Response of Wolves to Corridor Restoration and Human Use Management

摘要: Corridor restoration is increasingly being used to connect habitat in mountainous areas where rugged topography and increasing human activity fragment habitat. Wolves ( Canis lupus) are a conservation priority because they avoid with high levels of use ecologically important predators. We examined how corridor through golf course changes the distribution wolves their prey Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. followed recorded wolf paths snow both within surrounding landscape before after was re-established. Track transects were estimate abundance depths, trail counters measured activity. compared resources on available movement routes using conditional logistic regression also by restoration. addressed potential confounding effects abundance, testing for these variables. Prior restoration, traveled around mountainside valley-bottom Conversely, elk Cervus elaphus) densities highest course. After shifted most corridor, whereas dispersed along mountainside. When traveling study area, selected low elevations, increased area quality access deer at elevations. Our results corroborate other studies suggesting that quickly adapt can improve reduce fragmentation.