Download or read book Modeling Moose Habitat Use and Fitness Consequences of Habitat Selection in Vermont USA written by Joshua Alexander Blouin and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The moose (Alces alces) population has been declining across the northeastern US largely due to the impacts of winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus). In epizootic years, an individual moose can host a staggering number of ticks (> 60,000), affecting both survival and reproduction. Habitat management may be used to improve the status of the moose population and health of individuals, but this requires knowledge of key habitat types used by moose and their spatial distribution. We investigated 1) habitat use by moose and 2) the fitness consequences of habitat selection during two critical winter tick life stages in northeastern Vermont. To assess habitat use, we combined more than 41,000 moose locations collected from radio-collared individuals (n = 74), recent land cover data, and high resolution, three-dimensional lidar data to develop Resource Utilization Functions that linked home range use to habitat characteristics by age, season, and sex. In general, the home ranges of female moose had proportionally more regenerative forest and canopy structure, while male home ranges consisted of mixed forests at higher elevations. Winter ticks tend to be fairly immobile throughout all life stages, and therefore their distribution patterns at any given time are shaped by the occurrence of moose across the landscape during the peak of two critical time periods: fall questing (when ticks latch onto a moose) and spring drop-off (when engorged female ticks detach from moose). We used a dynamic occupancy modeling framework to estimate habitat selection of female moose (n = 74) during these periods. Further, we investigated if habitat selection decisions made by adult females during the fall questing period influenced the survival of their offspring through the winter. Adult females whose offspring perished selected habitats during the questing period that were characterized by higher proportions of young mixed forests at higher elevations. In contrast, adult females whose offspring survived selected areas characterized by young deciduous habitats and higher proportions of mature evergreens forests and wetlands at lower elevations. The resulting maps of habitat use and resource selection define "hotspots" that are likely encouraging the deleterious effects of the tick-moose cycle. These hotspots presumably reflect areas with the highest moose and winter tick densities, which may be targeted for future management actions such as hunter harvest to reduce moose density and habitat manipulation or application of experimental treatments (e.g., fungus-based biopesticides) to reduce tick density. This study provides new information and tools that may help managers disrupt the tick-moose cycle and promote heathier and more persistent populations across the region.

Download or read book Socio ecological Drivers of Resource Selection and Habitat Use by Moose in Interior Alaska written by Casey L. Brown and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainably managing wildlife with diverse utilization values is one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary wildlife management. These challenges can be amplified under changing environmental and socio-economic conditions. In Alaska, boreal forest systems are experiencing rapid change as a result of climate warming. Alaska’s boreal region has warmed twice as rapidly as the global average, affecting a host of processes including an increase in wildfire frequency, extent, and severity. Wildfire is the most common ecological disturbance in the Alaskan boreal forest and an important driver of landscape heterogeneity, burning on average 1 to 2 million acres per year. Fire severity is a particularly important factor dictating the regeneration of deciduous species, and one that can influence the overall quality of habitat for herbivores, such as moose (Alces alces). However, the relationships between the availability and duration of biomass production and moose habitat selection are largely unknown. Additionally, the effects of fire on wildlife resources in Alaska can have important consequences for boreal social-ecological systems as well. Fire-related changes to the community composition of forest stands would likely affect the densities of species that human communities rely on for hunting and trapping. In Interior Alaska, where natural wildfire is the primary means of increased browse production for moose, managers may want to consider incorporating burns into management plans while paying particular attention to hunter accessibility. However, an increase in hunter activity into moose habitat could result in changes to moose distribution and activity patterns near trails and roads. To examine these questions I utilized telemetry data from 26 moose along with methods in spatial ecology, plant-animal interactions, resource selection and human dimensions of wildlife research to predict the influence of an ecological disturbance (fire) and an anthropogenic disturbance (hunter activity) on moose habitat use. I used dynamic Brownian bridge movement models (dBBMM) in conjunction with browse assessment surveys to examine how fire severity, via its control over vegetation composition, forage production and nutritional quality, affect habitat use patterns of moose across their seasonal home ranges and core use areas. To assess the effects of hunter activity on moose habitat use, I created fine-scale stepselection models to test whether habitat selection and movement patterns were affected by spatio-temporal variation in risk from hunting activity. Additionally, from August-October, I used a camera trap array to collect field data on human activity (off-road vehicles, automobiles, 4x4 trucks, dirt bikes, and hunters afoot) together with the RandomForests algorithm to create high-resolution hunter distribution models. Finally, to integrate my research within a socialecological framework, I examined the interactions between wildfire, forage production and hunter access on management scenarios overtime. In winter, moose preferred low-severity sites more than high and moderate-severity sites, but in summer, moose selected for high-severity sites. Forage biomass production ranged from 62 to 243 kg/ha/yr across all sites during winter within the Hajdukovich Creek Burn, but production and availability varied depending on fire severity and browse species. These results indicate that differing distributions of wildfire severity across a landscape can create a dynamic, mosaic of habitat patches that may optimize and extend the value of burns over time for moose. I found that while moose selected habitat closer to trails and roads, they also avoided areas with more hunting activity. Finally, my management scenarios provide a framework for managers to adapt goals and actions to changing conditions that can affect moose-hunter systems. I recommend that wildlife conservation and management decisions consider these methods as we seek to sustainably manage wildlife for future generations during a time of rapid socio-ecological change in Alaska.

