Abstract
Habitat selection is critical to informing wildlife management and conservation. However, different behaviors require the use of different habitat components. Not considering different behavioral states in habitat selection analyses can overlook factors influencing selection and misinterpretation of direction and strength of selection. We investigated how behavioral states influence habitat selection in female wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). Our objective was to expand the understanding of trade-offs animals make to meet their physiological requirements in a heterogeneous landscape. We visited bison and random locations, to quantify forest vegetation structure and nutritional components of bison’s habitat. Bison locations were classified as foraging (23%), traveling (58%), or bedding (20%) based on signs of these behaviors. We then used resource selection functions to evaluate habitat preferences for each behavioral state and all bison locations. All behaviors indicated selection for open habitats consistent with what would be expected for this species. However, traveling and bedding activities were in areas with drier soils, while foraging activities selected for wetter soils. As expected, foraging sites also had plants with more crude protein and digestible energy. Traveling sites also had vegetation with significantly more crude protein than random locations. Our results highlight the importance of upland habitats for wood bison in boreal forests for particular behaviors and nutrition. We suggest consideration of multiple behavioral states when assessing habitat suitability. These considerations are especially important when evaluating habitat for reintroductions and/or habitat reclamation.
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Acknowledgements
We thank A. Sheppard, A. Coley, D. Epperson, G. Rawleigh, L. Dewart, N. Josephs, and R. Belanger for their assistance in collecting the field data. We appreciate and acknowledge the support and contributions of the Ronald Lake Bison Population Technical Team and local Indigenous communities: Treaty 8 First Nations (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort McMurray #468 First Nation, and Fort McKay First Nation) and Métis Indigenous groups (Fort Chipewyan Métis Local 125, Fort McMurray Métis Local 1935, Fort McKay Métis Local 63, and Lakeland Métis Local 1909). We would also like to thank the reviewers, T. Jung and D. Fortin, for their time and diligence, which contributed to the improvement of this manuscript.
Funding
Primary funding for this research was provided by a grant obtained from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (396164075), which was matched in-kind by Teck Resources Limited. Partial financial support was received from the Alberta Conservation Association, Northern Scientific Training Program, and the University of Alberta Northern Research Awards.
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All authors contributed equally to conceiving the broad conceptual idea of this research. L. J. H. conducted the fieldwork, managed and analyzed the data, acquired the secondary funding, and wrote the manuscript. M. A. E. and S. E. N. acquired the primary funding, provided insight and guidance throughout the research process, and critically assessed and edited the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the research.
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We received animal ethics approval from the University of Alberta’s Animal Care and Use Committee (AUP00002811).
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Communicated by: Rafał Kowalczyk
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Hecker, L.J., Edwards, M.A. & Nielsen, S.E. Behavioral habitat selection of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) in boreal forests. Mamm Res 68, 341–353 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-023-00677-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-023-00677-3