Spatial Predation Risk and Interactions Within a Predator Community on the Rocky Mountains East Slopes, Alberta

• Author / Creator

  Spilker, Eric

• Understanding how large carnivores spatially partition the landscape is essential for understanding how they collectively pose risk to their prey. Most research on predation risk focuses on how prey respond to a single predator species, but prey respond to a community of predators. Additionally, simultaneously sampling multiple, wide-ranging species poses challenges. In this thesis I had two objectives related to quantifying elk and bighorn sheep predation risk. In Chapter 2, I first developed maps of predicted predation risk based on resource selection functions (RSF) using scat locations and intensity of use (IU) based on data from nearby remote cameras (n=54) and assess whether combining these two metrics at the fine-scale to predict relative use (RU) improves predictions of prey kill sites over each metric separately. Second, I investigated the occurrence of other predators on habitat selection of a focal predator. I used data for 4 predator groups (bears, wolves, cougars and coyotes) and locations of adult and calf elk kill sites on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in southwest Alberta. Ursids and canids, but not cougars, selected against vehicle-permitted linear features, which created an increasing gradient in predation risk from the eastern portion of the study area to remote areas in the west. RSFs outperformed the camera-derived IU and RU for each predator in predicting elk kill sites. Calf elk kill sites were more likely than adult kill sites to occur in areas with low selection by their 2 main predators, bears and wolves, indicating risk-avoidance by maternal cow elk. In Chapter 2, I used predator RSFs to compare predation risk to bighorn sheep habitat to assess how predation risk differed between sheep ranges in Banff National Park and outside of the park on provincial lands, as well as between areas on sheep ranges and areas off ranges throughout the study area. Relative risk by all predators was highest in Banff National Park, but only cougar predation risk was higher on sheep ranges than areas off ranges. Multi-species predation risk quantified in this study can be used to assess forage-predation risk trade-offs of different migratory segments of the elk population and bighorn sheep in this region.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Landscape Ecology
  • Bighorn Sheep
  • Predator-Prey
  • Predation
  • Cougar
  • Coyote
  • Resource Selection Function
  • Wolf
  • Bear
  • Elk

• Graduation date

  Spring 2019

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-ncbn-ad81

• License

  Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.