Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks
National parks are important for conservation of species such as wolves (Canis lupus) and elk (Cervus canadensis). However, topography, vegetation conditions, and anthropogenic infrastructure within parks may limit available habitat. Human activity on trails and roads may lead to indirect habitat lo...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:c2c5573dad2d43bfa90822269a512580 2023-05-15T15:51:06+02:00 Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks James Kimo. Rogala Mark Hebblewhite Jesse Whittington Cliff A. White Jenny Coleshill Marco Musiani 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04251-160316 https://doaj.org/article/c2c5573dad2d43bfa90822269a512580 EN eng Resilience Alliance http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss3/art16/ https://doaj.org/toc/1708-3087 1708-3087 doi:10.5751/ES-04251-160316 https://doaj.org/article/c2c5573dad2d43bfa90822269a512580 Ecology and Society, Vol 16, Iss 3, p 16 (2011) Banff National Park conditional logistic regression elk human activity resource selection trails wolves Yellowstone National Park Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2011 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04251-160316 2022-12-31T10:30:21Z National parks are important for conservation of species such as wolves (Canis lupus) and elk (Cervus canadensis). However, topography, vegetation conditions, and anthropogenic infrastructure within parks may limit available habitat. Human activity on trails and roads may lead to indirect habitat loss, further limiting available habitat. Predators and prey may respond differentially to human activity, potentially disrupting ecological processes. However, research on such impacts to wildlife is incomplete, especially at fine spatial and temporal scales. Our research investigated the relationship between wolf and elk distribution and human activity using fine-scale Global Positioning System (GPS) wildlife telemetry locations and hourly human activity measures on trails and roads in Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks, Canada. We observed a complex interaction between the distance animals were located from trails and human activity level resulting in species adopting both mutual avoidance and differential response behaviors. In areas < 50 m from trails human activity led to a mutual avoidance response by both wolves and elk. In areas 50 - 400 m from trails low levels of human activity led to differential responses; wolves avoided these areas, whereas elk appeared to use these areas as a predation refugia. These differential impacts on elk and wolves may have important implications for trophic dynamics. As human activity increased above two people/hour, areas 50 - 400 m from trails were mutually avoided by both species, resulting in the indirect loss of important montane habitat. If park managers are concerned with human impacts on wolves and elk, or on these species' trophic interactions with other species, they can monitor locations near trails and roads and consider hourly changes of human activity levels in areas important to wildlife. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Canada Ecology and Society 16 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Banff National Park conditional logistic regression elk human activity resource selection trails wolves Yellowstone National Park Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Banff National Park conditional logistic regression elk human activity resource selection trails wolves Yellowstone National Park Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 James Kimo. Rogala Mark Hebblewhite Jesse Whittington Cliff A. White Jenny Coleshill Marco Musiani Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks |
topic_facet |
Banff National Park conditional logistic regression elk human activity resource selection trails wolves Yellowstone National Park Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
National parks are important for conservation of species such as wolves (Canis lupus) and elk (Cervus canadensis). However, topography, vegetation conditions, and anthropogenic infrastructure within parks may limit available habitat. Human activity on trails and roads may lead to indirect habitat loss, further limiting available habitat. Predators and prey may respond differentially to human activity, potentially disrupting ecological processes. However, research on such impacts to wildlife is incomplete, especially at fine spatial and temporal scales. Our research investigated the relationship between wolf and elk distribution and human activity using fine-scale Global Positioning System (GPS) wildlife telemetry locations and hourly human activity measures on trails and roads in Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks, Canada. We observed a complex interaction between the distance animals were located from trails and human activity level resulting in species adopting both mutual avoidance and differential response behaviors. In areas < 50 m from trails human activity led to a mutual avoidance response by both wolves and elk. In areas 50 - 400 m from trails low levels of human activity led to differential responses; wolves avoided these areas, whereas elk appeared to use these areas as a predation refugia. These differential impacts on elk and wolves may have important implications for trophic dynamics. As human activity increased above two people/hour, areas 50 - 400 m from trails were mutually avoided by both species, resulting in the indirect loss of important montane habitat. If park managers are concerned with human impacts on wolves and elk, or on these species' trophic interactions with other species, they can monitor locations near trails and roads and consider hourly changes of human activity levels in areas important to wildlife. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
James Kimo. Rogala Mark Hebblewhite Jesse Whittington Cliff A. White Jenny Coleshill Marco Musiani |
author_facet |
James Kimo. Rogala Mark Hebblewhite Jesse Whittington Cliff A. White Jenny Coleshill Marco Musiani |
author_sort |
James Kimo. Rogala |
title |
Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks |
title_short |
Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks |
title_full |
Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks |
title_fullStr |
Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Human Activity Differentially Redistributes Large Mammals in the Canadian Rockies National Parks |
title_sort |
human activity differentially redistributes large mammals in the canadian rockies national parks |
publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04251-160316 https://doaj.org/article/c2c5573dad2d43bfa90822269a512580 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Ecology and Society, Vol 16, Iss 3, p 16 (2011) |
op_relation |
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss3/art16/ https://doaj.org/toc/1708-3087 1708-3087 doi:10.5751/ES-04251-160316 https://doaj.org/article/c2c5573dad2d43bfa90822269a512580 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04251-160316 |
container_title |
Ecology and Society |
container_volume |
16 |
container_issue |
3 |
_version_ |
1766386154088693760 |