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Zanni M, Brogi R, Merli E, Apollonio M. The wolf and the city: insights on wolves conservation in the anthropocene. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Zanni
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - R. Brogi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - E. Merli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - M. Apollonio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Sassari Sassari Italy
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2
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Nisi AC, Benson JF, Wilmers CC. Puma responses to unreliable human cues suggest an ecological trap in a fragmented landscape. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Nisi
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Dept, Univ. of California Santa Cruz CA USA
- Biology Dept, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - John F. Benson
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska Lincoln NE USA
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Dept, Univ. of California Santa Cruz CA USA
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Lazenby KD, Coates PS, O’Neil ST, Kohl MT, Dahlgren DK. Nesting, brood rearing, and summer habitat selection by translocated greater sage-grouse in North Dakota, USA. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2741-2760. [PMID: 33767833 PMCID: PMC7981223 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human enterprise has led to large-scale changes in landscapes and altered wildlife population distribution and abundance, necessitating efficient and effective conservation strategies for impacted species. Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are a widespread sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) obligate species that has experienced population declines since the mid-1900s resulting from habitat loss and expansion of anthropogenic features into sagebrush ecosystems. Habitat loss is especially evident in North Dakota, USA, on the northeastern fringe of sage-grouse' distribution, where a remnant population remains despite recent development of energy-related infrastructure. Resource managers in this region have determined a need to augment sage-grouse populations using translocation techniques that can be important management tools for countering species decline from range contraction. Although translocations are a common tool for wildlife management, very little research has evaluated habitat following translocation, to track individual behaviors such as habitat selection and fidelity to the release site, which can help inform habitat requirements to guide selection of future release sites. We provide an example where locations from previously released radio-marked sage-grouse are used in a resource selection function framework to evaluate habitat selection following translocation and identify areas of seasonal habitat to inform habitat management and potential restoration needs. We also evaluated possible changes in seasonal habitat since the late 1980s using spatial data provided by the Rangeland Analysis Platform coupled with resource selection modeling results. Our results serve as critical baseline information for habitat used by translocated individuals across life stages in this study area, and will inform future evaluations of population performance and potential for long-term recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kade D. Lazenby
- Department of Wildland ResourcesJack H. Berryman InstituteS. J. Quinney College of Natural ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | - Peter S. Coates
- Western Ecological Research CenterDixon Field StationU.S. Geological SurveyDixonCAUSA
| | - Shawn T. O’Neil
- Western Ecological Research CenterDixon Field StationU.S. Geological SurveyDixonCAUSA
| | - Michel T. Kohl
- Department of Wildland ResourcesJack H. Berryman InstituteS. J. Quinney College of Natural ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | - David K. Dahlgren
- Department of Wildland ResourcesJack H. Berryman InstituteS. J. Quinney College of Natural ResourcesUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
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Oliveira T, Benson JF, Thompson C, Patterson BR. Resource selection at homesites by wolves and eastern coyotes in a
Canis
hybrid zone. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Oliveira
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Večna pot 83 Ljubljana1000Slovenia
| | - John F. Benson
- School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska Lincoln Nebraska68583USA
| | - Connor Thompson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program Trent University Peterborough OntarioK9L 0G2Canada
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program Trent University Peterborough OntarioK9L 0G2Canada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Peterborough OntarioK9L 1Z8Canada
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Woodruff SP, Eacker DR, Waits LP. Estimating Coyote Densities with Local, Discrete Bayesian Capture‐Recapture Models. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susannah P. Woodruff
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID 83844‐1136 USA
| | - Daniel R. Eacker
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation 802 Third Street Douglas AK 99824 USA
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive Moscow ID 83844 USA
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Boyle SP, Litzgus JD, Lesbarrères D. Limited evidence for negative effects of highway widening on North American large mammals. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01428-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Mitchell LJ, Kohler T, White PCL, Arnold KE. High interindividual variability in habitat selection and functional habitat relationships in European nightjars over a period of habitat change. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5932-5945. [PMID: 32607202 PMCID: PMC7319154 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
