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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Trade-Offs Between Predation Risk And Forage Differ Between Migrant Strategies In A Migratory Ungulate, Mark Hebblewhite, Evelyn Merrill Dec 2009

Trade-Offs Between Predation Risk And Forage Differ Between Migrant Strategies In A Migratory Ungulate, Mark Hebblewhite, Evelyn Merrill

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Trade-offs between predation risk and forage fundamentally drive resource selection by animals. Among migratory ungulates, trade-offs can occur at large spatial scales through migration, which allows an "escape'' from predation, but trade-offs can also occur at finer spatial scales. Previous authors suggest that ungulates will avoid predation risk at the largest scale, although few studies have examined multi-scale trade-offs to test for the relative benefits of risk avoidance across scales. Building on previously developed spatial models of forage and wolf predation risk, we tested for trade-offs at the broad landscape scale and at a finer, within-home-range scale for migratory and …


Wolverine Gene Flow Across A Narrow Climatic Niche, Michael K. Schwartz, Jeffrey P. Copeland, Neil J. Anderson, John R. Squires, Robert M. Inman, Kevin Scot Mckelvey, Kristine L. Pilgrim, Lisette P. Waits, Samuel A. Cushman Nov 2009

Wolverine Gene Flow Across A Narrow Climatic Niche, Michael K. Schwartz, Jeffrey P. Copeland, Neil J. Anderson, John R. Squires, Robert M. Inman, Kevin Scot Mckelvey, Kristine L. Pilgrim, Lisette P. Waits, Samuel A. Cushman

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Wolverines (Guio guio) are one of the rarest carnivores in the contiguous United States. Effective population sizes in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, where most of the wolverines in the contiguous United States exist, were calculated to be 35 (credible limits, 28 52) suggesting low abundance. Landscape features that influence wolverine population substructure and gene flow are largely unknown. Recent work has identified strong associations between areas with persistent spring snow and wolverine presence and range. We tested whether a dispersal model in which wolverines prefer to disperse through areas characterized by persistent spring snow cover produced least-cost paths among all …


Neglect Of Genetic Diversity In Implementation Of The Convention On Biological Diversity, Linda Laikre, Fred W. Allendorf, Laurel C. Aroner, C. Scott Baker, David P. Gregovich, Michael M. Hansen, Jennifer A. Jackson, Katherine Kendall, Kevin Scot Mckelvey, Maile C. Neel, Isabelle Olivieri, Nils Ryman, Michael K. Schwartz, Ruth Short Bull, Jeffrey Brian Stetz, David A. Tallmon, Barbara L. Taylor, Christina D. Vojta, Donald M. Waller, Robin S. Waples Jul 2009

Neglect Of Genetic Diversity In Implementation Of The Convention On Biological Diversity, Linda Laikre, Fred W. Allendorf, Laurel C. Aroner, C. Scott Baker, David P. Gregovich, Michael M. Hansen, Jennifer A. Jackson, Katherine Kendall, Kevin Scot Mckelvey, Maile C. Neel, Isabelle Olivieri, Nils Ryman, Michael K. Schwartz, Ruth Short Bull, Jeffrey Brian Stetz, David A. Tallmon, Barbara L. Taylor, Christina D. Vojta, Donald M. Waller, Robin S. Waples

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Genetic diversity is the foundation for all biological diversity; the persistence and evolutionary potential of species depend on it. World leaders have agreed on the conservation of genetic diversity as an explicit goal of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Nevertheless, actions to protect genetic diversity are largely lacking. With only months left to the 2010-biodiversity target, when the 191 parties to the CBD have agreed on achieving a significant reduction of the rate of biodiversity loss, gene-level diversity is still not being monitored, and indicators and thresholds that can be used to devise strategies to conserve this important component …


Abundance And Density Of Mountain Plover (Charadrius Montanus) And Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) In Eastern Colorado, Heather C. Tipton, Paul F. Doherty Jr., Victoria J. Dreitz Jul 2009

Abundance And Density Of Mountain Plover (Charadrius Montanus) And Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) In Eastern Colorado, Heather C. Tipton, Paul F. Doherty Jr., Victoria J. Dreitz

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Because of continental-scale declines of grassland birds over the past century, conservation agendas are focused on increasing understanding of grassland bird ecology and habitat associations. Shortgrass prairie is a unique grassland ecosystem maintained, in part, by Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) and western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are species of conservation concern known to be associated with prairie dog colonies. We estimated abundance of Mountain Plovers and Burrowing Owls in three habitats within the Colorado shortgrass prairie ecosystem— prairie dog colonies, grassland not occupied by prairie dogs, and …


Global Population Dynamics And Hot Spots Of Response To Climate Change, Eric Post, Jebediah Brodie, Mark Hebblewhite, Angela D. Anders, Julie A. K. Maier, Christopher C. Wilmers Jun 2009

Global Population Dynamics And Hot Spots Of Response To Climate Change, Eric Post, Jebediah Brodie, Mark Hebblewhite, Angela D. Anders, Julie A. K. Maier, Christopher C. Wilmers

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding how biotic and abiotic factors influence the abundance and distribution of organisms has become more important with the growing awareness of the ecological consequences of climate change. In this article, we outline an approach that complements bioclimatic envelope modeling in quantifying the effects of climate change at the species level. The global population dynamics approach, which relies on distribution-wide, data-driven analyses of dynamics, goes beyond quantifying biotic interactions in population dynamics to identify hot spots of response to climate change. Such hot spots highlight populations or locations within species' distributions that are particularly sensitive to climate change, and identification …


Area Sensitivity In North American Grassland Birds: Patterns And Processes, Christine A. Ribic, Rolf R. Koford, James R. Herkert, Douglas H. Johnson, Neal D. Niemuth, David E. Naugle, Kristel K. Bakker, David W. Sample, Rosalind B. Renfrew Apr 2009

Area Sensitivity In North American Grassland Birds: Patterns And Processes, Christine A. Ribic, Rolf R. Koford, James R. Herkert, Douglas H. Johnson, Neal D. Niemuth, David E. Naugle, Kristel K. Bakker, David W. Sample, Rosalind B. Renfrew

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.