Download or read book Identifying Landscape wide Spatial Heterogenity in Population Density and Genetic Sturcture of American Black Bear Ursus Americanus in New York and the Northeastern United States written by Catherine Sun and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Population-level patterns reflect the aggregation of individual-level movement, survival, and recruitment processes over a landscape. Estimating population density, distribution, and genetic structure is important for understanding species ecology, monitoring viability, and for developing effective management plans. Long-term monitoring is particularly necessary for detecting changes that have management implications. However, limited resources often impede the collection of sufficient high-resolution demographic data for robust population-level inferences, especially for species with extensive distributions and large ranges of individual movement. The American back bear (Ursus americanus) is a game species in New York (NY) that has been growing in abundance and expanding in distribution. However, robust knowledge of spatial variation in population density or genetic structure informative about current and future population trajectories is lacking. This research estimated patterns of landscape-wide spatial heterogeneity in NY bear populations using noninvasive, cost-efficient methods. First, I investigated the genetic structure of bears in NY and across the northeastern United States using neutral markers to reveal differentiation and patterns of restricted gene flow that may pre-date historical human disturbances. Genetic connectivity across political borders supports previous hypotheses of bear movement that motivate continued monitoring and coordination between management units. Second, I developed a citizen science (CS) program and conducted simulations with a novel integrated model to assess the utility of opportunistic CS data in augmenting systematic data to estimate population parameters. Then, I estimated bear density and patterns in bear density, distribution, and occupancy related to landcover types in southern NY with systematic spatial capture-recapture, occupancy, and CS approaches from 2015-2018. Across years, mean predicted density was 7.3 bears /100 km2 (95% CI: 4.7 - 11.5) with population growth, survival, fecundity, and landcover patterns suggesting that bears may continue to expand into areas with more human-impacted landscapes. Accounting for dependence between collocated sampling methods increased overall detection probability and highlighted the importance of appropriate spatial scales of different sampling methods for inference on population density. These findings provide the first spatially explicit, non-harvest based estimates of black bear population patterns across southern NY, and offer insights into the design of large scale, multi-method, long term population monitoring.

Download or read book Patterns in Landscape wide Spatial Heterogeneity of American Black Bear Ursus Americanus Populations Identified Through Genetic and Noninvasive Approaches written by Catherine Sun and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Population-level patterns reflect the aggregation of individual-level movement, survival, and recruitment processes over a landscape. Estimating population density, distribution, and genetic structure is important for understanding species ecology, monitoring viability, and for developing effective management plans. Long-term monitoring is particularly necessary for detecting changes that have management implications. However, limited resources often impede the collection of sufficient high-resolution demographic data for robust population-level inferences, especially for species with extensive distributions and large ranges of individual movement. The American back bear (Ursus americanus) is a game species in New York (NY) that has been growing in abundance and expanding in distribution. However, robust knowledge of spatial variation in population density or genetic structure informative about current and future population trajectories is lacking. This research estimated patterns of landscape-wide spatial heterogeneity in NY bear populations using noninvasive, cost-efficient methods. First, I investigated the genetic structure of bears in NY and across the northeastern United States using neutral markers to reveal differentiation and patterns of restricted gene flow that may pre-date historical human disturbances. Genetic connectivity across political borders supports previous hypotheses of bear movement that motivate continued monitoring and coordination between management units. Second, I developed a citizen science (CS) program and conducted simulations with a novel integrated model to assess the utility of opportunistic CS data in augmenting systematic data to estimate population parameters. Then, I estimated bear density and patterns in bear density, distribution, and occupancy related to landcover types in southern NY with systematic spatial capture-recapture, occupancy, and CS approaches from 2015-2018. Across years, mean predicted density was 7.3 bears /100 km2 (95% CI: 4.7 - 11.5) with population growth, survival, fecundity, and landcover patterns suggesting that bears may continue to expand into areas with more human-impacted landscapes. Accounting for dependence between collocated sampling methods increased overall detection probability and highlighted the importance of appropriate spatial scales of different sampling methods for inference on population density. These findings provide the first spatially explicit, non-harvest based estimates of black bear population patterns across southern NY, and offer insights into the design of large scale, multi-method, long term population monitoring.

