Coping with human disturbance: spatial and temporal tactics of the brown bear (Ursus arctos)

In human-dominated landscapes, species with large spatial requirements, such as large carnivores, have to deal with human infrastructure and activities within their home ranges. This is the case for the brown bear ( Ursus arctos L., 1758) in Scandinavia, which is colonizing more human-dominated landscapes, leading inevitably to an overlap between their home ranges and anthropogenic structures. In this study, we investigated fine-scale habitat selection by brown bears to examine how they deal with this potential disturbance. Using Global Positioning System (GPS) data, we studied (i) habitat selection of female brown bears within their home range and (ii) the influence of diurnal variation in human disturbance on fine-scale habitat use. As expected, females selected habitats within their home range that provided abundant food resources and minimized human-caused disturbance. In addition, our temporal analysis of habitat selection revealed an avoidance of disturbed areas and a selection of slopes by bears during periods of highest human activities, i.e., during daylight hours. We clearly demonstrate the importance of considering the fluctuations in human activity when studying habitat selection, especially at fine spatial scales. Failing to do so may considerably reduce the power to detect important fine-scale habitat-selection behaviors.

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Brown bear habitat selection in relation to anthropogenic structures in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-014-0386-4 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 69 (7) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Witold Frąckowiak ◽

Jörn Theuerkauf ◽

Bartosz Pirga ◽

Roman Gula

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Human Factors ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Brown Bear ◽

Human Settlements ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Anthropogenic Structures ◽

Selection Of

AbstractIn Europe, brown bear Ursus arctos habitats frequently overlap with human settlements and infrastructure. We tested whether anthropogenic structures played an important role in habitat selection by brown bears in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland. We analysed 668 signs of brown bear presence recorded during 6 counts along 246 km of transects (total 1,476 km) in spring, summer and autumn of 1993 and 1994. Habitat selection of bears was more related to habitat and altitude than to human factors. Avoidance of roads, settlements and forest clearings influenced habitat selection by brown bears in spring but less in summer and autumn.

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Space Use by Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in the Sikhote-Alin

Journal of Siberian Federal University Biology ◽

10.17516/1997-1389-0308 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 366-384

Author(s):

Ivan V. Seryodkin ◽

Yuriy K. Kostyria ◽

John M. Goodrich ◽

Yuriy K. Petrunenko

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Brown Bear ◽

Space Use ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Sikhote Alin ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Wide Range

Proper management of brown bear populations (Ursus arctos) requires knowledge of their ecology, including space use. Brown bear spatial patterns are particularly poorly understood in the Russian Far East, due to lack of telemetry studies. The aim of this work was to study space use by brown bears in the Sikhote-Alin region. From 1993 to 2002, we used VHF radiocollars to collect spatial data from nine males (eight adults and one juvenile) and six females (five adults and one juvenile) in the Middle Sikhote-Alin. Fixed Kernel home range size estimates were larger for males (891.34 ± 346.99 km2) than for females (349.94 ± 543.06 km2). The juvenile home range sizes were 237.24 and 333.64 km2 for the male and female, respectively. The maximum home range size was for the two-year area of one male (9217.36 km2). The core area sizes varied over a wide range (6.12–358.45 km2). The structure and location of home ranges and their core areas depended upon the seasonal habitat selection of bears, as well as the distribution, abundance, and accessibility of foraging resources. Bears’ home ranges overlapped between males and females, as well as between same sex individuals. The results of this work are important for the management of the brown bear population in the Sikhote-Alin

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Scale-dependent habitat selection by reintroduced Eld’s deer (Cervus eldi) in a human-dominated landscape

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr12131 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 217 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Wen-Bo Yan ◽

Zhi-Gao Zeng ◽

Duo Pan ◽

Tie-Jun Wang ◽

Qiong Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Human Disturbance ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