Download or read book Winter Habitat Selection Winter Diet and Seasonal Distribution Mapping of Moose Alces Alces Shirasi in Southeastern Wyoming written by Phillip E. Baigas and published by ProQuest. This book was released on 2008 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winter (01 Jan - 15 Apr) habitat selection by Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) within individual home ranges was investigated using global positioning (GPS) collars on 23 adults (7 M, 16 F) during 2 winters (2005, 2006) of differing snow pack in the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow mountains, southeastern Wyoming. Although wide variation was observed among animals, moose commonly selected for riparian shrub, deciduous forest, and mixed forest cover types. Mixed mountain shrub was occupied extensively by several moose and was used more often towards the end of winter, as moose tended to minimize movements and increasingly use other cover types in place of riparian shrub. Differences in selection ratios between sexes were not detected for any cover type and differences between years were minimal among moose collared both winters. Diets of moose during winter were also investigated through fecal analysis. Willow (Salix spp) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) composed a mean 60% and 30% of moose diets, respectively, with the remaining 10% comprised mostly antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), or Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia). Diets were more diverse in the year of less snow pack. Patterns of habitat selection by collared moose did not differ between winters, as would be expected if forage availability differed considerably between years. This was likely because moose GPS locations did not overlap fecal collection sites and forage item selection within those sites occurs at a different scale than the selection of cover types within home ranges. A literature-based winter habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed from common geographic information system (GIS) layers and scrutinized with GPS locations of sampled moose. However, the HSI model was poorly predictive of winter habitat occupancy. More accurate resource selection function (RSF) models were constructed by integrating moose GPS locations with more refined GIS data layers. Numerous vegetative, topographic and distance variables were calculated across the study area and were used in a forward stepwise general linear regression model to identify important components of moose habitat during winter and non-winter seasons. Distance to forest edge and distance to deciduous forest were significant predictors in both seasons. Slope also influenced habitat use year-round, although slope2 was a factor in the winter model. While distance to riparian shrub was predictive of moose habitat occupancy during winter, the total area of riparian shrub within a circular 1 km radius was a better determinant of summer habitat use. The combination of variables in the winter model accounts for the distribution of willow, subalpine fir, mountain mahogany and antelope bitterbrush, in proximity to forest cover. The non-winter model demonstrated the nearly exclusive importance of riparian shrub habitat in proximity to thermal cover across a wider range of elevations than during winter. A technique was employed to make spatial calculations of the potential range capacity for moose using the winter RSF map predictions observed within individual moose winter home ranges. A wide range of capacity estimates were computed by adjusting the minimum habitat quality and maximum size parameters observed in moose winter ranges. Because not all moose are energetically capable of occupying the maximum observed home range size or competing for the highest quality habitat, more sensible estimates were produced using the mean winter home range quality and size inputs.