Download or read book Estimating Black Bear Population Density in the Southern Black Bear Range of New York with a Non invasive Genetic Spatial Capture recapture Study written by Catherine Sun and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Estimating population density and describing spatial patterns are important in conservation and management of wildlife populations. We conducted a non-invasive, genetic, spatial capture-recapture study of black bears (Ursus americanus) in a region of New York in 2011 and 2012 where its range has expanded in order to 1) estimate population density, 2) test for spatial patterns of range expansion related to landcover, and 3) evaluate patterns of genetic diversity. Estimated population density was 9 bears / 100 km2, low compared to other black bear populations in the U.S. We identified patterns in density and detection probability related to landcover types that differed from expected patterns of resource use. Genetic diversity was comparable to that of non-expanding black bear populations, but we also detected a potential signature of population admixture. In addition, we conducted simulations investigating the effects of different sampling designs on population estimation in large mammal studies. Spatially clustered sampling devices resulted in the most accurate and precise estimates, and performance differences between designs diminished as home range size increased.

Download or read book Ecological Effects of Development on American Black Bear written by Michael John Evans and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Habitat Suitability Index Models written by Lynn L. Rogers and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Phylogeography and Population Genomics of the American Black Bear Ursus Americanus written by Emily Elizabeth Puckett and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is one of the eight living species of Ursidae, and the only one to have speciated in North America (1.8 – 1.2 Mya). This dissertation investigates the contemporary population structure of American black bears across their range; and specifically asks how a translocation of bears affected the population genetics of individuals in the Central Interior Highlands. Black bear mitochondrial lineages began forming within the last 170 kya, whereas the eastern and western nuclear genomes diverged 67 kya. A third nuclear lineage was discovered in contemporary Alaska, which diverged from the eastern lineage 31 kya. These three lineages harbor nine genetic clusters, and potentially more in unsampled portions of the range. These nine clusters may represent evolutionary significant units for the species; however, more work would be needed before proposing taxonomic revisions. The regional population genetics of the Central Interior Highlands (Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, USA) showed that the majority of genetic diversity in contemporary populations of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains was introduced from Minnesota, USA and Manitoba, Canada during a translocation of bears from 1958 - 1968. Analyses also indicated that the contemporary Ozark and Ouachita populations were genetically differentiated. Additionally, bears that form a low diversity genetic cluster in Missouri were highly similar to bears from the Ozarks in genomic analyses, indicating a small founding population dispersed northwards following the reintroduction. Finally, I analyzed the accuracy and precision with which the natal location of a black bear may be identified using different inference methods and dataset compositions. While samples were estimated within 201 km of their sample site and with high precision, there was a low correlation between the state or province of sampling and that estimated. These results suggest caution when using genetic data for natal inference problems in cases for trade of wildlife products.

Download or read book Conservation Genetics of Black Bears in Arizona and Northern Mexico written by Angela Cora Varas-Nelson and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Because American black bears (Ursus americanus) are an important game species in Arizona and are endangered in México, an understanding of the population structure, gene flow, and connectivity are important for effective management. Black bears inhabit coniferous and broadleaf deciduous woodlands in southern Arizona and northern México, usually in sky islands (sky islands are mountains that rise from the desert and are isolated from each other). Because a single sky island is too small to support a viable bear population, black bears move through desert lowlands to reach other sky islands. My objective was to assess genetic structure, connectivity, and conservation implications for sky island black bears in southern Arizona and northern México. I addresses 4 components of bear ecology and genetics: a literature review of genetic information available for black bears in North America; the use of 2 mitochondrial DNA genes (Control Region and ATP synthase protein 8) to study the phylogenetic relationship of black bears from the sky islands of southern Arizona and northern México relative to all North America; the use of 10 microsatellite loci to detect the current genetic structure of black bears in the sky islands in Arizona and northern México; and the use of non-invasive samples collected from the field to determine bear density and population size for black bear in Sierra San Luis, Sonora, México. These studies provide information that can be used by biologists, land managers, and others to assist in the conservation of black bears and their habitat.

