Life Sciences Commons^™

Dusky Grouse Population Ecology And Thermal Landscape Ecology In The Great Basin Ecosystem, Stephanie M. Landry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dusky Grouse are a mountainous forest grouse found throughout the western, inland mountain ranges of the United States and Canada. While a few studies have looked at Dusky Grouse in the Rocky Mountain Ecosystem of their range, there have been no prior studies of the Dusky Grouse in the Great Basin Ecosystem aside from a brief survey by Zwickel and Bendell in 2004 in the Duck Creek Range of Nevada. With the available habitats differing in both species diversity and availability on the landscape between the two Ecosystems, I wanted to assess characteristics about the Dusky Grouse populations at the …

Habitat Selection By Desert Carnivores: How Water, Intraguild Predation, And Prey Impact Animal Space Use, Nadine A. Pershyn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Across North America large carnivores have lost nearly half of their historic range, creating openings for smaller (< 15 kg) carnivores to take over their ecological roles. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have seen a significant range expansion, including into arid deserts. It was believed that the addition of artificial water sources by humans allowed coyotes to expand into desert ecosystems where they were previously unable to survive. The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a small, desert-adapted carnivore with declining populations that faces threats from coyotes of intraguild predation. This is when carnivores compete over the same prey, and the larger carnivore (intraguild predator) kills the smaller carnivore (intraguild …

Local And Regional Landscape Characteristics Driving Habitat Selection By Greater Sage-Grouse Along A Fragmented Range Margin, Aidan T. Beers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In response to ongoing landscape change, wildlife species are likely to respond in varied ways. By studying habitat specialists, we are able to better understand the most likely ways in which the denizens of threatened ecosystems will react to those changes. Among the most threatened ecosystem types in North America are sagebrush ecosystems of the Intermountain West, where one of its most well-known residents, greater sage grouse (hereafter, “sage-grouse), have lost more than 50% of their habitat due to fire, invasive species, climate change, encroachment by coniferous forests and avian predators using it, and human-caused landscape conversion. Sage-grouse rely on …

Application Of Hierarchical Species Distribution Models To Avian Species Of South Dakota And The Upper Missouri River Basin, Reza Goljani Amirkhiz

Dissertations and Theses

Recognizing the distributional patterns of species can inform management actions and increase scientific knowledge about species. Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs) are valuable tools in modeling species’ niches and effects of climate change and anthropogenic and natural disturbances on species’ distributions and abundances. In this dissertation, I expanded the application of hierarchical HSMs for a rare bird (Virginia’s warbler) and an economically valuable bird (ring-necked pheasant) in South Dakota. Also, we developed multiscale HSMs for grassland birds in the Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) to quantify current habitat associations and predict the influences of climate and landcover change associated with the …

Predicting Mountain Lion Resource Selection And Abundance In North America, William Connor O'Malley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The relationship between habitat quality and density is well documented in lower trophic levels but to what extent it can be extended to higher trophic levels is unknown. I tested the relationship between habitat quality, home-range size and density using a wide-ranging, well-studied, top carnivore, the mountain lion (Puma concolor). First, I created a second-order resource selection function (RSF) for mountain lions in their current North American range using GPS collar data from 476 individuals in 20 study sites and remotely-sensed landscape data. I used the RSF and home range estimates derived from collared animals to quantify mountain …

Identifying Spatial Heterogeneity In And Potential Biological Consequences Of River Thermal Environments, Keith Jeffrey Fritschie

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Temperature is a nearly ubiquitous driver of ecological and evolutionary processes, especially for organisms whose body temperature changes with the environment. The overarching biological importance of environmental temperature and increased availability of temperature datasets have led to its inclusion in spatially continuous models of species’ performance, abundance, and distribution. However, variation in both environmental temperature and animal behavior at finer scales than captured by these models may reduce the accuracy of their scientific conclusions and conservation recommendations. Here I contribute to an improved understanding of thermal variability in river systems and its potential biological consequences for an iconic coldwater species, …

