Spatial overlap, proximity, and habitat use of individual wolves within the same packs

Benson, John F.; Patterson, Brent R.

doi:10.1002/wsb.506

Cited by 36 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This resulted in further reduction of the dataset as many participating studies had collared multiple individuals in packs (often to allow continued monitoring of packs also after a given accidental collar failure). However, with this strategy we avoided issues of pseudo‐replication, which could have occurred as wolf packs compromise individuals whose movements (and therefore habitat selection) are not fully independent (see Benson & Patterson, ). After filtering for these criteria, 172 individual wolves remained in the dataset.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North America

Muhly

Johnson

Hebblewhite

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Aim The influence of humans on large carnivores, including wolves, is a worldwide conservation concern. In addition, human‐caused changes in carnivore density and distribution might have impacts on prey and, indirectly, on vegetation. We therefore tested wolf responses to infrastructure related to natural resource development (i.e., human footprint). Location Our study provides one of the most extensive assessments of how predators like wolves select habitat in response to various degrees of footprint across boreal ecosystems encompassing over a million square kilometers of Canada. Methods We deployed GPS‐collars on 172 wolves, monitored movements and used a generalized functional response (GFR) model of resource selection. A functional response in habitat selection occurs when selection varies as a function of the availability of that habitat. GFRs can clarify how human‐induced habitat changes are influencing wildlife across large, diverse landscapes. Results Wolves displayed a functional response to footprint. Wolves were more likely to select forest harvest cutblocks in regions with higher cutblock density (i.e., a positive functional response to high‐quality habitats for ungulate prey) and to select for higher road density in regions where road density was high (i.e., a positive functional response to human‐created travel routes). Wolves were more likely to use cutblocks in habitats with low road densities, and more likely to use roads in habitats with low cutblock densities, except in winter when wolves were more likely to use roads regardless of cutblock density. Main conclusions These interactions suggest that wolves trade‐off among human‐impacted habitats, and adaptively switch from using roads to facilitate movement (while also risking encounters with humans), to using cutblocks that may have higher ungulate densities. We recommend that conservation managers consider the contextual and interacting effects of footprints when assessing impacts on carnivores. These effects likely have indirect impacts on ecosystems too, including on prey species.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North America

Muhly

Johnson

Hebblewhite

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…We used a location error of 468 m for wolf packs as this represented the average distance between joint wolf movements. We assumed that this value accounted for the position of individuals that were not collared when estimating a pack's UD (Benson & Patterson, 2015).…”

Section: Wolf Space Use Intensitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Weak spatiotemporal response of prey to predation risk in a freely interacting system

Cusack

Kohl

Metz

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. The extent to which prey space use actively minimizes predation risk continues to ignite controversy. Methodological reasons that have hindered consensus include inconsistent measurements of predation risk, biased spatiotemporal scales at which responses are measured and lack of robust null expectations.2. We addressed all three challenges in a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal responses of adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) to the risk of predation by wolves (Canis lupus) during winter in northern Yellowstone, USA.3. We quantified spatial overlap between the winter home ranges of GPS-collared elk and three measures of predation risk: the intensity of wolf space use, the distribution of wolf-killed elk and vegetation openness. We also assessed whether elk varied their use of areas characterized by more or less predation risk across hours of the day, and estimated encounter rates between simultaneous elk and wolf pack trajectories. We determined whether observed values were significantly lower than expected if elk movements were random with reference to predation risk using a null model approach.4. Although a small proportion of elk did show a tendency to minimize use of open vegetation at specific times of the day, overall we highlight a notable absence of spatiotemporal response by female elk to the risk of predation posed by wolves in northern Yellowstone. 5.Our results suggest that predator-prey interactions may not always result in strong spatiotemporal patterns of avoidance.

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“…were not collared when estimating a pack's UD (Benson et al, 2015). A final joint 256 UD representing wolf long-term space use in the NR was then derived by averaging 257 winter joint UDs and scaling to sum to unity.…”

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confidence: 99%

Weak spatiotemporal response of prey to predation risk in a freely interacting system

Cusack

Kohl

Metz

et al. 2017

Preprint

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501. The extent to which prey space use actively minimises predation risk 51 continues to ignite controversy. Methodological reasons that have hindered 52 consensus include inconsistent measurements of predation risk, biased 53 spatiotemporal scales at which responses are measured, and lack of robust null 54 expectations. 55 2. We addressed all three challenges in a comprehensive analysis of the 56 spatiotemporal responses of adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) to the risk of 57 predation by grey wolves (Canis lupus) during winter in northern 58Yellowstone, USA. 59 3. We quantified spatial overlap between the winter home ranges of GPS-60 collared elk and three measures of predation risk: the intensity of wolf space 61 use, the distribution of wolf-killed elk and vegetation openness. We also 62 assessed whether elk varied their use of areas characterised by more or less 63 predation risk across hours of the day, and estimated encounter rates between 64 simultaneous elk and wolf pack trajectories. We determined whether observed 65 values were significantly lower than expected if elk movements were random 66 with reference to predation risk using a null model approach. 67 4. Although a small proportion of elk did show a tendency to minimise use of 68 open vegetation at specific times of the day, overall we highlight a notable 69 absence of spatiotemporal response by female elk to the risk of predation 70 posed by wolves in northern Yellowstone. 71 5. Our results suggest that predator-prey interactions may not always result in 72 strong spatiotemporal patterns of avoidance. 73 74 4

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Spatial overlap, proximity, and habitat use of individual wolves within the same packs

Cited by 36 publications

References 39 publications

Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North America

Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North America

Weak spatiotemporal response of prey to predation risk in a freely interacting system

Weak spatiotemporal response of prey to predation risk in a freely interacting system

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