Effects of habitat quality and anthropogenic disturbance on grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) home-range fidelity

• Published in: Canadian journal of zoology Vol. 93; no. 11; pp. 857 - 865
• Main Authors: Sorensen, A.A, Stenhouse, G.B, Bourbonnais, M.L, Nelson, T.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa NRC Research Press 01.11.2015; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: analyse spatiotemporelle de polygones mobiles; Animal behavior; Annual variations; Anthropogenic factors; Bears; Behavior; blocs de coupe forestière; déplacement du domaine vital; emplacement de puits; Environmental aspects; Environmental quality; fidélité au domaine vital; forestry cutblocks; grizzli; Grizzly bear; Grizzly bears; Habitat changes; Habitats; Home range; home-range drift; home-range fidelity; Human beings; human disturbance; Human influences; Industrial development; Influence on nature; Land degradation; landscape change; Landscape ecology; modification du paysage; perturbation d’origine humaine; roads; routes; Spatial analysis; spatial–temporal analysis of moving polygons; STAMP; Ursus arctos horribilis; well sites; Zoological research; Alberta; Canada; Alberta Canada; Rocky Mountains; North America, Rocky Mts; Canada, Alberta
• ISSN: 1480-3283; 0008-4301; 1480-3283; 0008-4301
• DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0095

In the Rocky Mountain eastern slopes of Alberta, Canada, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis Ord, 1815) live in a landscape heavily impacted by industrial development and human disturbance. We characterized the role of changing habitat quality and new disturbance features on patterns of grizzly bear seasonal home-range fidelity and drift by comparing consecutive-year seasonal home ranges. We relied on the geographic technique “spatial–temporal analysis of moving polygons” (STAMP) to examine changes in habitat quality and new development between zones of home-range fidelity, expansion, and contraction. Areas considered to be high-quality habitat were selected at a greater frequency than available and retained in zones of home-range fidelity, but also vacated during home-range contraction. Areas of decreasing habitat quality were equally present in zones of contraction, expansion, and stability. The proportion of new forest harvest areas and roads developed within the past year did not differ between zones of home-range change, but the proportion of new well sites was higher in contraction zones than in stability zones. Our results showed that while considerable drift occurs, changes in habitat quality and recent anthropogenic disturbances cannot account for annual variation in home ranges, suggesting other important factors influencing behaviour and movement.