Food availability and foraging near human developments by black bears

Merkle, Jerod A.; Robinson, Hugh S.; Krausman, Paul R.; Alaback, Paul B.

doi:10.1644/12-mamm-a-002.1

Cited by 120 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…It is also possible that human behaviors initiated to benefit wildlife, as perceived by humans, can later be perceived as negative feedbacks. For example, efforts to attract birds may also attract potentially unwanted species, such as black bears (e.g., Merkle et al 2013). Consequently, if human-based landscape changes do not successfully eliminate future wildlife-related events, humans may change their behavior to result in a direct effect, e.g., mortality (Fig.…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

A conceptual framework to evaluate human-wildlife interactions within coupled human and natural systems

Morzillo¹,

Beurs²,

Martin-Mikle³

2014

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Landscape characteristics affect human-wildlife interactions. However, there is a need to better understand mechanisms that drive those interactions, particularly feedbacks that exist between wildlife-related impacts, human reaction to and behavior as a result of those impacts, and how land use and landscape characteristics may influence those components within coupled human and natural systems. Current conceptual models of human-wildlife interactions often focus on species population size as the independent variable driving those interactions. Such an approach potentially overlooks important feedbacks among and drivers of human-wildlife interactions that result from mere wildlife presence versus absence. We describe an emerging conceptual framework that focuses on wildlife as a driver of human behavior and allows us to better understand linkages between humans, wildlife, and the broader landscape. We also present results of a pilot analysis related to our own ongoing study of urban rodent control behavior to illustrate one application of this framework within a study of urban landscapes.

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Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

A conceptual framework to evaluate human-wildlife interactions within coupled human and natural systems

Morzillo¹,

Beurs²,

Martin-Mikle³

2014

E&S

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“…In recent decades, American black bear (Ursus americanus) populations have been expanding geographically (Scheick and McCown 2014), and in the process have come into greater contact with human-occupied or modified landscapes; their interaction with these landscapes has thus far been measured in terms of altered activity patterns Berger 2003a, BaruchMordo et al 2014), diets (Jonker et al 1998), habitat use (Obbard et al 2010, Merkle et al 2013) and survival Lackey 2008, Van Manen et al 2012). This species is highly mobile, enabling access to spatially varying resources Pelton 1981, Noyce and.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral and physiological responses of American black bears to landscape features within an agricultural region

et al. 2015

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Abstract. Human activities and variation in habitat quality and configuration have been shown to influence space use patterns in many species, but few studies have documented the physiological responses of free-ranging animals to these factors. We combined remote biologger technology, capturing continuous heart rate values, with locational data from GPS collars to investigate the behavioral and physiological reactions of American black bears (Ursus americanus) to a landscape dominated by agriculture (52.5% areal cover). Our study occurred at the edge of the range of this species, with small, scattered patches of forest within a mosaic of crop fields and an extensive road network. However, only ;2-4% of the area contained crops that bears consumed (corn, sunflowers, oats). We used GPS locations to identify the habitat that bears occupied, and to estimate their rates of travel. Heart rates increased with movement rates, rising by over 30% from resting rate to their fastest travel speeds. We used a modeling approach to distinguish among factors that influenced heart rates independent of movement rates. Bears commonly crossed agricultural areas that provided no food or cover and their heart rates, elevated beyond what was expected from their movement rate, were indicative of a stress response. However, when bears entered agricultural areas composed of edible crops, many individuals showed reduced movement and slower heart rates, suggesting that bears foraging there felt at ease or crops allow bears to more easily forage due to their dense spatial arrangements. Unexpectedly, female bears elicited lower heart rates and lower levels of activity in the most fragmented patches of natural habitat, possibly a sign of humanavoidance behavior or a reaction related to crossing roads. During fall, as bears prepared for hibernation, their heart rates declined two weeks before their movements slackened, evidence that metabolism slowed to enhance fat accumulation; they also shifted to a nocturnal activity pattern, likely to reduce exertion during the heat of the day. The use of a physiological monitor provided new insights on bear biology and ecology that would not have otherwise been apparent.

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“…The strength of selection for orchards is especially substantial because it was averaged across the entire year, when it would be expected to be much higher during late summer and fall, when the large plantations of apple trees bear fruits. Human conflict with black bears (U. americanus) in Montana, USA, increased in proximity to orchards during the fall in human dominated landscapes (Merkle et al, 2013). The strong selection we found for brown bear home-ranges to contain orchards poses a potentially underappreciated risk factor for continued conservation of this population in the future.…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 75%

“…However, at the within home-range scale, bears used orchards in proportion to availability at the temporal resolution of the entire year. Further analyses of seasonal resource selection and movements may help identify orchard-specific bear-human conflict mitigation strategies (Merkle et al, 2013). Regardless of spatial and temporal scale, important differences in use of orchards pre-and post-bear reintroduction suggest that future work could focus on potential mitigation for human-bear conflict (Merkle et al, 2011(Merkle et al, , 2013.…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further analyses of seasonal resource selection and movements may help identify orchard-specific bear-human conflict mitigation strategies (Merkle et al, 2013). Regardless of spatial and temporal scale, important differences in use of orchards pre-and post-bear reintroduction suggest that future work could focus on potential mitigation for human-bear conflict (Merkle et al, 2011(Merkle et al, , 2013. In contrast, in the north-central part of the study area, rich in heavily forested areas, the bear RSF showed less frequent selection than predicted by the HSM.…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

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Resource selection and connectivity reveal conservation challenges for reintroduced brown bears in the Italian Alps

Peters

Hebblewhite

Cavedon

et al. 2015

Biological Conservation

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Food availability and foraging near human developments by black bears

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 120 publications

References 46 publications

A conceptual framework to evaluate human-wildlife interactions within coupled human and natural systems

A conceptual framework to evaluate human-wildlife interactions within coupled human and natural systems

Behavioral and physiological responses of American black bears to landscape features within an agricultural region

Resource selection and connectivity reveal conservation challenges for reintroduced brown bears in the Italian Alps

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