No abstract

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) populations have been declining throughout their range and loss or deterioration of habitat has been associated with observed trends. An understanding of the relative importance of landscape characteristics in affecting mule deer distribution will allow wildlife managers that alter habitat to make predictions regarding future use by mule deer, which is likely to influence mule deer population size and recruitment. We radio‐marked 376 adult female mule deer with global positioning system‐collars from 2006–2012 in south‐central Oregon, USA, to evaluate summer habitat use. We used multiple linear regression to develop a resource utilization function (RUF) model for mule deer to relate landscape characteristics to the height of a utilization distribution estimated with a Brownian bridge movement model. We validated the predictive capacity of the RUF model with locations from an independent dataset of 95 deer that summered within our study area. Our best model describing mule deer habitat use included 5 covariates: overstory canopy cover, slope, distance to forest edge, distance to intermittent or perennial streams, and distance to dirt roads. Predicted intensity of use peaked at roughly 40% canopy cover and decreased with increasing slope and distance from forest edge. Predicted use was greater closer to streams and decreased, albeit slightly, with increasing distance from dirt roads. Model validation revealed our model predicted summer habitat use by mule deer very well. Our results provide a basis for predicting effects of future land management actions on mule deer habitat use on summer range. Forest management prescriptions that maintain canopy cover around 40% and create forest edge may benefit mule deer in south‐central Oregon and other forested ecosystems, particularly if these prescriptions are implemented on areas with gentle slopes and access to streams. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

The impacts of wind energy on bat populations is a growing concern because wind turbine blades can strike and kill bats, and wind turbine development is increasing. We tested the effectiveness of 2 management actions at 2 wind-energy facilities for reducing bat fatalities: curtailing turbine operation when wind speeds were <5.0 m/second and combining curtailment with an acoustic bat deterrent developed by NRG Systems. We measured the effectiveness of the management actions using differences in counts of bat carcasses quantified by daily and twice-per-week standardized carcass searches of cleared plots below turbines, and field trials that estimated searcher efficiency and carcass persistence. We studied turbines located at 2 adjacent wind-energy facilities in northeast Illinois, USA, during fall migration (1 Aug-15 Oct) in 2018. We estimated the effectiveness of each management action using a generalized linear mixed-effects model with several covariates. Curtailment alone reduced overall bat mortality by 42.5% but did not reduce silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) mortality. Overall bat fatality rates were 66.9% lower at curtailed turbines with acoustic deterrents compared to turbines that operated at manufacturer cutin speed. Curtailment and the deterrent reduced bat mortality to varying degrees between species, ranging from 58.1% for eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) to 94.4 for big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). Hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired bat mortality was reduced by 71.4% and 71.6%, respectively. Our

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems provide critical habitat for the Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern. Thus, future loss of sagebrush habitat because of land use change and global climate change is of concern. Here, we use a dynamic additive spatiotemporal model to estimate the effects of climate on sagebrush cover dynamics at 32 sage‐grouse management (core) areas in Wyoming. We use the fitted models to quantify the sensitivity of each management area to precipitation and temperature, and to make probabilistic projections of sagebrush cover from present to 2100 under three climate change scenarios. Global circulation models predict an increase in temperature and no change in precipitation for Wyoming. Sensitivity to climate varied among management areas, but the most common response (70% of management areas) was a positive effect of temperature on sagebrush performance. The combination of positive sensitivity to temperature and the predicted increase in temperature under all climate change scenarios resulted in projections of increased sagebrush cover for most management areas. We characterized management areas as “optimal” or “suboptimal” based on the percentage of grid cells in each management area with sagebrush cover exceeding a nesting habitat target value. Only 18% of management areas are projected to switch from being currently optimal to suboptimal in the future. Thirty‐five percent of management areas are projected to switch from being suboptimal to optimal. The most common outcome (47%) was for currently suboptimal management areas to remain suboptimal, even though average cover tended to increase in those areas. The direct effects of climate change appear to favor sagebrush performance in the future for most sage‐grouse core areas in Wyoming. Our approach is broadly applicable to quantitative climate change assessments where remotely sensed estimates of habitat‐defining vegetation are available.