Download or read book The Importance of Multiple Study Areas in Landscape Genetics written by Ruth Short Bull and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I used individual-based landscape genetics analyses in 12 study areas in western Montana and northern Idaho to assess the influence of landscape features on gene flow among American black bears (Ursus americanus). I compared the influence of landscape features among the study areas, tested the effect of reducing the number loci on support for landscape genetic models, and examined possible explanations of why different landscape features were supported in the different study areas. To determine the influence of landscape features on gene flow, I examined the relationship between pair-wise genetic distances and ecological (cost) distances between individuals in each study area by applying a similar landscape genetic modeling approach as Cushman et al. (2006). Tests of isolation by distance (IBD) after removing landscape effects were non-significant in nearly all study areas. Five study areas had significant landscape genetic models (p 0.04) resulted in different significant landscape features using subsets of loci. The results suggest that researchers should subsample loci and use relatively low p-values (p

Download or read book Movement Genetic Structure and Space Use of Central Georgia Black Bears ursus Americanus as Influenced by a Highway Corridor written by Michael J Hooker and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT Georgia, USA has 3 American black bear populations. The least abundant of these is the Central Georgia Bear Population. Relatively low abundance, isolation from neighboring bear populations, and a proposed plan to widen a highway which bisects the range of the Central Georgia Bear Population are cause for concern. I used movement and genetic data to address these issues. I used GPS-tracking and dynamic Brownian bridge analysis to identify black bear highway crossings in Central Georgia and recommend placement for wildlife underpasses. I used microsatellite genotypes of Georgia black bears to determine the level of genetic separation among Georgia's bear populations. Results suggest a high degree of separation and low genetic diversity within the Central Georgia Bear Population. Lastly, I used GPS-tracking data to develop a step selection function of bear movement across Georgia's landscape and predict the likelihood of bears migrating to the Central Georgia Bear Population.

Download or read book Initial Density Estimates and Population Structure of the American Black Bear Ursus Americanus in Massachusetts USA written by Jacqueline Brooks and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Ecology and Behaviour of North American Black Bears written by Roger A. Powell and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1997 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What main factors affect mammalian home range size and dynamics? To what extent do constraints on home range characteristics vary between the sexes? This book aims to address these issues by concentrating the authors' expertise and experience in studies of home ranges in general and focusing on their studies of black bears of the Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, in particular. The authors provide an overview of the black bears and methods for their study before discussing concepts of home range, developing predictive habitat quality models, addressing influences of food production on social organization and exploring the mating behaviour of male bears.

Download or read book Ecology and Structure of Black Bear Ursus Americanus Populations in the Interior Highlands of Arkansas written by Thea Vandervelde Kristensen and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Interior Highlands of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, overharvest, extensive logging, and reductions of habitat availability by other means contributed to the decline of black bears (Ursus americanus). Bears were extirpated from the majority of the region by the 1940's Oklahoma by 1915 and from Missouri by 1931. From 1958-1968, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission undertook a reintroduction to the Ouachita and the Ozark National Forests in Arkansas. The successful growth and expansion of the released population caused these efforts to be considered one of the most successful reintroductions of carnivores. In this dissertation, I sought to examine the current population size and density of bears in the Ouachita and the Ozark National Forests in Arkansas and to explore how dispersal patterns are influenced by population expansion. Density estimates are comparable to or above previous estimates done in the late 1980's/early 1990's. The population appears to have maintained or exceeded previous density estimates. There was evidence for female philopatry in both source and expanding populations, with relatedness declining with distance until about 30 km. In recently expanding populations, male-male dyads followed a similar pattern to female-female dyads with relatedness decreasing with distance. Female-female dyads in expanding populations also had higher levels of closely related dyads than female-female dyads in source populations. Only in recent years have large predator reintroductions been actively pursued and the goals of restoring a functional ecosystem been approached. The genetics of reintroduction and dispersal received research attention even more recently. Dispersal and gene flow into and out of populations, a process called connectivity, fundamentally shape wildlife distribution and abundance across the landscape. Connectivity determines taxonomic distinctiveness, colonization of new sites, and persistence of both local populations and metapopulations of linked populations. With measures of connectivity in hand, we can better understand the role it plays for a particular wildlife species, and predict the consequences of changes in a human-altered landscape.