High Elevation ◽

Water Sources ◽

Wet Season ◽

Selection For ◽

Selection Of

Context Knowledge of the habitat selection of reintroduced species is crucial to successful re-establishment of viable populations and effective conservation decision-making. Aims The aim of our research was to examine habitat selection by reintroduced Eld’s deer (Cervus eldi) in a human-dominated landscape. Methods The study was conducted during the period from July 2005 to November 2007 in the Chihao region, a human-dominated area located in western Hainan Island, China. Radio-telemetry was used to monitor 15 collared deer to gain their location information. Resource selection functions were used to quantify habitat selection of the study population at the landscape and home-range scales in both wet and dry seasons. Key results At the landscape scale, Eld’s deer showed selection for habitats with scrubland, high elevation, gentle slope, close to water sources and roads. At the home-range scale, Eld’s deer showed selection for habitats with dense forest, scrubland, grassland, low elevation and far away from roads, but they randomly used habitats without special consideration to the distance to water sources. At both landscape and home-range scales, Eld’s deer showed strong avoidance of villages. In addition, Eld’s deer showed increased selection of sparse forests and decreased use of grasslands in the dry season, as compared with the wet season at both spatial scales. Sexual differences in habitat selection existed in reintroduced Eld’s deer. Males showed stronger avoidance to human disturbance, whereas females selected vegetation with higher forage availability but poor hiding cover, especially during the antler-growing period (i.e. wet season). Conclusions The habitat selection of reintroduced Eld’s deer was scale-dependent. As a non-fatal anthropogenic factor, human disturbance had a strong influence on habitat selection of Eld’s deer. They more strongly selected slope habitats at relatively high elevations. However, our results also indicated that the reintroduced Eld’s deer had certain adaptive ability and tolerance to the disturbed environment. Implications This work provides insight into the habitat selection of reintroduced Eld’s deer in a human-dominated landscape. If the essential food resources are available, the regions at a relatively high elevation with low human disturbance can be considered as potential sites of future Eld’s deer reintroduction.

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Habitat Selection by Brown Bears with Varying Levels of Predation Rates on Ungulate Neonates

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13120678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 678

Author(s):

Kate Twynham ◽

Andrés Ordiz ◽

Ole-Gunnar Støen ◽

Geir-Rune Rauset ◽

Jonas Kindberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Rangifer Tarandus ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Brown Bear ◽

Northern Eurasia ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Predatory Behaviour ◽

Resource Pulses

In northern Eurasia, large carnivores overlap with semi-domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and moose (Alces alces). In Scandinavia, previous studies have quantified brown bear (Ursus arctos) spring predation on neonates of reindeer (mostly in May) and moose (mostly in June). We explored if habitat selection by brown bears changed following resource pulses and whether these changes are more pronounced on those individuals characterised by higher predatory behaviour. Fifteen brown bears in northern Sweden (2010–2012) were fitted with GPS proximity collars, and 2585 female reindeers were collared with UHF transmitters. Clusters of bear positions were visited to investigate moose and reindeer predation. Bear kill rates and home ranges were calculated to examine bear movements and predatory behaviour. Bear habitat selection was modelled using resource selection functions over four periods (pre-calving, reindeer calving, moose calving, and post-calving). Coefficients of selection for areas closer to different land cover classes across periods were compared, examining the interactions between different degrees of predatory behaviour (i.e., high and low). Bear habitat selection differed throughout the periods and between low and high predatory bears. Differences among individuals’ predatory behaviour are reflected in the selection of habitat types, providing empirical evidence that different levels of specialization in foraging behaviour helps to explain individual variation in bear habitat selection.

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Ain’t Nothing like Family—Female Brown Bears Share Their Home Range with Relatives

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d14010041 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 41

Author(s):

Astrid Olejarz ◽

Jouni Aspi ◽

Ilpo Kojola ◽

Vesa Nivala ◽

Alina K. Niskanen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Spatial Data ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Home Range Overlap ◽

Animal Populations ◽

Centroid Distance ◽

Range Overlap ◽

Eastern Finland

Sociality in animal populations is a continuum, and interactions between conspecifics are meaningful for all vertebrates. Ignorance of social structures can lead to misunderstanding their ecology and, consequently, to unsuccessful species management. Here, we combined genetic and spatial data on radio-collared brown bears (Ursus arctos) to investigate kin-related home range overlap and kin-related centroid distance within central and eastern Finland. We found that the extent of home range overlap was positively correlated with relatedness among adult females. In addition, home range centroid distance decreased as relatedness increased. Moreover, there were significant differences between the two studied regions: female brown bears in central Finland were more closely related to each other, and the sizes of their home ranges were larger than those in eastern Finland. The smaller home ranges and lower degree of relatedness among bears in eastern Finland might be a result of the substantially higher hunting pressure in the area, combined with immigration of new unrelated individuals from Russia.

