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Mark S. Boyce - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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land tenure shapes Black Bear density and abundance on a multi use landscape
Ecology and Evolution, 2019Co-Authors: Anne E. Loosen, Andrea T. Morehouse, Mark S. BoyceAbstract:Global biodiversity is decreasing rapidly. Parks and protected lands, while designed to conserve wildlife, often cannot provide the habitat protection needed for wide-ranging animals such as the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). Conversely, private lands are often working landscapes (e.g., farming) that have high human footprints relative to protected lands. In southwestern Alberta, road densities are highest on private lands and Black Bears can be hunted year-round. On protected lands, road densities are lowest, and hunting is prohibited. On public lands under the jurisdiction of the provincial government (Crown lands), seasonal hunting is permitted. Population estimates are needed to calculate sustainable harvest levels and to monitor population trends. In our study area, there has never been a robust estimate of Black Bear density and spatial drivers of Black Bear density are poorly understood. We used non-invasive genetic sampling and indices of habitat productivity and human disturbance to estimate density and abundance for male and female Black Bears in 2013 and 2014 using two methods: spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) and resource-selection functions (RSF). Land tenure best explained spatial variation in Black Bear density. Black Bear densities for females and males were highest on parkland and lowest on Crown lands. Sex ratios were female-biased on private lands, likely a result of lower harvests and movement of females out of areas with high male density. Synthesis and application: Both SECR and RSF methods clearly indicate spatial structuring of Black Bear density, with a strong influence based on how lands are managed. Land tenure influences the distribution of available foods and risk from humans. We emphasize the need for improved harvest reporting, particularly for non-licensed hunting on private land, to estimate the extent of Black Bear harvest mortality.
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Land tenure shapes Black Bear density and abundance on a multi‐use landscape
Ecology and Evolution, 2018Co-Authors: Anne E. Loosen, Andrea T. Morehouse, Mark S. BoyceAbstract:Global biodiversity is decreasing rapidly. Parks and protected lands, while designed to conserve wildlife, often cannot provide the habitat protection needed for wide-ranging animals such as the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). Conversely, private lands are often working landscapes (e.g., farming) that have high human footprints relative to protected lands. In southwestern Alberta, road densities are highest on private lands and Black Bears can be hunted year-round. On protected lands, road densities are lowest, and hunting is prohibited. On public lands under the jurisdiction of the provincial government (Crown lands), seasonal hunting is permitted. Population estimates are needed to calculate sustainable harvest levels and to monitor population trends. In our study area, there has never been a robust estimate of Black Bear density and spatial drivers of Black Bear density are poorly understood. We used non-invasive genetic sampling and indices of habitat productivity and human disturbance to estimate density and abundance for male and female Black Bears in 2013 and 2014 using two methods: spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) and resource-selection functions (RSF). Land tenure best explained spatial variation in Black Bear density. Black Bear densities for females and males were highest on parkland and lowest on Crown lands. Sex ratios were female-biased on private lands, likely a result of lower harvests and movement of females out of areas with high male density. Synthesis and application: Both SECR and RSF methods clearly indicate spatial structuring of Black Bear density, with a strong influence based on how lands are managed. Land tenure influences the distribution of available foods and risk from humans. We emphasize the need for improved harvest reporting, particularly for non-licensed hunting on private land, to estimate the extent of Black Bear harvest mortality.