Download or read book Efficacy of DNA Sampling to Monitor Population Abundance of Black Bears in the Southern Appalachians written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American black bear (Ursus americanus) in the southern Appalachians has been the subject of intensive research. In particular, the focus has been on population monitoring using livecapture [sic], bait stations, harvest records, and radio-active [sic] feces tagging. Genetic (DNA) sampling for mark-recapture is an emerging technique for estimating population abundance, but the efficacy of various sampling regimes for estimating populations of different densities has not been established. I conducted a pilot study to determine whether genetic sampling for population estimation is feasible to monitor black bear abundance in the southern Appalachians and to develop appropriate sampling regimes to obtain desired levels of precision. Specifically, I investigated how the density of sampling sites, number of samples analyzed, and sampling duration affect the accuracy and precision of population estimates. Research was conducted for 10 weeks from 9 June to 15 August 2003 on 2 study areas: a high-density black bear population in a portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the national park study area), and a lower-density black bear population on national forest lands in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia (the national forest study area). DNA was extracted from hair collected from baited barbed-wire enclosures. The average number of hair-capture sites within a typical female home range was 2.71 and 2.48 for the national park and national forest study areas, respectively. Twenty-five hair samples/week were randomly chosen for DNA analysis. Individuals were identified by their unique genetic profile obtained from 9 to10 microsatellite loci. I identified 129 and 60 individual bears in the national park and national forest study area, respectively. Reductions in site density, subsample intensity, or sampling duration tended to produce low, heterogeneous capture probabilities, resulting in unreliable population estimates. Sample sizes and capture probabilities were smaller and population estimates decreased as the 3 factors were reduced. Those trends were particularly apparent for the national park study area, where capture probabilities were particularly low. The combination of small sample sizes and heterogeneous capture probabilities likely were a result of an insufficient number of hair-capture sites and number of analyzed hair samples relative to the size of the sampled population. Increasing these 2 factors likely would increase sample sizes and capture probabilities and reduce heterogeneity of capture probabilities present in the data. However, increasing the number of analyzed samples also would increase costs. Because pooled sampling periods increased capture probabilities, I selected a pooled configuration for population estimation that yielded relatively high capture probabilities (3 periods comprised of 3 weeks each). I used the heterogeneity model M[subscript h] Chao, which produced an estimate of 292 bears (95% CI = 214-435) for the national park study area and 98 bears (95% CI = 76-149) for the national forest study area (density = 1.83 bears/km2 and 0.30 bears/km2, respectively). My results indicate that effective implementation for black bear population estimation requires careful consideration of study design. Capture probabilities of [greater than or equal to] 20% are required to minimize bias, and this would be best achieved by analyzing more subsamples from a greater density of hair-capture sites, particularly in high-density populations. I recommend [greater than or equal to] 4 hair-capture sites/female home range to reduce heterogeneity and a sampling duration of 6-8 weeks to reduce violation of geographic closure. In the national forest study area reasonably unbiased population estimates were achieved with 20-hair samples/week, but as many as 40-hair samples/week may be required to produce reliable estimates for the national park study area.

Download or read book Bears of the World written by Vincenzo Penteriani and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-11-30 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bears have fascinated people since ancient times. The relationship between bears and humans dates back thousands of years, during which time we have also competed with bears for shelter and food. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats, climate change, and illegal trade in their body parts, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bears as vulnerable or endangered, and even the least concern species, such as the brown bear, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations are prohibited, but still ongoing. Covering all bears species worldwide, this beautifully illustrated volume brings together the contributions of 200 international bear experts on the ecology, conservation status, and management of the Ursidae family. It reveals the fascinating long history of interactions between humans and bears and the threats affecting these charismatic species.

Download or read book Population Genetic and Behavioral Studies of Black Bears Ursus Americanus in Southeast Alaska written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I studied population, genetic and behavioral aspects of black bear ( Ursus americanus) in the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska. At a landscape level, I used population genetics to investigate black bear movement in the Alexander Archipelago and mainland of Southeast Alaska. I found that geographic structure defined by salt water and glaciers curtails black bear movement, to the extent that most regions have significantly genetically differentiated black bear populations. I found that black bears in Southeast Alaska cluster into seven genetic types. I also found that two larger, nuclear genetic clusters of black bears in Southeast Alaska correspond, geographically, to the two ancient mitochondrial lineages of black bears. This perhaps indicates that the nuclear genome retains a genetic signature of the secondary contact of these two lineages. I also studied black bear vagility on a much smaller scale---at the level of riparian areas of salmon spawning streams. I used genetic tagging to demonstrate that the group of bears using these streams is in demographic flux throughout the course of the salmon stream, and that a high number of individual bears use these streams. The persistence of intact salmon streams in Southeast Alaska likely contributes to high black bear population density. In a final aspect of my dissertation research, I used tetracycline biomarking to estimate the population size of black bears on Kuiu Island to be 1.5 bears/km2. This estimate is among the highest recorded bear densities.

Download or read book Landscape Genetics of Black Bears Ursus Americanus on the Kenai Peninsula Alaska written by Stacie Joy Robinson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Context Matters for Black Bears written by Jennifer B. Smith and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: