Window of opportunity: examining gray wolf (Canis lupus) diets and seasonal patterns of predation on wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) ...

Prey selection by predators is a complex process, with acquisition strategies varying between generalists and specialists. However, generalist predators like wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), can select prey in response to increases in abundance or vulnerability of the prey, often influenced by e...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine Pollution Bulletin
Main Author: Dewart, Lindsey
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: University of Alberta Library 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.7939/r3-bbx3-cr16
https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/a6a751fd-457a-4598-9b07-e67b52d88042
Description
Summary:Prey selection by predators is a complex process, with acquisition strategies varying between generalists and specialists. However, generalist predators like wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), can select prey in response to increases in abundance or vulnerability of the prey, often influenced by environmental conditions. In multi-prey systems that include bison (Bison bison Linnaeus, 1758), this is not always the case, as wolves will often select less dangerous prey. To investigate the predator-prey relationship between wolves and a small (~275 – 300 individuals) Threatened herd of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Linnaeus, 1758) in northeast Alberta, Canada, I monitored location data from global positioning system (GPS) collars affixed to both species for one year. I evaluated seasonal differences in wolf diet, the effect of temporal variables on relative bison predation risk by wolves, and space use relative to bison for three wolf packs whose territories overlapped with the bison herd’s home range. I ...