Roads, Trails, and Grey Wolf Habitat Selection in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

• Main Author: Millbrand, Zachery
• Other Authors: Grese, Robert, Brines, Shannon
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: grey wolf; Canis lupus; wildlife habitat; Michigan
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/148805

Road density (km/km2) and prey abundance have often been used by land managers use to predict habitat suitability for grey wolves in the northern Midwest. This study adds the density of the second and third type of roads, which are DNR managed roads and recreational trails, as a further predictor for habitat suitability. Using 15 years of grey wolf (Canis lupus) radiotelemetry location data gathered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources from 2000-2015, the study examines whether any recreational trail surfaces impact habitat selection by grey wolves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula predicts habitat suitability similar to that predicted by road densities. While no surfaces improved the predictive power of the model developed by Mladenoff et.al. 1995, this study affirms the model’s continued application in this field of predicting habitat suitability for grey wolves. Master of Science (MS) School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148805/1/Zac Millbrand Thesis.pdf