Human disturbance influences occupancy of red deer in Mongolia

摘要: Human activity impacts wildlife by influencing patterns of occurrence, often in negative ways, which creates conservation challenges. In Mongolia, the Altai wapiti (Cervus elaphus sibiricus) experienced widespread declines after Socialism under the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, and today is considered Critically Endangered. We examined the effects of landscape variables on the distribution of elk in the Horidol-Saridag Strictly Protected Area. We used camera trap data and a model selection approach to evaluate the support for 25 hypotheses describing elk occupancy and detection probability as a function of single and additive combinations of variables. The top-ranking model included the effect of distance from the nearest town, which positively influenced elk occupancy. Other landscape variables such as habitat, elevation, and date had no meaningful effect on occupancy. Detection probability was modeled as a function of habitat, showing high foliage areas had a negative effect on detection. Results indicate that human activity may negatively affect elk and influence their distribution in the landscape. Elk occupancy was highest in the protected area, where human activity is minimal. Increased human presence in and around the park have the potential to affect elk distributions in the future, which could lead to population declines.