Jeff Beringer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Habitat associations in a recolonizing, low‐density Black Bear population
Ecosphere, 2016Co-Authors: Rahel Sollmann, Jerrold L. Belant, Beth Gardner, Clay M. Wilton, Jeff BeringerAbstract:American Black Bears are closely associated with forest habitat. They were nearly extirpated from the Central Interior Highlands, United States, in the early twentieth century, but have recolonized this part of the range since the 1960s. Due to lower population densities (as a result of recent recolonization), we hypothesized that Bears in this region would show strong associations with forest habitat at both the home range and landscape scale. To test this, we analyzed hair snare and GPS telemetry data from five sampling grids with a combined spatial capture–recapture and resource selection function model to investigate individual space use within home ranges and landscape scale variation in density of Black Bears in the southern Missouri part of the Interior Highlands. We performed a linear discriminant analysis to identify habitat correlates of Black Bear density. We found that at the home range level, Bears selected for more forested habitat and steeper slopes. Black Bear density varied among sampling grids from 0.842 to 10.248 individuals/100 km2 which is at the low end of the spectrum of reported Black Bear densities. There were no clear habitat correlates for among-grid variation in density, but in the three higher-density grids, density declined with increasing forest cover and increasing distance from human settlements. This suggests that the Bear populations benefited from more heterogeneous habitat and that rural settlements may represent food resources. Exploiting these anthropogenic resources could be facilitated by the fact that Bears in our study were not hunted and were viewed as a novelty rather than a nuisance, which may lead to low perceived risk from anthropogenic sources. Our results highlight the need to interpret habitat associations of American Black Bears not only at local scales but also in the landscape context.
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habitat associations in a recolonizing low density Black Bear population
Ecosphere, 2016Co-Authors: Rahel Sollmann, Jerrold L. Belant, Beth Gardner, Clay M. Wilton, Jeff BeringerAbstract:American Black Bears are closely associated with forest habitat. They were nearly extirpated from the Central Interior Highlands, United States, in the early twentieth century, but have recolonized this part of the range since the 1960s. Due to lower population densities (as a result of recent recolonization), we hypothesized that Bears in this region would show strong associations with forest habitat at both the home range and landscape scale. To test this, we analyzed hair snare and GPS telemetry data from five sampling grids with a combined spatial capture–recapture and resource selection function model to investigate individual space use within home ranges and landscape scale variation in density of Black Bears in the southern Missouri part of the Interior Highlands. We performed a linear discriminant analysis to identify habitat correlates of Black Bear density. We found that at the home range level, Bears selected for more forested habitat and steeper slopes. Black Bear density varied among sampling grids from 0.842 to 10.248 individuals/100 km2 which is at the low end of the spectrum of reported Black Bear densities. There were no clear habitat correlates for among-grid variation in density, but in the three higher-density grids, density declined with increasing forest cover and increasing distance from human settlements. This suggests that the Bear populations benefited from more heterogeneous habitat and that rural settlements may represent food resources. Exploiting these anthropogenic resources could be facilitated by the fact that Bears in our study were not hunted and were viewed as a novelty rather than a nuisance, which may lead to low perceived risk from anthropogenic sources. Our results highlight the need to interpret habitat associations of American Black Bears not only at local scales but also in the landscape context.
Anne E. Loosen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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land tenure shapes Black Bear density and abundance on a multi use landscape
Ecology and Evolution, 2019Co-Authors: Anne E. Loosen, Andrea T. Morehouse, Mark S. BoyceAbstract:Global biodiversity is decreasing rapidly. Parks and protected lands, while designed to conserve wildlife, often cannot provide the habitat protection needed for wide-ranging animals such as the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). Conversely, private lands are often working landscapes (e.g., farming) that have high human footprints relative to protected lands. In southwestern Alberta, road densities are highest on private lands and Black Bears can be hunted year-round. On protected lands, road densities are lowest, and hunting is prohibited. On public lands under the jurisdiction of the provincial government (Crown lands), seasonal hunting is permitted. Population estimates are needed to calculate sustainable harvest levels and to monitor population trends. In our study area, there has never been a robust estimate of Black Bear density and spatial drivers of Black Bear density are poorly understood. We used non-invasive genetic sampling and indices of habitat productivity and human disturbance to estimate density and abundance for male and female Black Bears in 2013 and 2014 using two methods: spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) and resource-selection functions (RSF). Land tenure best explained spatial variation in Black Bear density. Black Bear densities for females and males were highest on parkland and lowest on Crown lands. Sex ratios were female-biased on private lands, likely a result of lower harvests and movement of females out of areas with high male density. Synthesis and application: Both SECR and RSF methods clearly indicate spatial structuring of Black Bear density, with a strong influence based on how lands are managed. Land tenure influences the distribution of available foods and risk from humans. We emphasize the need for improved harvest reporting, particularly for non-licensed hunting on private land, to estimate the extent of Black Bear harvest mortality.
