Data from: A test of the green wave hypothesis in omnivorous brown bears across North America ...

• Main Authors: Merkle, Jerod, Bowersock, Nathaniel, Ciarniello, Lana M., Deacy, William, Heard, Douglas, Joly, Kyle, Lamb, Clayton, Leacock, William, McLellan, Bruce, Mowat, Garth, Sorum, Matthew, Van Manen, Frank
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: The University of British Columbia 2023
• Subjects: Ursus arctos
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0434220; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0434220

Abstract Herbivorous animals tend to seek out plants at intermediate phenological states to improve energy intake while minimizing consumption of fibrous material. In some ecosystems, the timing of green-up is heterogeneous and propagates across space in a wave-like pattern, known as the green wave. Tracking the green wave allows individuals to prolong access to higher-quality forage. While there is a plethora of empirical support for such behavior in herbivorous taxa, the green wave hypothesis (GWH) is nuanced based on factors such as body morphometrics and digestive capacity. Furthermore, little is known about whether other taxa, such as omnivores, track the green wave. Our objective was to assess whether the GWH can be extended to explain the movements of omnivores. Using GPS collar data from seven populations (n = 127 individuals) of brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) across their entire North American range, we first tested whether bears tracked the green wave. Using conditional resource selection functions, ...