Ray, Justina C. Poley, Lucy G. Magoun, Audrey J. Chetkiewicz, Cheryl‐Lesley B. Meg Southee, F. Neil Dawson, F. Chenier, Chris |
author_sort |
Ray, Justina C. |
title |
Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
title_short |
Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
title_full |
Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
title_fullStr |
Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
title_sort |
modelling broad‐scale wolverine occupancy in a remote boreal region using multi‐year aerial survey data |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13240 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjbi.13240 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jbi.13240 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Gulo gulo |
genre_facet |
Gulo gulo |
op_source |
Journal of Biogeography volume 45, issue 7, page 1478-1489 ISSN 0305-0270 1365-2699 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13240 |
container_title |
Journal of Biogeography |
container_volume |
45 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
1478 |
op_container_end_page |
1489 |
_version_ |
1802645151405834240 |