Cougar response to a gradient of human development [electronic resource].
- Published
- Washington, D.C. : United States. Dept. of Energy, 2017.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy - Physical Description
- Article numbers e01,828 : digital, PDF file
- Additional Creators
- United States. Department of Energy and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Access Online
- Restrictions on Access
- Free-to-read Unrestricted online access
- Summary
- Human populations continue to increase and transform Earth's ecosystems. For large carnivores, human development reduces habitat abundance, alters predator–prey dynamics, and increases the risk of mortality, which may threaten the viability of many populations. To investigate how the cougar (Puma concolor) responds to a gradient of human development in four areas in Washington, USA, we used utilization distributions, county tax parcel data, Weibull modeling analysis, and multiple comparison techniques. Cougars used wildland areas the majority of the time (79% ± 2%, n = 112 cougars), with use decreasing as housing densities increased. When present in human-developed areas in eastern Washington, 99% of the habitat that cougars used had housing densities ≤76.5 residences/km2, which was <846.0 residences/km2 observed in western Washington (P < 0.01). Cougars used areas in western Washington with greater housing density likely because of the clustered nature of housing developments, the connectivity with greenbelts and forested corridors, and security cover of dense maritime vegetation. Our findings suggest a consistent, albeit nuanced response by cougars to human development that may be used by wildlife managers, landscape planners, and environmental educators to guide and enhance their efforts to minimize the impacts of human development on cougars and reduce the potential for conflicts with people. In conclusion, our model may also provide guidance for thresholds of human development for other adaptable large carnivores.
- Report Numbers
- E 1.99:1393486
- Subject(s)
- Other Subject(s)
- Note
- Published through SciTech Connect.
07/07/2017.
Ecosphere 8 7 ISSN 2150-8925 AM
Benjamin Maletzke; Brian Kertson; Mark Swanson; Gary Koehler; Richard Beausoleil; Robert Wielgus; Hilary Cooley.
Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Wenatchee, WA (United States) - Funding Information
- 0423906
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