Pronghorn Space-Use Ecology In Utah, Veronica A. Winter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pronghorn are viewed as a quintessential part of the landscape in the American West. Found only in western North America, pronghorn is a unique species, having historic ranges within prairie, shrubland-steppe, and desert habitat across the continental west. Even though they have been present on this landscape since the last ice age, little is known of pronghorn ecology. There has been growing concern over the impact anthropogenic features, such as development, agriculture, and roads are having on migration, seasonal range conditions, and overall population dynamics. The aim of this thesis is to investigate factors that may be important for pronghorn …

Assessing Priority Bird Response To Open Pine Management In Eastern Mississippi, Holly Marie Todaro

Theses and Dissertations

Fire suppression, combined with lack of forest thinning and short-rotation, monodominant management, has drastically altered the landscape in the southeastern U.S., leading to the loss of open pine ecosystems and associated avian species. Management of open pine ecosystems is a common practice; yet, there remains uncertainty regarding how vegetation structure impacts priority species. Using empirical data, I assessed changes in species abundance and associated vegetation characteristics before and after management. I also sought to identify vegetation characteristics that influence home range establishment and microhabitat selection of Bachman’s Sparrows. Priority species were negatively associated with hardwood midstory and abundance per site …

Rusty Blackbird Use Of Commercial Spruce-Fir Forests Of Northern New England, Luke M. Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) has experienced a steep population decline since the 1970s, with qualitative accounts suggesting that the species’ numbers have been falling prior to the 1950s. The reason for this decline is still not fully understood, though recent work suggests that habitat destruction and disturbance in the breeding and wintering ranges are likely causes. The species is a habitat specialist that relies on spruce-fir stands located near wetlands for breeding in the boreal and Acadian forests of North America. Historically, the natural disturbance regime in the Acadian region included biotic agents such as beaver and …

Summer Habitat Use And Movements Of Invasive Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In Canadian Agro-Ecosystems, Corey J. Kramer, Melanie R. Boudreau, Ryan S. Miller, Ryan Powers, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Ryan K. Brook

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resource selection informs understanding of a species’ ecology and is especially pertinent for invasive species. Since introduced to Canada, wild pigs (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1978) remain understudied despite recognized negative impacts on native and agricultural systems globally. Elsewhere in North America, pigs typically use forests and forage in agricultural crops. We hypothesized Canadian wild pigs would behave similarly, and using GPS locations from 15 individuals, we examined diel and seasonal resource selection and movement in the Canadian prairie region. Forests were predominately selected during the day, while corn (Zea mays L.), oilseeds, and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) …

Spatial Ecology Of Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Canadensis Nelsoni) Cows In Southeastern Kentucky, Nathan Dennis Hooven

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

The elk (Cervus canadensis) was extirpated from its range in eastern North America by the end of the 1800s, prompting several U.S. states and Canadian provinces to begin translocation programs with the goal of reestablishing elk populations. While eastern elk managers have relied on information from western herds to guide population and habitat management, there is a need for region-specific research on the spatial ecology and habitat associations of translocated elk given the stark differences in landscape, climate, predator communities, and harvest regimes across the continent. While the Kentucky elk reintroduction is one of the best documented programs …

Patch Size Drives Colonization By Aquatic Insects, With Minor Priority Effects Of A Cohabitant, Reed C. Scott, Matthew R. Pintar, William J. Resetarits

Faculty and Student Publications

Patch size is one of the most important factors affecting the distribution and abundance of species, and recent research has shown that patch size is an important niche dimension affecting community structure in aquatic insects. Building on this result, we examined the impact of patch size in conjunction with presence of larval anurans on colonization by aquatic insects. Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's gray treefrog) larvae are abundant and early colonists in fishless lentic habitats, and these larvae can fill multiple ecological roles. By establishing larvae in mesocosms prior to colonization, we were able to assess whether H. chrysoscelis larvae have priority …

Grazing Behavior And Activity Patterns By Free-Grazing Cattle In The Pantanal Region, S. A. Santos, C. Costa, L. V. A. S. Chalita, A. Pott, J. M. Alvarez, A. G. Ortiz

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A study of habitat selection and habitat use by free-grazing cattle was conducted in the Pantanal, from October 1997 to September 1999. Observation periods lasted 13 hours per day during three days in each month. The location and activity duration of each group of animals was recorded by continuous sampling. Rumination, walking and resting times were affected (P < 0,05) by interaction between month and year and grazing time differed (P < 0,05) only between months. On average, cows spent 54.9, 29.6, 10.6 and 4.9% of their diurnal hours grazing, ruminating, walking and resting, respectively. The grazing time spent in each landscape unit was influenced (P < 0,05) by interaction between month and year. The cows exploited more intensively the temporary ponds in 97/98 (26 min ha^-1) and the edge of ponds in 98/99 (23.2 min ha^-1). Therefore, the adequate grazing management practice may not follow fixed rules for the Pantanal.

