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Donovan VM, Roberts CP, Fogarty DT, Wedin DA, Twidwell D. Targeted grazing and mechanical thinning enhance forest stand resilience under a narrow range of wildfire scenarios. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M. Donovan
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Caleb P. Roberts
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Dillon T. Fogarty
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - David A. Wedin
- School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska USA
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Donovan VM, Dwinnell SPH, Beck JL, Roberts CP, Clapp JG, Hiatt GS, Monteith KL, Twidwell D. Fire-driven landscape heterogeneity shapes habitat selection of bighorn sheep. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Patterns in disturbance severity and time since fire can drive landscape heterogeneity that is critical to conservation; however, there is limited understanding of how wildlife interact with the spatial–temporal complexities of disturbance outcomes and at what scales. We conducted multiscale modeling of habitat selection for male and female Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) over an 8-year period. We aimed to identify the spatial scales at which bighorn sheep responded to various habitat features and determine how fire severity and time since fire can shape habitat selection by bighorn sheep over different seasons and between sexes. With the exception of litter cover, spatial scales that extended beyond the finest spatial grain (i.e., a 30-m pixel) to include the surrounding landscape were better at predicting habitat selection. Escape terrain, elevation, fire severity, year, perennial and annual forb and grass cover, and shrub cover occurred in every best-supported model. Associations with escape terrain, elevation, and perennial and annual forb and grass cover varied by sex and season. In contrast, bighorn sheep were consistently positively associated with low- and high-severity fire. Females increased use of low- and high-severity burned areas with greater time since fire, while males tended to decrease use of areas that burned at high severity with greater time since fire. Our results support the importance of landscape heterogeneity created by fire severity and time since fire for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and reinforces calls to integrate disturbance-driven heterogeneity into our assessments and management of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Donovan
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
| | - Samantha P H Dwinnell
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Caleb P Roberts
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
| | - Justin G Clapp
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, WY 82520, USA
| | - Greg S Hiatt
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming, P.O. Box 186, Sinclair, WY 82334, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
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