An abrupt interface between mountains and prairies in southwestern Alberta means wilderness areas and carnivore populations overlap cattle grazing lands. Consequently, there is concern about the effects of large carnivores, especially wolves, on livestock. I used GPS clusters and scat samples to determine year-round wolf diets in this region. Both methods indicated a significant seasonal shift in wolf diets from wild prey during the non-grazing season to cattle in the grazing season. The GPS cluster method effectively identified wolf kills but this method relies on telemetry with high accuracy and precision. In southwestern Alberta, Argos satellite radicollars have been used extensively by wildlife managers. I compare how differences in precision between GPS and Argos technologies affect the estimation of habitat-selection models. Differences in accuracy and precision can lead to erroneous conclusions about animal selection of habitat. / Ecology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:AEU.10048/1243 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Morehouse, Andrea |
| Contributors | Boyce, Mark S. (Biological Sciences), Cassady St. Clair, Colleen (Biological Sciences), Foote, Lee (Renewable Resources) |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 748491 bytes, application/pdf |
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