Download or read book The Effect of Thermoregulation and Roads on the Movements and Habitat Selection of Moose in Massachusetts written by David William Wattles and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Massachusetts, U.S.A. is located along the southern boundary of the geographic range of moose (Alces alces) in North America. This is an atypical environment for moose, because of its extremely high levels of human development and high year-round temperatures, which are possibly at the limits of moose physiological tolerances. I investigated the role of these two factors on moose movements and habitat selection to determine how human development of the landscape and temperature influence moose occupation of this extreme environment. In addition, the response of moose to these factors provides insights into the influence of development and temperature on individual fitness and population persistence. Thermal conditions in Massachusetts were consistently higher than the reported physiological tolerances of moose, and higher than parts of the range where high temperatures have negatively affected moose reproduction and survival. Moose greatly reduced their selection of open foraging habitat and increased selection for thermal shelters as temperatures increased above upper critical limits; this same pattern was apparent when comparing day (warmer) to night (cooler) activities. A strong transition in the use of habitats occurred at dawn and dusk, which corresponded to peaks in hourly movement rates at these times, indicating a transition in state from foraging at night to bedding during the day. The ability of moose to adapt to this extreme thermal environment through thermoregulatory behaviors reveals the limitations of predicting species distributions based solely on theoretical temperature tolerances. Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs) per-capita moose and resulting human fatalities. The majority (86%) of MVCs occurred on roads with high speed limits and traffic volumes, and occurred on these roads at much higher rates than would be predicted based on their availability on the landscape. The dense road network in Massachusetts had a strong negative effect on the movements and habitat selection patterns of moose. Moose avoided crossing roads and greatly reduced their use near roads. Road avoidance increased with increasing disturbance intensity associated with higher traffic volumes and busier times of day. Roadways reduced habitat availability and connectivity, were a major source of additive mortality for moose.

Download or read book Habitat Use and Selection by Male and Female Moose Alces Alces in a Boreal Landscape written by Alice M. McCulley and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Moose (Alces alces) is a keystone species in boreal landscapes. I quantified seasonal range sizes, movement rates, and use of elevation and land cover for male and female moose in south-central Yukon. I used individual and pooled resource selection functions to define the influence of land cover, topography, predation risk, and harvest vulnerability on habitat selection. Seasonal changes affected use and selection more than gender or reproductive status (females with and without calves). High use and positive selection for shrub-dominated land-cover classes by all individuals in all seasons affirmed forage as a primary force driving seasonal selection patterns. Variation in selection among individuals was highest during the growing seasons and least during late winter, when options were constrained by climatic factors. These findings from telemetered moose generally corresponded with models based on local knowledge-based habitat suitability indices and post-rut locations from aerial surveys; and they contribute to land-use planning processes."--Leaf ii.

Download or read book Habitat Use and Selection by Male and Female Moose Alces Alces in a Boreal Landscape written by Alice McCulley and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moose (Alces alces) is a keystone species in boreal landscapes. I quantified seasonal range sizes, movement rates, and use of elevation and land cover for male and female moose in south-central Yukon. I used individual and pooled resource selection functions to define the influence of land cover, topography, predation risk, and harvest vulnerability on habitat selection. Seasonal changes affected use and selection more than gender or reproductive status (females with and without calves). High use and positive selection for shrub-dominated land-cover classes by all individuals in all seasons affirmed forage as a primary force driving seasonal selection patterns. Variation in selection among individuals was highest during the growing seasons and least during late winter, when options were constrained by climatic factors. These findings from telemetered moose generally corresponded with models based on local knowledge-based habitat suitability indices and post-rut locations from aerial surveys and they contribute to land-use planning processes. --Leaf ii.