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Home Range Attributes and Habitat Selection of Barred Owls and Spotted Owls in an Area of Sympatry

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/109.4.750 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 750-768 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thomas E. Hamer ◽

Eric D. Forsman ◽

Elizabeth M. Glenn

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Breeding Season ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Negative Slope ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Strix Varia ◽

Spotted Owls ◽

Barred Owls ◽

Selection Of

Abstract We compared home range areas and habitat selection of radio-marked Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis) and Barred Owls (Strix varia) in an area of sympatry in the northern Cascade Range of Washington in 1986–1989. On average, home ranges of Spotted Owls were 3–4 times larger than ranges of Barred Owls, and there was little overlap of home ranges during the breeding season. Ranges of both species tended to expand during winter. Home range size of both species was negatively correlated with the amount of old forest, but the negative slope of the regression was much steeper for Spotted Owls than for Barred Owls. For both species, home ranges of individual owls typically had high overlap among seasons and years, indicating high site fidelity. Barred Owls generally occupied home ranges at lower elevations than Spotted Owls (mean = 386 ± 27 m vs. 750 ± 68 m). Both species tended to use old forests more than expected, but Spotted Owls tended to use other cover types less than expected, whereas Barred Owls used most other cover types in proportion to their availability. We suggest that Spotted Owls may use larger ranges than Barred Owls because they prey selectively on a few species of nocturnal mammals, whereas Barred Owls forage more evenly across a broad range of prey types, including diurnal and aquatic species. The low overlap of Barred Owl and Spotted Owl home ranges suggests that territorial Barred Owls exclude Spotted Owls from their territories, at least during the breeding season, thus reducing the amount of habitat available to Spotted Owls.

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Home Range and Habitat Selection of Female Mountain Nyalas (Tragelaphus Buxtoni) in the Human-Dominated Landscape of the Ethiopian Highlands

10.21203/rs.3.rs-21274/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anagaw Atickem ◽

Matthias Klapproth ◽

Martha Fischer ◽

Dietmar Zinner ◽

Leif Egil Loe

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

Resource Selection ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Human Settlement ◽

Night Time ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Background: Human settlement and agricultural activities restrict increasingly the range of large mammals in many cases contributing to declining numbers of ungulates. Here, we studied home range size and habitat selection of female mountain nyalas in the northern end of the Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) (31 km2) surrounded by human settlement. We collected data on space use of seven adult female mountain nyalas equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Home range size was estimated using fixed kernel density and habitat selection was determined by resource selection functions.Results: We found that female mountain nyalas have much smaller (5.7 km2) home ranges than the 19 km2 home range size predicted for a 170 kg, group-living species living in mixed habitats. Home ranges were 30% larger in night time than daytime. We suggest that the night time extension beyond the park boundaries were caused by both push and pull effects. The presumably high livestock and other ungulates grazing pressure within the protected area may cause forage-driven excursions out of the park, in particular during agricultural crop seasons. In addition, mountain nyalas are probably attracted by humans as shields against hyena predation. Resource selection index indicates bush land and forest habitat are the most preferred habitat types while agriculture and human settlements are least preferred habitats.Conclusions: Given that mountain nyalas are found in high density (24 individuals/km2) and the size of the northern part of the Bale Mountain National Park, which is currently under protection by the park authorities for the mountain nyala conservation, is too small for the predicted home range size of large ungulates, we suggest protecting additional area may be needed for the long-term conservation of the endangered mountain nyala.

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New insights on the rarity of the vulnerable Cinereous Warbling-finch (Aves, Emberizidae) based on density, home range, and habitat selection

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.02813 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 795-802

Author(s):

F Marques-Santos ◽

U Wischhoff ◽

M Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Habitat Modification ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Grassland Bird ◽

Cerrado Vegetation ◽

Selection Of

The Cinereous Warbling-finch Poospiza cinerea (Emberizidae) is a Neotropical grassland bird considered rare, with population declining due to habitat loss and classified as vulnerable. However, the species conspicuously remains in several degraded areas, suggesting that it may be favored by these environments. Studies which focus on this species were inexistent until 2012, making questionable any statement about its threaten status. Here we analyzed population density, home range, and habitat selection of two groups of P. cinerea at independent sites that differ in human impact levels. Density was estimated by counting and mapping birds. Kernel density and minimum convex polygon were used to estimate home ranges. Habitat selection was inferred from use and availability of every habitat identified within the home range boundaries. One group positively selected urban tree vegetation, despite the availability of natural habitats in its home range. Based on a review on the literature and our findings, we assume that it is unlikely that P. cinerea is rare owing to habitat degradation, as previously thought. Nevertheless, this species was always recorded around native Cerrado vegetation and thus habitat modification may still threaten this species at some level. It is suggested that this species might be a woodland edge species, but future studies are necessary to confirm this assumption.

