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TitleMovement of wolves (Canis lupus) in response to human development in Jasper National Park, Alberta
Publication TypeThesis
Year of Publication2002
AuthorsWhittington, J.
VolumeBiological Sciences
IssueM. Sc.
Pagination86
Place PublishedUniversity of Alberta
Publication Languageen
KeywordsMammalia
Abstract

Wolves are wary carnivores that occupy enormous territories. In mountainous regions, increasing levels of human activity may degrade wolf habitat and obstruct wolf movement among valleys. In this study, I quantified wolf preference or avoidance of areas near human development, determined the effect of human development on path tortuosity, and tested whether linear developments were barriers to movement. My assistants and I snow tracked the movements of two wolf packs for two winters near the town of Jasper in Jasper National Park, Alberta. Wolves strongly avoided high trail and road density and strongly selected for low-use trails. They were variable in their response to high-use roads, high-use trails, and low-use roads but generally showed stronger avoidance of high-use features than low-use features. Path tortuosity increased in areas of high trail and road density and wolves avoided crossing all linear features, particularly high-use roads. Based on these results, managers should limit human activity, including trail-use, in areas of high conservation concern.

URLhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/305474003
Topics

Biology

Locational Keywords

Jasper National Park

Active Link

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56683333

Group

Science

Citation Key44061

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