Download or read book Application of a Moose Habitat Suitability Index Model to Wildlife Management Units in Vermont written by Ky B. Koitzsch and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Energetics and Space Use of Female Moose During Winter written by Benjamin Robert Kraft and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Space use and resource selection are processes linked by habitat availability that have direct consequences to fitness. Knowledge of such processes allows comprehension of wildlife-habitat relationships, which can improve the efficacy of wildlife management programs. I investigated energetic and space use parameters of a population of female moose wintering in two adjacent, but distinct, landscape types (lowlands and mountains) on the Kenai Peninsula, AK, USA. I also evaluated differences between four home range models. I found that mountain females started winter in better condition, but used fat reserves at a higher rate than lowland females resulting in similar body condition estimates of moose in both landscape types in spring. I also found evidence of the functional response of habitat selection at the home range scale within landscape types. I observed a strong positive correlation between daily movement rate and home range size indicating that when females move during winter, they do so to access new areas expanding their home range. Brownian bridge, minimum convex polygon, fixed kernel, and local convex hull home range models produced different area and overlap estimates. Minimum convex polygons are least similar of model types and are not recommended to estimate areas actually used by animals.

Download or read book Wildlife Science Inclusive of Local Priorities and Knowledge Co production written by Eleanor Stern and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Inclusion of Indigenous knowledge about wildlife populations and their habitats can inform wildlife research, while also increasing local engagement and support for wildlife conservation decisions. Boreal forest land use and forestry practices have direct and indirect impacts on ecosystems and Indigenous communities. Eeyou Istchee, the Cree traditional territory in Northern Quebec, Canada, includes areas that are significantly impacted by forestry activities. Concerns have been raised about the impact of these forestry activities on moose, a wildlife species that is vitally important to Cree culture and food security. The Adapted Forestry Regime (AFR) was enacted in 2002 to better integrate Cree concerns and community participation in forestry practices and management. Included within this regime was the identification of Sites of Special Wildlife Interest to the Cree (25% areas), where forestry would be specially managed to reduce negative impacts of logging on wildlife, including moose. In this thesis I contribute a systematic review of the methods, successes, and limitations defining past attempts at experiential wildlife knowledge inclusion and through a case study evaluating the effects of an adapted forest regime on moose habitat selection informed by Cree knowledge. Chapter 1 presents a systematic review of methods reported in peer-reviewed literature to interweave local, expert, and Indigenous knowledge into quantitative modeling in wildlife analyses. This kind of knowledge interweaving can help to increase applicability, trust, and equity in wildlife science and management while also potentially increasing accuracy and transferability. We reviewed 49 articles and reported on the methodologies employed in knowledge holder selection, their stages of involvement, knowledge elicitation, modeling processes, bias and uncertainty management, and validation. We conclude with six key identified benefits, limitations, and recommended improvements for future analyses that interweave knowledge into quantitative science.Chapter 2 assesses moose habitat selection in the AFR informed by Cree expert knowledge retrieved from semi-structured interviews in the form of habitat relationships that were used to determine the variables explored in the model; land cover, elevation, distance to water, road density, and 25% areas were chosen for analysis based on recurring topics brought up by Cree experts that aligned with available data. We performed home range analysis, Generalized Linear Model analysis to assess habitat selection, and Resource Selection Function analyses to assess how moose used habitat features relative to availability. We ran models for mid-summer and mid-winter for 38 female moose fitted with GPS collars. Moose selected for 25% areas in both seasons. In summer, moose selected small islands, thinned forests (regenerating stands after forestry disturbance that have had brush cutting recently performed), coniferous forest with fir, and flood zones, while in winter moose selected mixedwood and deciduous forest. In both seasons, moose selected midland and upland terrain while avoiding lowlands. Moose tended to use sites regenerating post-forestry either similarly to, or more than sites regenerating from natural disturbance, although selection was less than for preferred intact stands. Through these analyses, I provide the first assessment of moose use of the 25% areas and quantify use of logged stands in the AFR, informed by and reflective of Cree Knowledge, highlighting the importance of a multi-season and multi-knowledge approach to assess the influence of an adapted forestry regime on the evolution of moose habitat quality. By illustrating how Cree knowledge can inform a quantitative analysis of moose habitat selection related to a local knowledge priority, this thesis represents a step towards a knowledge co-production approach that can improve the credibility, saliency, and legitimacy of research findings"--