An animal's choice of foraging habitat reflects its response to environmental cues and is likely to vary among individuals in a population. Analyzing the magnitude of individual habitat selection can indicate how resilient populations may be to anthropogenic habitat change, where individually varying, broadly generalist populations have the potential to adjust their behavior. We collected GPS point data from 39 European nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) at a UK breeding site where restoration measures have altered large areas of habitat between breeding seasons. We calculated individual habitat selection over four breeding seasons to observe changes that might align with change in habitat. We also analyzed change in home range size in line with change in habitat availability, to examine functional relationships that can represent trade-offs made by the birds related to performance of the habitat. Individual explained more of the variation in population habitat selection than year for most habitat types. Individuals differed in the magnitude of their selection for different habitat types, which created a generalist population composed of both generalist and specialist individuals. Selection also changed over time but only significantly for scrub habitat (60% decrease in selection over 4 years). Across the population, individual home range size was 2% smaller where availability of cleared habitat within the home range was greater, but size increased by 2% where the amount of open water was higher, indicating the presence of trade-offs related to habitat availability. These results highlight that using individual resource selection and specialization measures, in conjunction with functional responses to change, can lead to better understanding of the needs of a population. Pooling specialist and generalist individuals for analysis could hide divergent responses to change and consequently obscure information that could be important in developing effective conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy J. Mitchell
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkHeslingtonUK
| | - Tim Kohler
- Natural EnglandHumberhead Peatlands NNRHatfield MoorsDoncasterUK
| | - Piran C. L. White
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkHeslingtonUK
| | - Kathryn E. Arnold
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkHeslingtonUK
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Bojarska K, Sulich J, Bachmann S, Okarma H, Theuerkauf J, Gula R. Opportunity and peril: how wolves use a dense network of forest roads. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe investigated by snow tracking and GPS telemetry how wolves Canis lupus used a dense (4 km/km2) network of forest roads for travel and scent marking. Forty-six percent of wolf trails but only 4.6% of telemetry locations were on forest roads. Wolves used forest roads to travel fast and far across their home ranges but spent relatively little time on roads, especially on those with high traffic levels and during the time of highest human activity. The probability of scent marking was higher on roads than off-road and increased with traffic intensity on roads and close to junctions. Our findings suggest that wolves take advantage of the forest road infrastructure, while minimising human encounters by spatio-temporal avoidance of all roads, even those with negligible traffic. The ongoing expansion and improvements of the forest road network might lead to elevated costs for wolves associated with avoidance of humans and roads.
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Muhly TB, Johnson CA, Hebblewhite M, Neilson EW, Fortin D, Fryxell JM, Latham ADM, Latham MC, McLoughlin PD, Merrill E, Paquet PC, Patterson BR, Schmiegelow F, Scurrah F, Musiani M. Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North America. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10801-10815. [PMID: 31624583 PMCID: PMC6787805 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The influence of humans on large carnivores, including wolves, is a worldwide conservation concern. In addition, human-caused changes in carnivore density and distribution might have impacts on prey and, indirectly, on vegetation. We therefore tested wolf responses to infrastructure related to natural resource development (i.e., human footprint). LOCATION Our study provides one of the most extensive assessments of how predators like wolves select habitat in response to various degrees of footprint across boreal ecosystems encompassing over a million square kilometers of Canada. METHODS We deployed GPS-collars on 172 wolves, monitored movements and used a generalized functional response (GFR) model of resource selection. A functional response in habitat selection occurs when selection varies as a function of the availability of that habitat. GFRs can clarify how human-induced habitat changes are influencing wildlife across large, diverse landscapes. RESULTS Wolves displayed a functional response to footprint. Wolves were more likely to select forest harvest cutblocks in regions with higher cutblock density (i.e., a positive functional response to high-quality habitats for ungulate prey) and to select for higher road density in regions where road density was high (i.e., a positive functional response to human-created travel routes). Wolves were more likely to use cutblocks in habitats with low road densities, and more likely to use roads in habitats with low cutblock densities, except in winter when wolves were more likely to use roads regardless of cutblock density. MAIN CONCLUSIONS These interactions suggest that wolves trade-off among human-impacted habitats, and adaptively switch from using roads to facilitate movement (while also risking encounters with humans), to using cutblocks that may have higher ungulate densities. We recommend that conservation managers consider the contextual and interacting effects of footprints when assessing impacts on carnivores. These effects likely have indirect impacts on ecosystems too, including on prey species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler B. Muhly
- Forest Analysis and Inventory BranchMinistry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural DevelopmentGovernment of British ColumbiaVictoriaBCCanada
| | - Cheryl A. Johnson
- Science and Technology Branch of Environment and Climate Change CanadaOttawaONCanada
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology ProgramDepartment of Ecosystem and Conservation SciencesW.A. Franke College of Forestry and ConservationUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMTUSA
| | - Eric W. Neilson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Daniel Fortin
- Department of BiologyCentre d'étude de la forêtUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrated BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphONCanada
| | | | | | | | - Evelyn Merrill
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Paul C. Paquet
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionMinistry of Natural Resources and ForestryTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Fiona Schmiegelow
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of Alberta c/o Yukon Research CentreWhitehorseYTCanada
| | - Fiona Scurrah
- Transmission Line and Civil ConstructionManitoba HydroWinnipegMBCanada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological SciencesFaculty of ScienceUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
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Flores-Morales M, Vázquez J, Bautista A, Rodríguez-Martínez L, Monroy-Vilchis O. Response of two sympatric carnivores to human disturbances of their habitat: the bobcat and coyote. MAMMAL RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-018-0385-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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McLaren A, Benson J, Patterson B. Multiscale habitat selection by cow moose (Alces alces) at calving sites in central Ontario. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