Monitoring Domestic Sheep Energy Requirements And Habitat Selection On Summer Mountain Range Using Low-Cost Gps Collar Technology, Elizabeth M. Baum

Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of global position system (GPS) collar technology, we have developed a much greater understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of livestock and their associated grazing patterns. While significant research using GPS collars has been reported for cattle, little research is available describing collar use in understanding the behavior of domestic sheep. The purpose of our research was to evaluate the energy requirements of sheep with the use of GPS collars. To accomplish this, we adapted a low-cost i-gotU GPS tracking device that is typically designed for cattle and modified it to fit sheep. Each collar was …

Searching For Gold: Using A Novel Land Cover Classification To Identify Multiscale Drivers Of Site Occupancy By A Flagship Species For Early-Successional Habitat Conservation, Baron Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding habitat selection at multiple scales is an important step in guiding conservation programs and reversing species declines. This, however, is difficult for species that occupy early-successional habitats (ESH) due to a lack of accurate representation of shrub cover in publicly available land cover data. The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera; GWWA) is a threatened species of conservation concern and a flagship for ESH conservation. We used a novel, LIDAR-derived land cover classification that accurately identifies shrubs at a fine resolution (1m) to investigate how habitat composition and configuration influence GWWA site occupancy. We aggregated this same land cover …

Conflict, Coexistence, Or Both? Cougar Habitat Selection, Prey Composition, And Mortality In A Multiple-Use Landscape, David C. Stoner, Mark A. Ditmer, Dustin L. Mitchell, Julie K. Young, Michael L. Wolfe

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Western North America is experiencing remarkable human population growth and land-use change. Irrigation and associated cultivation have led to colonization of urban-wildland interface (UWI) environments by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and consequently, cougars (Puma concolor). In the wake of these changes, human-wildlife conflicts have increased in tandem with questions about long-term species conservation. To address these concerns, we fit 79 cougars with radio-telemetry collars in the Oquirrh Mountains near Salt Lake City, Utah (2002–2010). Our goal was to evaluate variation in cougar habitat selection, diet, and cause-specific mortality in a landscape dominated by urban, military, and industrial activities. We used …

Habitat Use Of Wintering Henslow's Sparrows (Centronyx Henslowii) In Power Line Right-Of-Ways, Abigail W. Dwire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat loss and degradation are the leading causes of grassland bird declines worldwide. The Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii; hereafter HESP) is a grassland bird species of conservation concern that has historically relied on the herbaceous ground-layer of longleaf pine savannas and similar habitats in the southeastern U.S. for food and shelter in the winter. However, due to human development, alterations of habitat, and fire suppression, only fragments of these habitats remain. Over the last decade, surveys have annually documented HESPs using power line right-of-ways (hereafter, ROWs) at several sites in the coastal plain of Georgia as alternative habitat for …

Forest Grouse Ecology And Management In The Bear River Range Northern Utah, Skyler Y. Farnsworth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To better manage dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), hereafter forest grouse, managers require better information on forest grouse population status and habitat selection. To address this need, from 2015-2017, I conducted research on a sympatric populations inhabiting the Bear River Range of northern Utah to develop a breeding survey protocol, assess habitat selection, evaluate dusky grouse response to livestock grazing, and determine hunter harvest rates.

