This study examined interactions between visitors and mountain goats on the most heavily used trail in Glacier National Park. The primary objective was to give park managers a baseline of unbiased, reliable data with which to make informed decisions and improve the quality of interactions between visitors and mountain goats. Secondarily, this research was intended to achieve a thorough understanding of both human and wildlife responses during interactions on publically protected lands.
The study was conducted over a two month period during the summer of 2013, and it was purely observational. Observations were recorded five days a week for approximately six hours each day, between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. Focal sampling and scan sampling methods were used to collect data on goat and visitor behaviors as well as emotional responses. Information was also collected on setting attributes (e.g. weather, time), the duration of interactions, the distance between mountain goats and visitors and the elevation of mountain goats relative to visitors.
Results show that mountain goats along Hidden Lake Trail exhibited significantly different behaviors during interactions compared to when no interaction was occurring. In addition, the behaviors that mountain goats exhibited more frequently during interactions were more energy costly. Negative interactions occurred 42% of the time, but typically only one negative behavior was observed in these interactions, and the behavior was low in intensity. The likelihood of an interaction occurring was largely influenced by environmental variables such as weather, time of day and the location of mountain goats relative to visitors, while the duration of interactions was affected by the number of mountain goats present and the elevation of mountain goats relative to visitors. Ninety percent of all interactions were emotional experiences for visitors, and 95% of the emotions exhibited were positive in nature. Emotional responses varied based on the distance between mountain goats and visitors, time of day, weather, visitor group composition and the number of mountain goat kids present. Twelve emotional responses (both positive and negative) were also significantly correlated with duration.
These findings illustrate the importance of understanding both wildlife and human responses, including emotional responses during interactions. Without the awareness of both, our knowledge is incomplete and effective management decisions cannot be made.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MONTANA/oai:etd.lib.umt.edu:etd-05212014-194321 |
| Date | 03 June 2014 |
| Creators | Markegard, Sarah Ilene |
| Contributors | Wayne Freimund, Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf, Paul M. Lukacs |
| Publisher | The University of Montana |
| Source Sets | University of Montana Missoula |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-05212014-194321/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Montana or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
Page generated in 0.002 seconds