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Emerson LD, Wittmer HU, Elbroch LM, Kostoglou K, Bannister KJ, Psaila JJ, Whisson D, Ritchie EG. A global assessment of large terrestrial carnivore kill rates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39262094 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Through killing and instilling fear in their prey, large terrestrial carnivores shape the structure and function of ecosystems globally. Most large carnivore species have experienced severe range and population declines due to human activities, and many are now threatened with extinction. Consequently, the impacts of these predators on food webs have been diminished or lost completely from many ecosystems. Kill rates provide a fundamental metric for understanding large carnivore ecology and assessing and comparing predation within and across ecological communities. Our systematic review of large terrestrial mammalian carnivore kill rates reveals significant positive geographic (North America, Europe, and Africa) and taxonomic (grey wolf Canis lupus, puma Puma concolor, lion Panthera leo, and Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx) bias, with most studies apparently motivated by human-carnivore conflict over access to ungulate prey and wildlife management objectives. Our current understanding of the behaviour and functional roles of many large carnivore species and populations thus remains limited. By synthesising and comparing kill rates, we show that solitary carnivores (e.g. brown bears Ursus arctos and most felids) exhibit higher per capita kill rates than social carnivores. However, ungulate predation by bears is typically limited to predation of neonates during a short period. Lower per capita kill rates by social carnivores suggests group living significantly reduces energetic demands, or, alternatively, that group-living carnivores defend and consume a greater proportion of large prey carcasses, or may acquire more food through other means (e.g. scavenging, kleptoparasitism) than solitary hunters. Kill and consumption rates for Canidae - measured as kilograms of prey per kilogram of carnivore per day - are positively correlated with body mass, consistent with increasing energy costs associated with a cursorial hunting strategy. By contrast, ambush predators such as felids show an opposite trend, and thus the potential energetic advantage of an ambush hunting strategy for carnivores as body mass increases. Additionally, ungulate kill rates remain relatively constant across solitary felid body sizes, indicative of energetic constraints and optimal foraging. Kill rate estimates also reveal potential insights into trophic structuring within carnivore guilds, with subordinate carnivores often killing more than their larger counterparts, which may be indicative of having to cope with food losses to scavengers and dominant competitors. Subordinate carnivores may thus serve an important role in provisioning food to other trophic levels within their respective ecosystems. Importantly, kill rates also clarify misconceptions around the predatory behaviour of carnivores (e.g. spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta and wolverines Gulo gulo are often considered scavengers rather than the capable hunters that they are) and thus the potential impacts of various carnivore species on their ecological communities. Despite the importance of kill rates in understanding predator-prey interactions, their utility is not widely recognised, and insufficient research limits our ability to fully appreciate and predict the consequences of modified predation regimes, justify current management actions affecting carnivores, or inform effective conservation measures. Together with other important research on predator-prey interactions, robust kill rate studies that address the research deficiencies we highlight will provide a deeper understanding of the foraging behaviours and potential ecosystem impacts of many of the world's carnivores, thus aiding effective conservation and management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke D Emerson
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
| | - Heiko U Wittmer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - L Mark Elbroch
- Panthera, 8 West 40th Street 18th Floor, New York, New York, 10018, USA
| | - Kristal Kostoglou
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Bannister
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
| | - Jared J Psaila
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
| | - Desley Whisson
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
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Clapp JG, Atkinson CD, Brunet MJ, Burke PW, Ellsbury LR, Gregory ZW, Kindermann RJ, Ryder SP, Thompson DJ, Holbrook JD. Multi‐model application informs prey composition of mountain lions
Puma concolor. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin G. Clapp
- Wyoming Game and Fish Dept Lander WY USA
- Dept of Zoology and Physiology, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | - Clint D. Atkinson
- Wyoming Game and Fish Dept Lander WY USA
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, Univ. of California Berkeley Berkeley CA USA
| | - Mitchell J. Brunet
- Dept of Zoology and Physiology, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Laramie WY USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Dept of Zoology and Physiology, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
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Cristescu B, Elbroch LM, Dellinger JA, Binder W, Wilmers CC, Wittmer HU. Kill rates and associated ecological factors for an apex predator. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00240-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractKill rates and functional responses are fundamental to the study of predator ecology and the understanding of predatory-prey dynamics. As the most widely distributed apex predator in the western hemisphere, pumas (Puma concolor) have been well studied, yet a synthesis of their kill rates is currently lacking. We reviewed the literature and compiled data on sex- and age-specific kill rate estimates of pumas on ungulates, and conducted analyses aimed at understanding ecological factors explaining the observed spatial variation. Kill rate studies on pumas, while numerous, were primarily conducted in Temperate Conifer Forests (< 10% of puma range), revealing a dearth of knowledge across much of their range, especially from tropical and subtropical habitats. Across studies, kill rates in ungulates/week were highest for adult females with kitten(s) (1.24 ± 0.41 ungulates/week) but did not vary significantly between adult males (0.84 ± 0.18) and solitary adult females (0.99 ± 0.26). Kill rates in kg/day differed only marginally among reproductive classes. Kill rates of adult pumas increased with ungulate density, particularly for males. Ungulate species richness had a weak negative association with adult male kill rates. Neither scavenger richness, puma density, the proportion of non-ungulate prey in the diet, nor regional human population density had a significant effect on ungulate kill rates, but additional studies and standardization would provide further insights. Our results had a strong temperate-ecosystem bias highlighting the need for further research across the diverse biomes pumas occupy to fully interpret kill rates for the species. Data from more populations would also allow for multivariate analyses providing deeper inference into the ecological and behavioural factors driving kill rates and functional responses of pumas, and apex predators in general.
