SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

• Main Author: Thomas R. Etherington
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Thomas Valley; Canis lupus; Ursus arctos; Lynx
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.571.1040; http://www.carnivoreconservation.org/files/thesis/etherington_2005_msc.pdf

ii The Evan-Thomas Valley is an area of importance for wildlife habitat and movement. Although highly developed, the area still retains ecological value, but continued pressure from commercial development has led to a desire to identify any remaining priority areas to aid management policy. To accomplish this goal, a reserve network of habitat patches and movement corridors was created for three focal species; the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus) and lynx (Lynx canadensis). A resource selection function identified areas of higher resource value in order to delineate habitat patches. Least-cost corridor models were run between habitat patches and detected areas of more likely movement; these were zoned as movement corridors. The species-specific reserve networks of habitat patches and movement corridors were overlaid such that areas of importance to multiple species could receive more focused management efforts. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Obvious thanks go to my supervisor Dr. Shelley Alexander. In particular, for trusting me to disappear to the mountains or my office for large periods of time never to be heard from, but at the same time always being at hand when required. Also thanks to Dr. Mike Gibeau, for making the time to become involved with my research, and for having some handy advice along the way.