EFFECTS OF LINEAR DEVELOPMENTS ON WINTER MOVEMENTS OF GRAY WOLVES IN THE BOW RIVER VALLEY OF BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA

摘要: The security of newly recovered populations gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Canada may be tenuous, because wolf ranges are heavily dissected by linear developments (i.e., highways, secondary roads, railways, and power line corridors). Highway mortality has become a primary cause there is accumulating evidence habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation related to roads. Besides fragmenting consuming critical habitat, provide access remote regions, which allows humans deliberately, accidentally, or incidentally kill wolves. Linear also physical and/or psychological impediments movement. There strong relationship between road density the absence In Bow River Valley Banff National Park, Alberta being negatively affected human activities that reduce effectiveness, prey species, obstruct movements, increase risk mortality. Traffic recreational development will continue within region, stimulating demand for additional corridors, increased visitor capacity. Considering probable threats survival, we require better understanding how movements infrastructure. This paper reports on behavioral response Trans Highway, Canadian Pacific Railway, 1a, TransAlta powerline corridor. authors assess whether displaced from areas next these developments, if barriers movements. They use underpasses designed move wildlife across safely.