Download or read book Evaluating Habitat Use of Female Moose in Response to Large Scale Salvage Logging Practices in British Columbia Canada written by Alexandra Francis and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Global biodiversity is in decline as a result of unprecedented human alterations to the earth's land cover. Understanding the ecological mechanisms of these large-scale changes in biodiversity is imperative in furthering our knowledge on the effects these alterations may have on animal behaviour and consequently on populations, allowing researchers and managers to effectively conserve species. During the last decade, there have been reports of moose populations both increasing and decreasing in North America due to a variety of factors (e.g., climate change, habitat disturbance, disease, etc.). Within British Columbia, wildlife managers have reported moose population declines of up to 50 - 70%, while other areas have remained stable. These changes have coincided, spatially and temporally, with the largest recorded mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak. The outbreak resulted in extensive logging and road building in attempts to recover economic value from the beetle killed trees, resulting in drastic changes to the landscape. Understanding the effects that a highly disturbed landscape has on a species is critical for effective management and conservation. To investigate this, I examined the seasonal response of female moose to landscape change caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak and attendant salvage logging infrastructure in the Interior of British Columbia on the Bonaparte Plateau. First, I used a cluster analysis framework to develop biologically relevant seasons for female moose using individual movement and habitat use. I then used this temporal framework to develop seasonal home ranges for each individual moose. Second, I modeled the seasonal habitat selection of female moose to examine how moose respond to salvage logging infrastructure (i.e., dense road network and extensive cutblocks) using resource selection functions in an information-theoretic framework. We tested whether predation risk, forage availability or the cumulative effects of salvage logging best predicted moose space-use. Moose movement data clustered into five biologically relevant seasons, which were consistent with our biological and ecological knowledge of moose in the study area; however, these seasons and the size of the range differed from other seasons defined using alternative methods in the region. Across all seasons, the cumulative effects of forage availability and risk best predicted female moose distribution. In the calving and fall seasons, the top risk model best predicted moose habitat selection while the top forage availability model better explained moose habitat selection in spring, summer, and winter. Our results identified the importance of defining biological seasons using empirical data and how these seasons can differ from arbitrarily defined seasons, as well as the implications these can have in subsequent analysis and management. Additionally, we found that moose are seasonally trading the benefits of foraging for predation risk in these highly disturbed landscapes, using some aspects of salvage logging. My results bring perspective on how moose are using a highly disturbed landscape at the seasonal scale and a nuanced approach to landscape management.

Download or read book Habitat Selection Condition and Survival of Shiras Moose in Northwest Wyoming written by Scott A. Becker and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seasonal movements, habitat selection, physiological health, and demography of Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) were studied in the Jackson Valley of northwest Wyoming. Moose congregated on low-elevation ranges during winter and migrated to more dispersed, mid-elevation ranges during summer. Moose selected winter habitat dominated by deciduous shrubs, whereas they selected summer habitat that was more variable. Blood parameters indicated that moose were in moderate physical condition. Ultrasonic rump fat measurements were relatively high, but there were indications of nutritional deficiencies. Diseases and parasites appeared to have minimal population-level effects. Population modeling suggested that the moose population was more likely to be declining than stable or increasing and the population growth rate was influenced primarily by late-winter and early-spring adult female mortality. Pregnancy rates were high, but calf production was relatively low. Neonate and annual calf survival were relatively high. Habitat quality appeared to be the primary factor limiting population growth while the effects of predation appeared to be less important.