There is limited knowledge of moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) calving site selection at the southern limit of their range. Varying results from previous research on calving habitat selection make it challenging to extrapolate to other populations. We used a combination of global positioning system (GPS) data from collared cow moose and GPS locations of expelled vaginal implant transmitters and neonatal calf captures to identify calving sites in two areas of central Ontario, Canada (Algonquin Provincial Park and Wildlife Management Unit 49 (WMU49)), that differed in terms of moose and timber harvest management. We investigated selection and avoidance of habitat types, roads, topography (slope and elevation), and forest stands of varying successional age during the calving season at three spatiotemporal scales — annual home range, seasonal range, calving site — using a combination of distance-based and classification-based variables. In both study areas, calving sites were on gentler slopes and closer to conifer stands than expected at the fine scale. Cows in WMU49 strongly selected rock–grass sites across all scales. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of using GPS collars to infer parturition and location of calving sites. We recommend ground-based microhabitat data be collected to better understand habitat selection of moose during calving.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.A.D. McLaren
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - J.F. Benson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - B.R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
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Ronnenberg K, Habbe B, Gräber R, Strauß E, Siebert U. Coexistence of wolves and humans in a densely populated region (Lower Saxony, Germany). Basic Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Lesmerises R, St-Laurent MH. Not accounting for interindividual variability can mask habitat selection patterns: a case study on black bears. Oecologia 2017; 185:415-425. [PMID: 28889201 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3939-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Habitat selection studies conducted at the population scale commonly aim to describe general patterns that could improve our understanding of the limiting factors in species-habitat relationships. Researchers often consider interindividual variation in selection patterns to control for its effects and avoid pseudoreplication by using mixed-effect models that include individuals as random factors. Here, we highlight common pitfalls and possible misinterpretations of this strategy by describing habitat selection of 21 black bears Ursus americanus. We used Bayesian mixed-effect models and compared results obtained when using random intercept (i.e., population level) versus calculating individual coefficients for each independent variable (i.e., individual level). We then related interindividual variability to individual characteristics (i.e., age, sex, reproductive status, body condition) in a multivariate analysis. The assumption of comparable behavior among individuals was verified only in 40% of the cases in our seasonal best models. Indeed, we found strong and opposite responses among sampled bears and individual coefficients were linked to individual characteristics. For some covariates, contrasted responses canceled each other out at the population level. In other cases, interindividual variability was concealed by the composition of our sample, with the majority of the bears (e.g., old individuals and bears in good physical condition) driving the population response (e.g., selection of young forest cuts). Our results stress the need to consider interindividual variability to avoid misinterpretation and uninformative results, especially for a flexible and opportunistic species. This study helps to identify some ecological drivers of interindividual variability in bear habitat selection patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Lesmerises
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Centre for Northern Studies, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Centre for Northern Studies, Centre for Forest Research, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada.
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Mason THE, Fortin D. Functional responses in animal movement explain spatial heterogeneity in animal-habitat relationships. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:960-971. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom H. E. Mason
- Département de Biologie; Université Laval; Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Daniel Fortin
- Département de Biologie; Université Laval; Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
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Hinton JW, van Manen FT, Chamberlain MJ. Space Use and Habitat Selection by Resident and Transient Coyotes (Canis latrans). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132203. [PMID: 26148130 PMCID: PMC4493083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Little information exists on coyote (Canis latrans) space use and habitat selection in the southeastern United States and most studies conducted in the Southeast have been carried out within small study areas (e.g., ≤1,000 km2). Therefore, studying the placement, size, and habitat composition of coyote home ranges over broad geographic areas could provide relevant insights regarding how coyote populations adjust to regionally varying ecological conditions. Despite an increasing number of studies of coyote ecology, few studies have assessed the role of transiency as a life-history strategy among coyotes. During 2009–2011, we used GPS radio-telemetry to study coyote space use and habitat selection on the Albemarle Peninsula of northeastern North Carolina. We quantified space use and 2nd- and 3rd-order habitat selection for resident and transient coyotes to describe space use patterns in a predominantly agricultural landscape. The upper limit of coyote home-range size was approximately 47 km2 and coyotes exhibiting shifting patterns of space use of areas >65 km2 were transients. Transients exhibited localized space use patterns for short durations prior to establishing home ranges, which we defined as “biding” areas. Resident and transient coyotes demonstrated similar habitat selection, notably selection of agricultural over forested habitats. However, transients exhibited stronger selection for roads than resident coyotes. Although transient coyotes are less likely to contribute reproductively to their population, transiency may be an important life history trait that facilitates metapopulation dynamics through dispersal and the eventual replacement of breeding residents lost to mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Hinton
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Frank T. van Manen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Chamberlain
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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