The breeding census protocol that I developed compared listening intervals with and without electronic playback calls at designated survey stop locations. Using digital mapping software, I plotted …

Relationships Between Survival And Habitat Suitability Of Semi- Aquatic Mammals, Isidro Barela, Leslie M. Burger, Jimmy Taylor, Kristine O. Evans, Ryo Ogawa, Lance Mcclintic, Guiming Wang

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spatial distribution and habitat selection are integral to the study of animal ecology. Habitat selection may optimize the fitness of individuals. Hutchinsonian niche theory posits the fundamental niche of species would support the persistence or growth of populations. Although niche-based species distribution models (SDMs) and habitat suitability models (HSMs) such as maximum entropy (Maxent) have demonstrated fair to excellent predictive power, few studies have linked the prediction of HSMs to demographic rates. We aimed to test the prediction of Hutchinsonian niche theory that habitat suitability (i.e., likelihood of occurrence) would be positively related to survival of American beaver (Castor canadensis), …

Use Of Global Positioning Systems And High Resolution Suas Imagery To Analyze And Predict Seasonal Habitat Movements Of Greater Sage-Grouse, Ryan Howell, Steven L. Petersen, Ryan R. Jensen, Randy T. Larsen

ScholarsArchive Data

Appendix 1 of Ryan Howell's master's thesis entitled "Use of Global Positioning Systems and High Resolution sUAS Imagery to Analyze and Predict Seasonal Habitat Movements of Greater Sage-Grouse. It includes the model selection result tables from Chapter 1, entitled "A Comparison of VHF and GPS Telemetry in Greater-Sage Grouse Habitat Selection: Do GPS transmitters provide more insight than VHF?"

Habitat Use And Prey Selection By Mountain Lions In An Altered Sagebrush Steppe Environment, Jonathan Ewanyk

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Throughout the American West there is an increasing trend of encroachment of woody vegetation on previously open sagebrush steppe habitat. The Modoc Plateau in northeastern California has not been excluded from this encroachment trend and has seen an increase in western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) densities, likely as a result of long-term fire suppression. Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have not previously been studied on the Modoc Plateau, and there is potential for an increase in cover due to juniper encroachment to benefit the hunting behavior of lions. To better understand if the presence of cover is being …

The Effect Of Shade Tree Species On Bird Communities In Central Kenyan Coffee Farms, Deven Kammerichs-Berke

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Shade coffee has been recognized as a well-studied example of a land-sharing management strategy that both creates habitat for tropical birds while also maintaining agricultural yield. Despite the general consensus that shade coffee is more “bird-friendly” than a sun coffee monoculture, little work has been done to investigate the effects of specific shade tree species on bird diversity and their capacity to help deliver ecosystem services. Previous studies in temperate regions have demonstrated that due to shared evolutionary histories, native plant species are better at promoting native arthropod numbers, which in turn support a greater number of birds. This study …

Selection Of Forage And Avoidance Of Predation Risk By Partially Migratory Mule Deer, Collin Jeffrey Peterson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Migration by ungulates has traditionally been thought of as a strategy that increases access to forage quality or reduces exposure to risk of predation, but the benefits of migration may be waning globally. In partially migratory populations, the persistence of both migrant and resident strategies is an intriguing ecological phenomenon, because migrants and residents often face contrasting fitness consequences. Partial migration is common in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), a species that has experienced widespread declines across the western United States during recent decades. Mule deer seldom switch between migratory strategies throughout their lifetime, which may make them less resilient to …

An Investigation Into The Spatial Distribution, Habitat Selection And Resource Usage Of The Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Inhabiting Urban Reserves Within Perth, Western Australia, Michael Thomas Main

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

I attempted to track a population of urban foxes in Kings Park, but due to collar failure, only one collar was retrieved. The GPS telemetry data from this fox produced home range estimates for minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density (KD) of 0.302 km² and 0.331 km², respectively. The fox was predominantly active at night, with a ten-fold increase in movement during nocturnal periods when compared to daytime movements. Roads and man-made tracks were important for facilitating movement of the fox through its home range, with almost 97% of location fixes recorded within 100m of these features. The fox …

Corridors Or Risk? Movement Along, And Use Of, Linear Features Varies Predictably Among Large Mammal Predator And Prey Species, Melanie Dickie, Scott R. Mcnay, Glenn D. Sutherland, Michael Cody, Tal Avgar