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Land tenure shapes Black Bear density and abundance on a multi‐use landscape
Ecology and Evolution, 2018Co-Authors: Anne E. Loosen, Andrea T. Morehouse, Mark S. BoyceAbstract:Global biodiversity is decreasing rapidly. Parks and protected lands, while designed to conserve wildlife, often cannot provide the habitat protection needed for wide-ranging animals such as the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus). Conversely, private lands are often working landscapes (e.g., farming) that have high human footprints relative to protected lands. In southwestern Alberta, road densities are highest on private lands and Black Bears can be hunted year-round. On protected lands, road densities are lowest, and hunting is prohibited. On public lands under the jurisdiction of the provincial government (Crown lands), seasonal hunting is permitted. Population estimates are needed to calculate sustainable harvest levels and to monitor population trends. In our study area, there has never been a robust estimate of Black Bear density and spatial drivers of Black Bear density are poorly understood. We used non-invasive genetic sampling and indices of habitat productivity and human disturbance to estimate density and abundance for male and female Black Bears in 2013 and 2014 using two methods: spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) and resource-selection functions (RSF). Land tenure best explained spatial variation in Black Bear density. Black Bear densities for females and males were highest on parkland and lowest on Crown lands. Sex ratios were female-biased on private lands, likely a result of lower harvests and movement of females out of areas with high male density. Synthesis and application: Both SECR and RSF methods clearly indicate spatial structuring of Black Bear density, with a strong influence based on how lands are managed. Land tenure influences the distribution of available foods and risk from humans. We emphasize the need for improved harvest reporting, particularly for non-licensed hunting on private land, to estimate the extent of Black Bear harvest mortality.
Jerrold L. Belant - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Habitat associations in a recolonizing, low‐density Black Bear population
Ecosphere, 2016Co-Authors: Rahel Sollmann, Jerrold L. Belant, Beth Gardner, Clay M. Wilton, Jeff BeringerAbstract:American Black Bears are closely associated with forest habitat. They were nearly extirpated from the Central Interior Highlands, United States, in the early twentieth century, but have recolonized this part of the range since the 1960s. Due to lower population densities (as a result of recent recolonization), we hypothesized that Bears in this region would show strong associations with forest habitat at both the home range and landscape scale. To test this, we analyzed hair snare and GPS telemetry data from five sampling grids with a combined spatial capture–recapture and resource selection function model to investigate individual space use within home ranges and landscape scale variation in density of Black Bears in the southern Missouri part of the Interior Highlands. We performed a linear discriminant analysis to identify habitat correlates of Black Bear density. We found that at the home range level, Bears selected for more forested habitat and steeper slopes. Black Bear density varied among sampling grids from 0.842 to 10.248 individuals/100 km2 which is at the low end of the spectrum of reported Black Bear densities. There were no clear habitat correlates for among-grid variation in density, but in the three higher-density grids, density declined with increasing forest cover and increasing distance from human settlements. This suggests that the Bear populations benefited from more heterogeneous habitat and that rural settlements may represent food resources. Exploiting these anthropogenic resources could be facilitated by the fact that Bears in our study were not hunted and were viewed as a novelty rather than a nuisance, which may lead to low perceived risk from anthropogenic sources. Our results highlight the need to interpret habitat associations of American Black Bears not only at local scales but also in the landscape context.
