Abstract
Dens are a focal point in the life history and ecology of gray wolves (Canis lupus), and their location can influence access to key resources, productivity, survivorship, and vulnerability to hunting, trapping, and control efforts. We analyzed the selection of den sites and the phenology of their use inside the Yukon-Charley River National Preserve from 1993 to 2017 to enhance our understanding of this resource. At the landscape scale, we found that wolves in east-central Alaska selected den sites that were lower in elevation, snow free earlier in the spring, exposed to greater solar radiation, and closer to water. Den sites were also associated with areas that had burned less recently and had lower terrain ruggedness at the 1 km scale. These results supported our hypothesis that wolves would den relatively close to essential resources (water and prey) and in areas that are drier (melt earlier) in the spring. At the home range scale, wolves also selected den sites at lower elevations and showed a strong selection for the center of their home range. Furthermore, the average distance between active den sites was 37.3 km, which is slightly greater than the average radius (32.5 km) of a home range of a pack. Our results support our hypothesis that dynamic social factors modulate the selection of environmental factors for den site location. Wolves den away from other packs to reduce competition and exposure to intraspecific conflict. High-quality denning habitat does not currently appear to be a limiting factor for this population. Females, on average, entered their dens on 10 May, stayed inside the den for eight days, and remained less than 1 km from the den for an additional six days after emerging. We found that wolves denning at higher elevations entered their dens later than those at lower elevations, which also supported one of our hypotheses. Lastly, we documented limited evidence of earlier denning over time. Long-term monitoring projects, such as ours, are critical in identifying these types of trends.
Highlights
Large carnivores often are apex predators that serve important ecological functions in the environment
We investigated physiographic factors associated with den site selection at the landscape scale using resource selection functions (RSFs; Manly et al, 2002) to compare den locations used by wolves to other available sites across the study area
Den sites represent a critical component of wolf ecology, and understanding the process of selection for these features is important so that wildlife managers can make informed decisions regarding wolf management and conservation
Summary
Large carnivores often are apex predators that serve important ecological functions in the environment They can affect large herbivore populations directly, through predation (Gasaway et al, 1992; Sinclair et al, 2003; Ripple and Beschta, 2012; Joly et al, 2017), and indirectly, by altering their behavior, movements, and habitat selection (Lima, 1998; Laundré et al, 2001; Fortin et al, 2005; Berger, 2007). Wildlife managers need to understand the ecological requirements of the wolves relative to the overall take of wolves to aid in their conservation
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