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Brunet MJ, Monteith KL, Huggler KS, Clapp JG, Thompson DJ, Burke PW, Zornes M, Lionberger P, Valdez M, Holbrook JD. Cats and dogs: A mesopredator navigating risk and reward provisioned by an apex predator. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8641. [PMID: 35228863 PMCID: PMC8861835 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Successfully perceiving risk and reward is fundamental to the fitness of an animal, and can be achieved through a variety of perception tactics. For example, mesopredators may "directly" perceive risk by visually observing apex predators, or may "indirectly" perceive risk by observing habitats used by predators. Direct assessments should more accurately characterize the arrangement of risk and reward; however, indirect assessments are used more frequently in studies concerning the response of GPS-marked animals to spatiotemporally variable sources of risk and reward. We investigated the response of a mesopredator to the presence of risk and reward created by an apex predator, where risk and reward likely vary in relative perceptibility (i.e., degree of being perceptible). First, we tested whether coyotes (Canis latrans) use direct or indirect assessments to navigate the presence of mountain lions (Puma concolor; risk) and kills made by mountain lions (reward) in an area where coyotes were a common prey item for mountain lions. Second, we assessed the behavioral response of coyotes to direct encounters with mountain lions. Third, we evaluated spatiotemporal use of carrion by coyotes at kills made by mountain lions. Indirect assessments generally outperformed direct assessments when integrating analyses into a unified framework; nevertheless, our ability to detect direct perception in navigating to mountain lion kills was likely restricted by scale and sampling limitations (e.g., collar fix rates, unsampled kill sites). Rather than responding to the risk of direct encounters with mountain lions, coyotes facilitated encounters by increasing their movement rate, and engaged in risky behavior by scavenging at mountain lion kills. Coyotes appear to mitigate risk by using indirect perception to avoid mountain lions. Our predator-predator interactions and insights are nuanced and counter to the conventional predator-prey systems that have generated much of the predation risk literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J. Brunet
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Kevin L. Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Katey S. Huggler
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | | | | | | | - Mark Zornes
- Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentGreen RiverWyomingUSA
| | - Patrick Lionberger
- Bureau of Land ManagementRock Springs Field OfficeRock SpringsWyomingUSA
| | - Miguel Valdez
- Bureau of Land ManagementRock Springs Field OfficeRock SpringsWyomingUSA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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Irvine CC, Cherry SG, Patterson BR. Discriminating grey wolf kill sites using GPS clusters. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Seth G. Cherry
- Parks Canada Agency Box 220 Radium Hot Springs BC V0A 1M0 Canada
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Trent University 1600 W Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 1Z8 Canada
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Prude CH, Cain JW. Habitat diversity influences puma Puma concolor diet in the Chihuahuan Desert. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles H. Prude
- C. H. Prude, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM, USA and Turner Biodiversity, Turner Enterprises Inc., Engle, NM, USA
| | - James W. Cain
- J. W. Cain III (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4743516X) ✉ , U.S. Geological Survey, New Mexico Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept of Fish Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM, USA
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Clapp JG, Holbrook JD, Thompson DJ. GPSeqClus: An R package for sequential clustering of animal location data for model building, model application and field site investigations. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Department of Zoology and Physiology Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
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Allen ML, Elbroch LM, Wittmer HU. Can't bear the competition: Energetic losses from kleptoparasitism by a dominant scavenger may alter foraging behaviors of an apex predator. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Werdel TJ, Jenks JA, Besser TE, Kanta JT, Lehman CP, Frink TJ. Restoration of a bighorn sheep population impeded by
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae
exposure. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ty J. Werdel
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Edgar S. Mcfadden Biostress LabSouth Dakota State University Brookings SD 57007 U.S.A
| | - Jonathan A. Jenks
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Edgar S. Mcfadden Biostress LabSouth Dakota State University Brookings SD 57007 U.S.A
| | - Thomas E. Besser
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and PathologyWashington State University Pullman WA 99164 U.S.A
| | - John T. Kanta
- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, 4130 Adventure Trail Rapid City SD 57702 U.S.A
| | - Chadwick P. Lehman
- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, 13329 US Highway 16A Custer SD 57730 U.S.A
| | - Teresa J. Frink
- Department of Applied SciencesChadron State College, Burkhiser Complex Chadron NE 69337 U.S.A
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Johnson RD, Jenks JA, Tucker SA, Wilckens DT. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) Population Characteristics in the Little Missouri Badlands of North Dakota. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-181.2.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Randy D. Johnson
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007
| | - Jonathan A. Jenks
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007
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Robins CW, Kertson BN, Faulkner JR, Wirsing AJ. Effects of urbanization on cougar foraging ecology along the wildland–urban gradient of western Washington. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Clint W. Robins