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habitat associations in a recolonizing low density Black Bear population
Ecosphere, 2016Co-Authors: Rahel Sollmann, Jerrold L. Belant, Beth Gardner, Clay M. Wilton, Jeff BeringerAbstract:American Black Bears are closely associated with forest habitat. They were nearly extirpated from the Central Interior Highlands, United States, in the early twentieth century, but have recolonized this part of the range since the 1960s. Due to lower population densities (as a result of recent recolonization), we hypothesized that Bears in this region would show strong associations with forest habitat at both the home range and landscape scale. To test this, we analyzed hair snare and GPS telemetry data from five sampling grids with a combined spatial capture–recapture and resource selection function model to investigate individual space use within home ranges and landscape scale variation in density of Black Bears in the southern Missouri part of the Interior Highlands. We performed a linear discriminant analysis to identify habitat correlates of Black Bear density. We found that at the home range level, Bears selected for more forested habitat and steeper slopes. Black Bear density varied among sampling grids from 0.842 to 10.248 individuals/100 km2 which is at the low end of the spectrum of reported Black Bear densities. There were no clear habitat correlates for among-grid variation in density, but in the three higher-density grids, density declined with increasing forest cover and increasing distance from human settlements. This suggests that the Bear populations benefited from more heterogeneous habitat and that rural settlements may represent food resources. Exploiting these anthropogenic resources could be facilitated by the fact that Bears in our study were not hunted and were viewed as a novelty rather than a nuisance, which may lead to low perceived risk from anthropogenic sources. Our results highlight the need to interpret habitat associations of American Black Bears not only at local scales but also in the landscape context.
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Source populations and roads affect American Black Bear recolonization
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2015Co-Authors: Stephanie L. Simek, Jerrold L. Belant, Bruce D. Leopold, Zhaofei Fan, Brad W. Young, Jonathan P. Fleming, Brittany W. WallerAbstract:Understanding species distributions and population responses to environmental parameters is important for addressing landscape-level species conservation. We assessed American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) resource selection based on spatial distribution of a recolonizing population in Mississippi, USA. Given the philopatric behavior of female Bears and the risk-disturbance hypothesis, we predicted that Bears recolonizing Mississippi would occupy areas close to their source population but avoid areas near roads and with greater human population density. Using location data from radio-collared Black Bears, landscape metrics, and spatial autoregressive modeling, we estimated annual population-level space use. Our results confirm that Black Bears recolonizing Mississippi occupy habitats proximate to source populations and avoid areas near roads as probability of Bear use was greater in areas closer to source breeding populations and areas farther from roads. Land cover type, elevation, and human density did not influence Black Bear occurrence at the spatial resolution examined. The lack of avoidance to areas inhabited by humans was likely a consequence of overall low human density, legal protection afforded this species, and that proximity to source population likely has a greater effect on recolonization than avoidance of humans.
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American Black Bear–Apiary Conflicts in Michigan
Human–Wildlife Interactions, 2014Co-Authors: Beverly K. Mckinley, Jerrold L. Belant, Dwayne R. EtterAbstract:American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) damage to apiaries can result in substantial economic loss. We used records of Black-Bear apiary conflicts collected by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to characterize damage in the Upper and Northern Lower peninsulas of Michigan from April 2003 to May 2011. Most conflicts occurred between May and July, and the number of conflicts decreased across years. The number of reported conflicts was directly correlated with Bear population size. However, we found no positive association between numbers of reported conflicts with Bear condition as indexed by winter severity and hive abundance. Intolerance toward Black Bears increased 30% after >1 Black Bear-apiary conflict occurred. The effectiveness of direct or indirect management for reducing repeated conflicts was similar, and overall management actions may have reduced Black Bear-apiary conflict. are ecologically important, historically significant, and increasingly encountered by people throughout Bear range (Mattson 1989, Beckmann and Berger 2003). Some reasons for the increase of human-Bear conflicts are population growth of humans and subsequent expansion into Bear habitats, increased Bear populations, and habituation of Bears to anthropogenic resources (Mattson 1989, Beston 2011). Black Bears can become habituated
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Aspiration pneumonia in an American Black Bear
Ursus, 2012Co-Authors: Nathan J. Svoboda, Jerrold L. Belant, Scott D. Fitzgerald, Dean E. Beyer, Jared F. Duquette, Thomas M. CooleyAbstract:Abstract Information regarding American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) mortality caused by disease is limited. Pneumonia is a common respiratory disease that affects many species of wildlife and can result in death. In February 2011, we investigated the death of a yearling male Black Bear and determined cause of death to be aspiration pneumonia. We found sections of lung were diffusely congested and edematous. A bacterial culture of lung tissue revealed numerous colonies of Klebsiella spp., Alcaligenes faecalis, Aeromonas spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Streptococcus spp. The mixed bacterial colonization of the lungs associated with minimal inflammation is consistent with terminal aspiration of gastrointestinal contents resulting in aspiration pneumonia. Documentation of aspiration pneumonia in Black Bears can be useful for future researchers interested in the effects of disease on Bears.
