Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus )
Wolf (Canis lupus) predation on livestock can cause economic and emotional hardships for livestock producers, complicating the balance of wolf conservation with other human interests. New management tools that decrease risk of predation may offer additional flexibility or efficiency for both livesto...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
DigitalCommons@USU
2009
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/282 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=etd |
id |
ftutahsudc:oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-1301 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftutahsudc:oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-1301 2023-05-15T15:50:06+02:00 Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) Lance, Nathan J 2009-05-01T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/282 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=etd unknown DigitalCommons@USU https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/282 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=etd Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. All Graduate Theses and Dissertations depredation fladry livestock management non-lethal wolves Agricultural and Resource Economics Biology text 2009 ftutahsudc 2023-04-06T17:30:27Z Wolf (Canis lupus) predation on livestock can cause economic and emotional hardships for livestock producers, complicating the balance of wolf conservation with other human interests. New management tools that decrease risk of predation may offer additional flexibility or efficiency for both livestock producers and management agencies. I examined 1) the efficacy of electrified fladry compared to fladry at protecting a food source from wolves in captivity, 2) the efficacy of electrified fladry for reducing wolf use of pastures and preventing depredations, and 3) the applicability of electrified-fladry. In captivity I tested the reaction from 15 groups (46 wolves) to the presence of fladry, electrified fladry, or no barrier within their enclosures. During trials, a deer carcass was provided in one corner of the pen, and a strand of fladry (n = 5 pens), or electrified fladry (n = 5 pens), was strung across the pen to protect the food resource. Failure of the barriers was defined by at least one animal in a group moving across the barrier. Both fladry and electrified fladry effectively excluded wolves from a food resource for short durations of time (1-14 days), but electrified fladry was more effective. My research indicated that although electrified fladry has the potential to reduce wolf depredations, animal learning, motivation, and personality play critical roles in the effectiveness of fladry systems. In Montana, I assigned 9 livestock operations to randomly receive a treatment (electrified fladry, n=6 pastures) or control (not receiving electrified fladry, n=6 pastures). I measured cost per kilometer for purchasing materials, number of people and hours required for installing and maintaining, as well as recording observations of potential difficulties with electrified fladry. I formed and distributed an exit'-survey to each rancher who participated in the study to assess opinions about the use of the technique. Wolf activity at the ranches was insufficient and I was not able to determine if electrified fladry ... Text Canis lupus Utah State University: DigitalCommons@USU |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Utah State University: DigitalCommons@USU |
op_collection_id |
ftutahsudc |
language |
unknown |
topic |
depredation fladry livestock management non-lethal wolves Agricultural and Resource Economics Biology |
spellingShingle |
depredation fladry livestock management non-lethal wolves Agricultural and Resource Economics Biology Lance, Nathan J Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) |
topic_facet |
depredation fladry livestock management non-lethal wolves Agricultural and Resource Economics Biology |
description |
Wolf (Canis lupus) predation on livestock can cause economic and emotional hardships for livestock producers, complicating the balance of wolf conservation with other human interests. New management tools that decrease risk of predation may offer additional flexibility or efficiency for both livestock producers and management agencies. I examined 1) the efficacy of electrified fladry compared to fladry at protecting a food source from wolves in captivity, 2) the efficacy of electrified fladry for reducing wolf use of pastures and preventing depredations, and 3) the applicability of electrified-fladry. In captivity I tested the reaction from 15 groups (46 wolves) to the presence of fladry, electrified fladry, or no barrier within their enclosures. During trials, a deer carcass was provided in one corner of the pen, and a strand of fladry (n = 5 pens), or electrified fladry (n = 5 pens), was strung across the pen to protect the food resource. Failure of the barriers was defined by at least one animal in a group moving across the barrier. Both fladry and electrified fladry effectively excluded wolves from a food resource for short durations of time (1-14 days), but electrified fladry was more effective. My research indicated that although electrified fladry has the potential to reduce wolf depredations, animal learning, motivation, and personality play critical roles in the effectiveness of fladry systems. In Montana, I assigned 9 livestock operations to randomly receive a treatment (electrified fladry, n=6 pastures) or control (not receiving electrified fladry, n=6 pastures). I measured cost per kilometer for purchasing materials, number of people and hours required for installing and maintaining, as well as recording observations of potential difficulties with electrified fladry. I formed and distributed an exit'-survey to each rancher who participated in the study to assess opinions about the use of the technique. Wolf activity at the ranches was insufficient and I was not able to determine if electrified fladry ... |
format |
Text |
author |
Lance, Nathan J |
author_facet |
Lance, Nathan J |
author_sort |
Lance, Nathan J |
title |
Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) |
title_short |
Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) |
title_full |
Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) |
title_fullStr |
Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Application of Electrified Fladry to Decrease Risk of Livestock Depredation by Wolves ( Canis lupus ) |
title_sort |
application of electrified fladry to decrease risk of livestock depredation by wolves ( canis lupus ) |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@USU |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/282 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=etd |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/282 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=etd |
op_rights |
Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. |
_version_ |
1766385089100382208 |