570 items found
Type: Article
Subjects: Bobcat
Detection probability
Exurban landscape
<em>Lynx rufus</em>
Mark–resight
Mountain lion
Occupancy
Population density
<em>Puma concolor</em>
Urbanization
Wildland–urban interface
Detection probability
Exurban landscape
<em>Lynx rufus</em>
Mark–resight
Mountain lion
Occupancy
Population density
<em>Puma concolor</em>
Urbanization
Wildland–urban interface
Type:Article
Subject:Bobcat
Detection probability
Exurban landscape
<em>Lynx rufus</em>
Mark–resight
Mountain lion
Occupancy
Population density
<em>Puma concolor</em>
Urbanization
Wildland–urban interface
Detection probability
Exurban landscape
<em>Lynx rufus</em>
Mark–resight
Mountain lion
Occupancy
Population density
<em>Puma concolor</em>
Urbanization
Wildland–urban interface
Description:Urbanization is a primary driver of landscape conversion, with far-reaching effects on landscape pattern and process, particularly related to the population characteristics of animals. Urbanization can alter animal movement and habitat quality, both of which can influence population abundance and persistence. We evaluated three important population characteristics (population density, site occupancy, and species detection probability) of a medium-sized and a large carnivore across varying levels of urbanization. Specifically, we studied bobcat and puma populations across wildland, exurban development, and wildland–urban interface (WUI) sampling grids to test hypotheses evaluating how urbanization affects wild felid populations and their prey. Exurban development appeared to have a greater impact on felid populations than did habitat adjacent to a major urban area (i.e., WUI); estimates of population density for both bobcats and pumas were lower in areas of exurban development compared to wildland areas, whereas population density was similar between WUI and wildland habitat. Bobcats and pumas were less likely to be detected in habitat as the amount of human disturbance associated with residential development increased at a site, which was potentially related to reduced habitat quality resulting from urbanization. However, occupancy of both felids was similar between grids in both study areas, indicating that this population metric was less sensitive than density. At the scale of the sampling grid, detection probability for bobcats in urbanized habitat was greater than in wildland areas, potentially due to restrictive movement corridors and funneling of animal movements in landscapes influenced by urbanization. Occupancy of important felid prey (cottontail rabbits and mule deer) was similar across levels of urbanization, although elk occupancy was lower in urbanized areas. Our study indicates that the conservation of medium- and large-sized felids associated with urbanization likely will be most successful if large areas of wildland habitat are maintained, even in close proximity to urban areas, and wildland habitat is not converted to low-density residential development. [show more]
Type: Article
Subjects: Angling
College students
Conservation policy
Funding
Hunting
Public support
Wildlife management
College students
Conservation policy
Funding
Hunting
Public support
Wildlife management
Type:Article
Subject:Angling
College students
Conservation policy
Funding
Hunting
Public support
Wildlife management
College students
Conservation policy
Funding
Hunting
Public support
Wildlife management
Description:Insufficient funding is a major impediment to conservation efforts around the world. In the United States, a decline in hunting participation threatens sustainability of the “user-pay, public benefit” model that has supported wildlife conservation for nearly 100 years, forcing wildlife management agencies to contemplate alternative funding strategies. We investigated support for potential funding options among diverse college students, a rapidly expanding and politically active voting bloc with a potentially powerful influence on the future of conservation. From 2018 to 2020, we surveyed 17,203 undergraduate students at public universities across 22 states. Students preferred innovative approaches to conservation funding, with 72% supporting funding derived from industry sources (e.g., natural resource extraction companies), 63% supporting state sources (e.g., general sales tax), and 43% supporting conventional user-based sources such as license fees and excise taxes associated with outdoor recreation activities (e.g., hunting). Findings emphasize the need to broaden the base of support for conservation funding and highlight the importance of considering the preferences and perspectives of young adults and other diverse beneficiaries of wildlife conservation. [show more]
Type: Article
Subjects: Hunting
New York State
Recruitment
New York State
Recruitment
Type:Article
Subject:Hunting
New York State
Recruitment
New York State
Recruitment
Description:"New York State is open for hunting!" With this official state proclamation, residents and visitors are invited to enjoy the variety of hunting opportunities that can be found in New York. We have generous hunting seasons for many game species prized for food and recreation. We have an excellent record of hunting safety. We have millions of acres of public land. And we have a centuries-long tradition of hunting, which has cultivated a strong base of hunters in the state. [show more]
Type: Article
Subjects: Avian occupancy
Mastication
Piñon–juniper
Pinyon pine
Treatments
Woodland birds
Mastication
Piñon–juniper
Pinyon pine
Treatments
Woodland birds
Type:Article
Subject:Avian occupancy
Mastication
Piñon–juniper
Pinyon pine