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Coarse- and fine-scale patterns of distribution and habitat selection places an Amazonian floodplain curassow in double jeopardy

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4617 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4617 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gabriel A. Leite ◽

Izeni P. Farias ◽

André L. S. Gonçalves ◽

Joseph E. Hawes ◽

Carlos A. Peres

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Home Range ◽

Extinction Risk ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Habitat Preferences ◽

Open Water ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Fine Scale

Patterns of habitat selection are influenced by local productivity, resource availability, and predation risk. Species have taken millions of years to hone the macro- and micro-habitats they occupy, but these may now overlap with contemporary human threats within natural species ranges. Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa), an endemic galliform species of the western Amazon, is threatened by both hunting and habitat loss, and is restricted to white-water floodplain forests of major Amazonian rivers. In this study conducted along the Juruá River, Amazonas, Brazil, we quantified the ranging ecology and fine-scale patterns of habitat selection of the species. We estimated the home range size of C. globulosa using conventional VHF telemetry. To estimate patterns of habitat selection, we used geo-locations of day ranges to examine the extent and intensity of use across the floodplain, which were then compared to a high-resolution flood map of the study area. We captured two females and one male, which we monitored for 13 months between September 2014 and September 2015. Average home range size was 283 ha, based on the 95% aLoCoH estimator. Wattled Curassows selected areas of prolonged flood pulses (six to eight months/year) and had a consistent tendency to be near open water, usually in close proximity to river banks and lakes, especially during the dry season. Amazonian floodplains are densely settled, and the small portions of floodplain habitat used by Wattled Curassows are both the most accessible to hunters and most vulnerable to deforestation. As a result, the geographic and ecological distribution of Wattled Curassows places them at much higher extinction risk at multiple spatial scales, highlighting the need to consider habitat preferences within their conservation strategy.

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Movement ecology of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Romanian Eastern Carpathians

Nature Conservation ◽

10.3897/natureconservation.26.22955 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 15-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ioan Mihai Pop ◽

Leonardo Bereczky ◽

Silviu Chiriac ◽

Ruben Iosif ◽

Andreea Nita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Spatial Ecology ◽

Brown Bear ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Game Management ◽

Gps Telemetry ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Romanian Carpathians ◽

Core Activity ◽

Activity Areas

Brown bear movement patterns are driven by their opportunistic feeding behaviour, with their complex life history and seasonality playing an important role in habitat selection. Within a large unfragmented forest habitats persisting over decades in the Romanian Carpathians and a prohibitive hunting management during 40 years of communist centralised game management, information about brown bear movements and spatial ecology is lacking. Using data obtained from 13 brown bears fitted with GPS telemetry collars, we estimated home ranges and core activity areas and we investigated the daily, seasonal and altitudinal movements of brown bears in the Eastern Romanian Carpathians and surrounding high hills. The median MCP95% home ranges of brown bears was 629.92 km2 and the median size of core activity areas (estimated as 50% kernel density) was 36.37 km2, with no significant differences between males and females. The mean daily distance travelled, measured as daily displacement length, was 1818 m and an analysis of seasonal movements indicated significant differences between seasons (greatest movements during the Hyperphagia season). The GPS-collared brown bears travelled between a minimum altitude measured at ~234 m and a maximum at ~1634 m. Analysing the spatial overlap between the estimated home range and the game management units (GMU) limits, we obtained a median number of 8 GMUs overlapping totally or partially with estimated home range polygons. Our study, using GPS telemetry, highlights the complex spatial ecology of the brown bear in the Romanian Carpathians, with larger home range size than those estimated in other European brown bear populations and with daily movements that vary by season and within a large altitude range. Our study supports the implementation of brown bear monitoring at a regional scale, rather than focusing on county level GMUs as the monitoring unit.

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