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Space‐use behaviour reflects trade‐offs in meeting ecological needs and can have consequences for individual survival and population demographics. The mechanisms underlying space use can be understood by simultaneously evaluating habitat selection and movement patterns, and fine‐resolution locational data are increasing our ability to do so.
2. We use high‐resolution location data and an integrated step‐selection analysis to evaluate caribou, moose, bear, and wolf habitat selection and movement behaviour in response to anthropogenic habitat modification, though caribou data were limited. Space‐use response to anthropogenic linear features (LFs) by predators and prey is hypothesized to increase predator hunting efficiency and is thus believed …

Where To Forage When Afraid: Does Perceived Risk Impair Use Of The Foodscape?, Samantha P.H. Dwinnell, Hall Sawyer, Jill E. Randall, Jeffery L. Beck, Jennifer S. Forbey, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The availability and quality of forage on the landscape constitute the foodscape within which animals make behavioral decisions to acquire food. Novel changes to the foodscape, such as human disturbance, can alter behavioral decisions that favor avoidance of perceived risk over food acquisition. Although behavioral changes and population declines often coincide with the introduction of human disturbance, the link(s) between behavior and population trajectory are difficult to elucidate. To identify a pathway by which human disturbance may affect ungulate populations, we tested the Behaviorally Mediated Forage‐Loss Hypothesis, wherein behavioral avoidance is predicted to reduce use of available forage adjacent to …

Predicting Habitat Choice After Rapid Environmental Change, Philip H. Crowley, Pete C. Trimmer, Orr Spiegel, Sean M. Ehlman, William S. Cuello, Andrew Sih

Biology Faculty Publications

Decisions made while searching for settlement sites (e.g., nesting, oviposition) often have major fitness implications. Despite numerous case studies, we lack theory to explain why some species are thriving while others are making poor habitat choices after environmental change. We develop a model to predict (1) which kinds of environmental change have larger, negative effects on fitness, (2) how evolutionary history affects susceptibility to environmental change, and (3) how much lost fitness can be recovered via readjustment after environmental change. We model the common scenario where animals search an otherwise inhospitable matrix, encountering habitats of varying quality and settling when …

Population Viability And Connectivity Of The Federally Threatened Eastern Indigo Snake In Central Peninsular Florida, Javan Bauder

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the factors influencing the likelihood of persistence of real-world populations requires both an accurate understanding of the traits and behaviors of individuals within those populations (e.g., movement, habitat selection, survival, fecundity, dispersal) but also an understanding of how those traits and behaviors are influenced by landscape features. The federally threatened eastern indigo snake (EIS, Drymarchon couperi) has declined throughout its range primarily due to anthropogenically-induced habitat loss and fragmentation making spatially-explicit assessments of population viability and connectivity essential for understanding its current status and directing future conservation efforts. The primary goal of my dissertation was to understand how …

Seasonal Spatial Segregation In Blue Sharks (Prionace Glauca) By Sex And Size Class In The Northeast Pacific Ocean, Sara M. Maxwell, Kylie L. Scales, Steven Bograd, Dana K. Briscoe, Heidi Dewar, Elliott L. Hazen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Heather Welch, Larry B. Crowder

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Aim: Animal tracking can provide unique insights into the ecology and conservation of marine species, such as the partitioning of habitat, including differences between life history stages or sexes, and can inform fisheries stock assessments, bycatch reduction and spatial management such as dynamic management.

Location: Northeast Pacific Ocean.

Methods: We used satellite tracking data from 47 blue sharks (Prionace glauca) from the Northeast Pacific to determine movements and home range along the west coast of North America, and sex–size class (immature females, mature males) specific habitat preferences using boosted regression trees. Using a suite of static and dynamic …

Autumn Roost Selection By Male Hoary Bats (Lasiurus Cinereus) In Northern California, Danielle (Skye) Salganek

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus, is a solitary bat that roosts in the foliage of trees throughout the western hemisphere. Roosts are subject to the ambient temperature of their surroundings, thus hoary bats undergo long-distance migrations between summer and winter ranges to avoid freezing temperatures. Habitat selection has been studied during the summer for maternal female hoary bats, but not during migration and winter. Autumn migration coincides with the hoary bat mating period and it has been proposed that male and female bats may rendezvous on migration paths. Individuals may select roosts in stopover locations that enhance fitness by providing …