Treatments
Woodland birds
Mastication
Piñon–juniper
Pinyon pine
Treatments
Woodland birds
Description:Natural resource managers are increasingly applying tree reduction treatments to piñon–juniper woodlands to meet a range of ecological, social, and economic goals. However, treatment effects on woodland-obligate bird species are not well understood. We measured multiscale avian occupancy on 29 paired (control/treatment) sites in piñon–juniper woodlands in central Colorado, USA. We conducted point counts at 232 stations, 3 times each season in 2014 and 2015. We used hierarchical multiscale modeling to obtain unbiased estimates of landscape and local occupancy (i.e. probability of use) in treated and untreated sites for 31 species. Treatments reduced the occupancy of conifer obligates, including Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli), Clark’s Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), and White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), and increased occupancy of Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) and Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides). Occupancy of Virginia’s Warbler (Oreothylpis virginiae) and Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), two piñon–juniper specialists, decreased at the landscape scale in treated sites, and Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) occupancy decreased at the local scale. Tree reduction treatments in piñon–juniper woodlands have the potential to reduce habitat quality for a suite of bird species of conservation concern. We suggest that treatments designed to retain higher tree density and basal area will benefit conifer-obligate and piñon–juniper specialist bird species.Los gestores de los recursos naturales aplican cada vez con mayor frecuencia tratamientos de raleo de árboles a los bosques de piñón y enebro para alcanzar una serie de objetivos ecológicos, sociales y económicos. Sin embargo, no se comprenden claramente los efectos de los tratamientos para las especies de aves que habitan de forma obligada en los bosques. Medimos la ocupación de las aves a múltiples escalas en 29 sitios pareados (control/tratamiento) en bosques de piñón y enebro en el centro de Colorado, EEUU. Realizamos conteos en puntos en 232 lugares, tres veces en cada estación en 2014 y 2015. Usamos modelos jerárquicos a escalas múltiples para obtener estimaciones no sesgadas de ocupación (i.e. probabilidad de uso) a escala de paisaje y local en sitios tratados y no tratados para 31 especies. Los tratamientos redujeron la ocupación de las especies que habitan en forma obligada los bosques de coníferas, incluyendo a Poecile gambeli, Nucifraga columbiana y Sitta carolinensis; y aumentaron la ocupación de Chondestes grammacus y Sialia currucoides. La ocupación de Oreothylpis virginiae y Empidonax wrightii, dos especialistas de los bosques de piñón y enebro, disminuyó a la escala de paisaje en los sitios tratados, y la ocupación de Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus disminuyó a escala local. Tres tratamientos de raleo de los bosques de piñón y enebro tienen el potencial de reducir la calidad de hábitat para un grupo de especies de aves de interés para la conservación. Sugerimos que los tratamientos diseñados para retener mayor diversidad de árboles y área basal beneficiarán a las especies de aves que habitan de forma obligada los bosques de coníferas y a las especialistas de piñón y enebro. [show more]
Type:
Subjects:
Description:Two-page fact sheets:FISH
- Arkansas darter
- Greenback cutthroat trout
- Razorback sucker
- Bonytail
- Humpback chub
- Colorado squawfish
- Rio Grande sucker
- Wood frog
- Western toad
- Lesser prairie-chicken
- Arctic peregrine falcon
- Piping plover
- Greater prairie-chicken
- Plains sharp-tailed grouse
- Greater sandhill crane
- American peregrine falcon
- Bald eagle
- Whooping crane
- Least tern
- Mexican spotted owl
- Grizzly bear
- Wolverine
- Wolverine (updated sheet, 1997)
- River otter
- Lynx
- Gray wolf
- Black-footed ferret
Type:
Subjects:
Type: Article
Subjects: Vector-pathogen relationships
Puma
Bobcat
Cats, domestic
Infectious diseases
Puma
Bobcat
Cats, domestic
Infectious diseases
Type:Article
Subject:Vector-pathogen relationships
Puma
Bobcat
Cats, domestic
Infectious diseases
Puma
Bobcat
Cats, domestic
Infectious diseases
Description:Anthropogenic landscape change can lead to increased opportunities for pathogen transmission between domestic and non-domestic animals. Pumas, bobcats, and domestic cats are sympatric in many areas of North America and share many of the same pathogens, some of which are zoonotic. We analyzed bobcat, puma, and feral domestic cat samples collected from targeted geographic areas. We examined exposure to three pathogens that are taxonomically diverse (bacterial, protozoal, viral), that incorporate multiple transmission strategies (vector-borne, environmental exposure/ingestion, and direct contact), and that vary in species-specificity. Bartonella spp., Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and Toxoplasma gondii IgG were detected in all three species with mean respective prevalence as follows: puma 16%, 41% and 75%; bobcat 31%, 22% and 43%; domestic cat 45%, 10% and 1%. Bartonella spp. were highly prevalent among domestic cats in Southern California compared to other cohort groups. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus exposure was primarily associated with species and age, and was not influenced by geographic location. Pumas were more likely to be infected with FIV than bobcats, with domestic cats having the lowest infection rate. Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence was high in both pumas and bobcats across all sites; in contrast, few domestic cats were seropositive, despite the fact that feral, free ranging domestic cats were targeted in this study. Interestingly, a directly transmitted species-specific disease (FIV) was not associated with geographic location, while exposure to indirectly transmitted diseases – vector-borne for Bartonella spp. and ingestion of oocysts via infected prey or environmental exposure for T. gondii – varied significantly by site. Pathogens transmitted by direct contact may be more dependent upon individual behaviors and intra-specific encounters. Future studies will integrate host density, as well as landscape features, to better understand the mechanisms driving disease exposure and to predict zones of cross-species pathogen transmission among wild and domestic felids. [show more]
ID: Tiger trout research: transforming undesirable fish into quality fishing opportunities for anglers
Type: Fact Sheet
Subjects: Tiger trout
Fishing
Research
Fact sheet
Fishing
Research
Fact sheet
Type:Fact Sheet
Subject:Tiger trout
Fishing
Research
Fact sheet
Fishing
Research
Fact sheet
Description:Many of Colorado’s coldwater lakes contain fish species, such as suckers and minnows, which provide little value to anglers, compete with managed sport fish, and have the potential to reduce water quality. However, these undesirable fish may be valuable prey items. Sterile fish that have the ability to grow to predatory size quickly and eat the unwanted fish could act as a biological control agent and provide a unique fishing opportunity. Being unable to reproduce, sterile fish can be closely managed through stocking and harvest regulations. Tiger trout, a sterile hybrid between male brook trout and female brown trout, have the potential to fill this role. Tiger trout have already been stocked in some Colorado lakes. Our understanding of what tiger trout eat and how well they grow and survive in lakes with different species of undesirable fish remains limited, and should be fully investigated as a management tool. [show more]
Type: Article
Subjects: Animal movement
Hierarchical model
Individual variation
Population-level
Predation
Telemetry
Wildland-urban interface
Hierarchical model
Individual variation
Population-level
Predation
Telemetry
Wildland-urban interface
Type:Article
Subject:Animal movement
Hierarchical model
Individual variation
Population-level
Predation
Telemetry
Wildland-urban interface
Hierarchical model
Individual variation
Population-level
Predation
Telemetry
Wildland-urban interface
Description:
Background
While many species have suffered from the detrimental impacts of increasing human population growth, some species, such as cougars (Puma concolor), have been observed using human-modified landscapes. However, human-modified habitat can be a source of both increased risk and increased food availability, particularly for large carnivores. Assessing preferential use of the landscape is important for managing wildlife and can be particularly useful in transitional habitats, such as at the wildland-urban interface. Preferential use is often evaluated using resource selection functions (RSFs), which are focused on quantifying habitat preference using either a temporally static framework or researcher-defined temporal delineations. Many applications of RSFs do not incorporate time-varying landscape availability or temporally-varying behavior, which may mask conflict and avoidance behavior.
Methods
Contemporary approaches to incorporate landscape availability into the assessment of habitat selection include spatio-temporal point process models, step selection functions, and continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) models; in contrast with the other methods, the CTMC model allows for explicit inference on animal movement in continuous-time. We used a hierarchical version of the CTMC framework to model speed and directionality of fine-scale movement by a population of cougars inhabiting the Front Range of Colorado, U.S.A., an area exhibiting rapid population growth and increased recreational use, as a function of individual variation and time-varying responses to landscape covariates.
Results
We found evidence for individual- and daily temporal-variability in cougar response to landscape characteristics. Distance to nearest kill site emerged as the most important driver of movement at a population-level. We also detected seasonal differences in average response to elevation, heat loading, and distance to roads. Motility was also a function of amount of development, with cougars moving faster in developed areas than in undeveloped areas.
Conclusions
The time-varying framework allowed us to detect temporal variability that would be masked in a generalized linear model, and improved the within-sample predictive ability of the model. The high degree of individual variation suggests that, if agencies want to minimize human-wildlife conflict management options should be varied and flexible. However, due to the effect of recursive behavior on cougar movement, likely related to the location and timing of potential kill-sites, kill-site identification tools may be useful for identifying areas of potential conflict.
[show more]Type: Brochure
Subjects: Aquatic invasive species
AIS
Boating
Inspection
AIS
Boating
Inspection
Type:Brochure
Subject:Aquatic invasive species
AIS
Boating
Inspection
AIS
Boating
Inspection
Description:The better prepared you and your boat are for an inspection, the faster it will go!