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Box 352100 Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - Brian N. Kertson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 1775 12th Avenue NW, Suite 201 Issaquah Washington 98027 USA
| | - James R. Faulkner
- Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management University of Washington Box 357941 Seattle 98195 USA
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Northwest Fisheries Science Center 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle Washington 98112 USA
| | - Aaron J. Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Box 352100 Seattle Washington 98195 USA
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Murphy SM, Wilckens DT, Augustine BC, Peyton MA, Harper GC. Improving estimation of puma (Puma concolor) population density: clustered camera-trapping, telemetry data, and generalized spatial mark-resight models. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4590. [PMID: 30872785 PMCID: PMC6418282 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40926-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Obtaining reliable population density estimates for pumas (Puma concolor) and other cryptic, wide-ranging large carnivores is challenging. Recent advancements in spatially explicit capture-recapture models have facilitated development of novel survey approaches, such as clustered sampling designs, which can provide reliable density estimation for expansive areas with reduced effort. We applied clustered sampling to camera-traps to detect marked (collared) and unmarked pumas, and used generalized spatial mark-resight (SMR) models to estimate puma population density across 15,314 km2 in the southwestern USA. Generalized SMR models outperformed conventional SMR models. Integrating telemetry data from collars on marked pumas with detection data from camera-traps substantially improved density estimates by informing cryptic activity (home range) center transiency and improving estimation of the SMR home range parameter. Modeling sex of unmarked pumas as a partially identifying categorical covariate further improved estimates. Our density estimates (0.84–1.65 puma/100 km2) were generally more precise (CV = 0.24–0.31) than spatially explicit estimates produced from other puma sampling methods, including biopsy darting, scat detection dogs, and regular camera-trapping. This study provides an illustrative example of the effectiveness and flexibility of our combined sampling and analytical approach for reliably estimating density of pumas and other wildlife across geographically expansive areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Murphy
- Wildlife Management Division, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, Santa Fe, 87507, USA. .,Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, Lexington, 40546, USA.
| | - David T Wilckens
- Wildlife Management Division, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, Santa Fe, 87507, USA
| | - Ben C Augustine
- Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, USA
| | - Mark A Peyton
- Valles Caldera National Preserve, U.S. National Park Service, Jemez Springs, 87025, USA
| | - Glenn C Harper
- Department of Natural Resources, Pueblo of Santa Ana, Santa Ana Pueblo, 87004, USA
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Amor JM, Newman R, Jensen WF, Rundquist BC, Walter WD, Boulanger JR. Seasonal home ranges and habitat selection of three elk (Cervus elaphus) herds in North Dakota. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211650. [PMID: 30716128 PMCID: PMC6361512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in land use have resulted in range shifts of many wildlife species, including those entering novel environments, resulting in the critical need to understand their spatial ecology to inform ecosystem effects and management decisions. Dispersing elk (Cervus elaphus) were colonizing areas of suitable habitat in the Northern Great Plains, USA, resulting in crop depredation complaints in these areas. Although state resource managers had little information on these elk herds, limited evidence suggested temporal movements into Canada. We collected and analyzed essential information on home range and habitat selection for 3 elk herds residing in North Dakota. We captured 5 adult female elk in each study area, affixed global positioning system collars, and monitored them for 1 year (2016-2017). We estimated diel period, seasonal, and hunting season home ranges using Brownian Bridge Movement Models for each individual. We analyzed habitat selection using multinomial logit models to test for differences in use of land classes, and for departures from proportionate use based on random sampling; our predictor variables included individual elk, diel period, and season. Home ranges differed between the 3 herds, seasons, and diel period; gun and winter season home ranges were both larger than in summer, as was night when compared with day. Female elk generally restricted themselves to cover during the day and entered open areas at night and during winter months. Our results also suggest that elk in our study areas tended to seek more cover, and in the case of our Turtle Mountain study area, some cross into Canada during gun season. Our study provides a better understanding of the spatial ecology of elk in the Northern Great Plains while highlighting the need for enhanced international cooperative management efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M. Amor
- Department of Geography, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Robert Newman
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - William F. Jensen
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Bradley C. Rundquist
- Department of Geography, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - W. David Walter
- United States Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jason R. Boulanger
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Bleich VC, Sargeant GA, Wiedmann BP. Ecotypic variation in population dynamics of reintroduced bighorn sheep. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vernon C. Bleich
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada Reno1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 186RenoNV89557USA
| | - Glen A. Sargeant
- U.S. Geological SurveyNorthern Prairie Wildlife Research Center8711 37th Street SEJamestownND58401USA
| | - Brett P. Wiedmann
- North Dakota Game and Fish Department225 30th Avenue SWDickinsonND58601USA
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