Download or read book Habitat Selection and Sightability of Moose in Southeast Alaska written by Susan A. Oehlers and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "We examined the role of scale and sex in habitat selection by radiocollared Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) on the Yakutat forelands, Alaska, USA. We used conditional logistic regression to quantify differences in habitats selected between sexes and seasons at 3 different spatial scales (250, 500, and 1000 m), and multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP) to test for differences in spatial distribution between the sexes. Sexes selected for habitats similarly during the mating season, when sexes generally were aggregated, whereas sexes exhibited differential habitat selection during the non-mating season when sexes were segregated. Both sexes selected habitats at the 1000 m scale; models limited to 2 variables, however, demonstrated differences in scales selected by the sexes. There was a significant difference between male and female spatial distribution during all months (MRPP; P

Download or read book The Scientific Basis for Conserving Forest Carnivores written by Leonard F. Ruggiero and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This cooperative effort by USDA Forest Service Research and the National Forest System assesses the state of knowledge related to the conservation status of four forest carnivores in the western United States: American marten, fisher, lynx, and wolverine. The conservation assessment reviews the biology and ecology of these species. It also discusses management considerations stemming from what is known and identifies information needed. Overall, we found huge knowledge gaps that make it difficult to evaluate the species' conservation status.

Download or read book Wildlife Habitat Management written by Brenda C. McComb and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2007-06-20 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, conflicts between ecological conservation and economic growth forced a reassessment of the motivations and goals of wildlife and forestry management. Focus shifted from game and commodity management to biodiversity conservation and ecological forestry. Previously separate fields such as forestry, biology, botany, and zoology merged

Download or read book Spreadsheet Exercises in Ecology and Evolution written by Therese Marie Donovan and published by Sinauer Associates Incorporated. This book was released on 2002 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The exercises in this unique book allow students to use spreadsheet programs such as Microsoftr Excel to create working population models. The book contains basic spreadsheet exercises that explicate the concepts of statistical distributions, hypothesis testing and power, sampling techniques, and Leslie matrices. It contains exercises for modeling such crucial factors as population growth, life histories, reproductive success, demographic stochasticity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, metapopulation dynamics, predator-prey interactions (Lotka-Volterra models), and many others. Building models using these exercises gives students "hands-on" information about what parameters are important in each model, how different parameters relate to each other, and how changing the parameters affects outcomes. The "mystery" of the mathematics dissolves as the spreadsheets produce tangible graphic results. Each exercise grew from hands-on use in the authors' classrooms. Each begins with a list of objectives, background information that includes standard mathematical formulae, and annotated step-by-step instructions for using this information to create a working model. Students then examine how changing the parameters affects model outcomes and, through a set of guided questions, are challenged to develop their models further. In the process, they become proficient with many of the functions available on spreadsheet programs and learn to write and use complex but useful macros. Spreadsheet Exercises in Ecology and Evolution can be used independently as the basis of a course in quantitative ecology and its applications or as an invaluable supplement to undergraduate textbooks in ecology, population biology, evolution, and population genetics.

Download or read book Mapping Vermont s Natural Heritage written by Jens Hawkins-Hilke and published by . This book was released on 2018-11-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A mapping and conservation guide for municipal and regional planners in Vermont

Download or read book Monitoring Animal Populations and Their Habitats written by Brenda McComb and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2010-03-11 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the face of so many unprecedented changes in our environment, the pressure is on scientists to lead the way toward a more sustainable future. Written by a team of ecologists, Monitoring Animal Populations and Their Habitats: A Practitioner’s Guide provides a framework that natural resource managers and researchers can use to design monitoring programs that will benefit future generations by distilling the information needed to make informed decisions. In addition, this text is valuable for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses that are focused on monitoring animal populations. With the aid of more than 90 illustrations and a four-page color insert, this book offers practical guidance for the entire monitoring process, from incorporating stakeholder input and data collection, to data management, analysis, and reporting. It establishes the basis for why, what, how, where, and when monitoring should be conducted; describes how to analyze and interpret the data; explains how to budget for monitoring efforts; and discusses how to assemble reports of use in decision-making. The book takes a multi-scaled and multi-taxa approach, focusing on monitoring vertebrate populations and upland habitats, but the recommendations and suggestions presented are applicable to a variety of monitoring programs. Lastly, the book explores the future of monitoring techniques, enabling researchers to better plan for the future of wildlife populations and their habitats. Monitoring Animal Populations and Their Habitats: A Practitioner’s Guide furthers the goal of achieving a world in which biodiversity is allowed to evolve and flourish in the face of such uncertainties as climate change, invasive species proliferation, land use expansion, and population growth.