Rahel Sollmann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Habitat associations in a recolonizing, low‐density Black Bear population
Ecosphere, 2016Co-Authors: Rahel Sollmann, Jerrold L. Belant, Beth Gardner, Clay M. Wilton, Jeff BeringerAbstract:American Black Bears are closely associated with forest habitat. They were nearly extirpated from the Central Interior Highlands, United States, in the early twentieth century, but have recolonized this part of the range since the 1960s. Due to lower population densities (as a result of recent recolonization), we hypothesized that Bears in this region would show strong associations with forest habitat at both the home range and landscape scale. To test this, we analyzed hair snare and GPS telemetry data from five sampling grids with a combined spatial capture–recapture and resource selection function model to investigate individual space use within home ranges and landscape scale variation in density of Black Bears in the southern Missouri part of the Interior Highlands. We performed a linear discriminant analysis to identify habitat correlates of Black Bear density. We found that at the home range level, Bears selected for more forested habitat and steeper slopes. Black Bear density varied among sampling grids from 0.842 to 10.248 individuals/100 km2 which is at the low end of the spectrum of reported Black Bear densities. There were no clear habitat correlates for among-grid variation in density, but in the three higher-density grids, density declined with increasing forest cover and increasing distance from human settlements. This suggests that the Bear populations benefited from more heterogeneous habitat and that rural settlements may represent food resources. Exploiting these anthropogenic resources could be facilitated by the fact that Bears in our study were not hunted and were viewed as a novelty rather than a nuisance, which may lead to low perceived risk from anthropogenic sources. Our results highlight the need to interpret habitat associations of American Black Bears not only at local scales but also in the landscape context.
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habitat associations in a recolonizing low density Black Bear population
Ecosphere, 2016Co-Authors: Rahel Sollmann, Jerrold L. Belant, Beth Gardner, Clay M. Wilton, Jeff BeringerAbstract:American Black Bears are closely associated with forest habitat. They were nearly extirpated from the Central Interior Highlands, United States, in the early twentieth century, but have recolonized this part of the range since the 1960s. Due to lower population densities (as a result of recent recolonization), we hypothesized that Bears in this region would show strong associations with forest habitat at both the home range and landscape scale. To test this, we analyzed hair snare and GPS telemetry data from five sampling grids with a combined spatial capture–recapture and resource selection function model to investigate individual space use within home ranges and landscape scale variation in density of Black Bears in the southern Missouri part of the Interior Highlands. We performed a linear discriminant analysis to identify habitat correlates of Black Bear density. We found that at the home range level, Bears selected for more forested habitat and steeper slopes. Black Bear density varied among sampling grids from 0.842 to 10.248 individuals/100 km2 which is at the low end of the spectrum of reported Black Bear densities. There were no clear habitat correlates for among-grid variation in density, but in the three higher-density grids, density declined with increasing forest cover and increasing distance from human settlements. This suggests that the Bear populations benefited from more heterogeneous habitat and that rural settlements may represent food resources. Exploiting these anthropogenic resources could be facilitated by the fact that Bears in our study were not hunted and were viewed as a novelty rather than a nuisance, which may lead to low perceived risk from anthropogenic sources. Our results highlight the need to interpret habitat associations of American Black Bears not only at local scales but also in the landscape context.