Protection status, human disturbance, snow cover and trapping drive density of a declining wolverine population in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Barrueto, Mirjam; Forshner, Anne; Whittington, Jesse; Clevenger, Anthony P.; Musiani, Marco

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-21499-4

Cited by 13 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…Human‐caused mortality and anthropogenic fragmentation of habitat are limiting wolverine distribution and density globally (May et al 2006, Persson et al 2009, Fisher et al 2013, Mowat et al 2020, Lukacs et al 2020, Lansink et al 2022, Barrueto et al 2022). Within the Scandinavian large carnivore guild, wolverines are believed to be the most sensitive to habitat fragmentation (May et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Until recently, Scandinavian wolverines were not considered to be a forest‐dwelling species, as they appeared to select open and rugged terrain at higher elevations with snow, away from human activity (May et al 2008, 2012, Rauset et al 2013). Spring snow cover in particular is believed to be important for reproducing females, because it determines denning suitability and offspring survival (Copeland et al 2010, Mowat et al 2020, Barrueto et al 2022). However, in recent years, the Scandinavian wolverine population has expanded considerably into the boreal forest and has now colonized areas without persistent spring snow cover (Aronsson and Persson 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

et al. 2023

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After centuries of intense persecution, several large carnivore species in Europe and North America have experienced a rebound. Today's spatial configuration of large carnivore populations has likely arisen from the interplay between their ecological traits and current environmental conditions, but also from their history of persecution and protection. Yet, due to the challenge of studying population‐level phenomena, we are rarely able to disentangle and quantify the influence of past and present factors driving the distribution and density of these controversial species. Using spatial capture‐recapture models and a data set of 742 genetically identified wolverines Gulo gulo collected over ½ million km2 across their entire range in Norway and Sweden, we identify landscape‐level factors explaining the current population density of wolverines in the Scandinavian Peninsula. Distance from the relict range along the Swedish–Norwegian border, where the wolverine population survived a long history of persecution, remains a key determinant of wolverine density today. However, regional differences in management and environmental conditions also played an important role in shaping spatial patterns in present‐day wolverine density. Specifically, we found evidence of slower recolonization in areas that had set lower wolverine population goals in terms of the desired number of annual reproductions. Management of transboundary large carnivore populations at biologically relevant scales may be inhibited by administrative fragmentation. Yet, as our study shows, population‐level monitoring is an achievable prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and density of large carnivores across an increasingly anthropogenic landscape.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

et al. 2023

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show abstract

“…Human-caused mortality and anthropogenic fragmentation of habitat are limiting wolverine distribution and density globally (May et al 2006, Persson et al 2009, Mowat et al 2020, Lukacs et al 2020, Lansink et al 2022, Barrueto et al 2022). Within the Scandinavian large carnivore guild, wolverines are believed to be the most sensitive to habitat fragmentation (May et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditionally, Scandinavian wolverines are not considered to be a forest-dwelling species, as they appear to select open and rugged terrain at higher elevations with snow, away from human activity (May et al 2008, 2012, Rauset et al 2013). Spring snow cover in particular is believed to be important for reproducing females as it determines denning suitability and offspring survival (Copeland et al 2010, Mowat et al 2020, Barrueto et al 2022). However, in recent years, the Scandinavian wolverine population has expanded considerably into the boreal forest and has now colonized areas without persistent spring snow cover (Aronsson and Persson 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

Moqanaki

Milleret

Dupont

et al. 2022

Preprint

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After centuries of intense persecution, several large carnivore species in Europe and North America have experienced a rebound. Today's spatial configuration of large carnivore populations has likely arisen from the interplay between their ecological traits and current environmental conditions, but also from their history of persecution and protection. Yet, due to the challenge of studying population-level phenomena, we are rarely able to disentangle and quantify the influence of past and present factors driving the spatial distribution and density of these controversial species. Using spatial capture-recapture models and a data set of 742 genetically identified wolverines Gulo gulo collected over 1/2 million km^2 across their entire range in Norway and Sweden, we identify landscape-level factors explaining the current population density of wolverines in the Scandinavian Peninsula. Distance from the relic range along the Swedish-Norwegian border, where the wolverine population survived a long history of persecution, remains a key determinant of wolverine density today. However, regional differences in management and environmental conditions also played an important role in shaping spatial patterns in present-day wolverine density. Specifically, we found evidence of slower recolonization in areas that had set lower wolverine population goals in terms of the desired number of annual reproductions. Management of transboundary large carnivore populations at biologically relevant scales may be inhibited by administrative fragmentation. Yet, as our study shows, population-level monitoring is an achievable prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and density of large carnivores across an increasingly anthropogenic landscape.

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“…The study is part of the greater Yellowstone to Yukon region that includes key linkages for ecological connectivity, core protected areas and human modified landscapes (Holterman et al, 2023). This region includes alpine, sub-alpine and montane subregions and habitat for mammals sensitive to human presence such as grizzly bears (Ladle et al, 2018), wolverines (Heinemeyer et al, 2019; Barrueto et al, 2022) and caribou (Seip, Johnson & Watts, 2007; Wilson & Wilmshurst, 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancements in monitoring: a comparison of traditional and application-based tools for measuring outdoor recreation

Capdevila,

McLellan,

Loosen

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Outdoor recreation has experienced a boom in recent years. While outdoor recreation provides wide-ranging benefits to human well-being and is an important feature of many protected and non-protected areas, there are growing concerns about the sustainability of recreation with the increased pressures placed on ecological systems and visitor experiences. These concerns emphasize the need for managers to access accurate and timely recreation data at scales that match the growing recreation footprint. Here, we compare spatial and temporal patterns of winter and summer recreation use using traditional and application-based tools across the Columbia and Canadian Rocky Mountains of western Canada. We demonstrate how recreation use can be estimated using traditional and application-based tools, although their accuracy and utility varies across space, season and activity type. Cameras and counters captured similar broad-scale patterns in count estimates of pedestrians and all recreation activities. Application-based data provided detailed spatiotemporal information on recreation use, but datasets were biased towards specific recreation types and did not represent the full recreation population. For instance, Strava Metro data was more suited for capturing broad-scale spatial patterns in biking than pedestrian recreation. Traditional tools including aerial surveys and participatory mapping captured coarser information on the intensity and extent of recreation, with the former tool capturing areas with low recreation intensity and the latter tool suited for capturing recreation information across large spatial and temporal scales. Application-based data should be supplemented with data from traditional tools including cameras or trail counters to identify biases in data and fill in data gaps. We provide a comparison of each tool for measuring recreation use, highlight each tools' strengths and limitations, and suggest how to use these tools to address real-world monitoring and management scenarios. Our research contributes towards a better understanding of what tools are available to measure recreation and can help direct managers in selecting which tool, or combinations of tools, to use that can expand the rigor and scope of recreation research. This information can support decision-making and lead to the protection of ecological systems while allowing for high-quality recreation experiences.

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Protection status, human disturbance, snow cover and trapping drive density of a declining wolverine population in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Cited by 13 publications

References 88 publications

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

Wolverine density distribution reflects past persecution and current management in Scandinavia

Advancements in monitoring: a comparison of traditional and application-based tools for measuring outdoor recreation

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