Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer
Abstract Land modified for human use alters matrix shape and composition and is a leading contributor to global biodiversity loss. It can also play a key role in facilitating range expansion and ecosystem invasion by anthrophilic species, as it can alter food abundance and distribution while also in...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:183cee3fa74845b9a0adbef10b03210f 2023-05-15T15:50:46+02:00 Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer Siobhan Darlington Andrew Ladle A. Cole Burton John P. Volpe Jason T. Fisher 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z https://doaj.org/article/183cee3fa74845b9a0adbef10b03210f EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/183cee3fa74845b9a0adbef10b03210f Scientific Reports, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2022) Medicine R Science Q article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z 2022-12-31T10:49:44Z Abstract Land modified for human use alters matrix shape and composition and is a leading contributor to global biodiversity loss. It can also play a key role in facilitating range expansion and ecosystem invasion by anthrophilic species, as it can alter food abundance and distribution while also influencing predation risk; the relative roles of these processes are key to habitat selection theory. We researched these relative influences by examining human footprint, natural habitat, and predator occurrence on seasonal habitat selection by range-expanding boreal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the oil sands of western Canada. We hypothesized that polygonal industrial features (e.g. cutblocks, well sites) drive deer distributions as sources of early seral forage, while linear features (e.g. roads, trails, and seismic lines) and habitat associated with predators are avoided by deer. We developed seasonal 2nd -order resource selection models from three years of deer GPS-telemetry data, a camera-trap-based model of predator occurrence, and landscape spatial data to weigh evidence for six competing hypotheses. Deer habitat selection was best explained by the combination of polygonal and linear features, intact deciduous forest, and wolf (Canis lupus) occurrence. Deer strongly selected for linear features such as roads and trails, despite a potential increased risk of wolf encounters. Linear features may attract deer by providing high density forage opportunity in heavily exploited landscapes, facilitating expansion into the boreal north. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada Scientific Reports 12 1 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Siobhan Darlington Andrew Ladle A. Cole Burton John P. Volpe Jason T. Fisher Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Abstract Land modified for human use alters matrix shape and composition and is a leading contributor to global biodiversity loss. It can also play a key role in facilitating range expansion and ecosystem invasion by anthrophilic species, as it can alter food abundance and distribution while also influencing predation risk; the relative roles of these processes are key to habitat selection theory. We researched these relative influences by examining human footprint, natural habitat, and predator occurrence on seasonal habitat selection by range-expanding boreal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the oil sands of western Canada. We hypothesized that polygonal industrial features (e.g. cutblocks, well sites) drive deer distributions as sources of early seral forage, while linear features (e.g. roads, trails, and seismic lines) and habitat associated with predators are avoided by deer. We developed seasonal 2nd -order resource selection models from three years of deer GPS-telemetry data, a camera-trap-based model of predator occurrence, and landscape spatial data to weigh evidence for six competing hypotheses. Deer habitat selection was best explained by the combination of polygonal and linear features, intact deciduous forest, and wolf (Canis lupus) occurrence. Deer strongly selected for linear features such as roads and trails, despite a potential increased risk of wolf encounters. Linear features may attract deer by providing high density forage opportunity in heavily exploited landscapes, facilitating expansion into the boreal north. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Siobhan Darlington Andrew Ladle A. Cole Burton John P. Volpe Jason T. Fisher |
author_facet |
Siobhan Darlington Andrew Ladle A. Cole Burton John P. Volpe Jason T. Fisher |
author_sort |
Siobhan Darlington |
title |
Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
title_short |
Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
title_full |
Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
title_fullStr |
Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
title_sort |
cumulative effects of human footprint, natural features and predation risk best predict seasonal resource selection by white-tailed deer |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z https://doaj.org/article/183cee3fa74845b9a0adbef10b03210f |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Scientific Reports, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/183cee3fa74845b9a0adbef10b03210f |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05018-z |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766385787435220992 |