Staying cool or staying safe in a human-dominated landscape: which is more relevant for brown bears?

Ole-Gunnar Støen,Miguel Delibes,Andrés Ordiz,Jon E. Swenson

doi:10.1007/s00442-017-3948-7

Abstract

Pigeon et al. (2016) Staying cool in a changing landscape: the influence of maximum daily ambient temperature on grizzly bear habitat selection. Oecologia 181:1101. doi:10.1007/s00442-016-3630-5 analyzed the effect of ambient temperature on the habitat selection of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Alberta, Canada. They concluded that temperature played a significant role in bear habitat selection and that it was unlikely that human activity introduced biases to the habitat selection of bears. However, Pigeon et al. did not consider variables related to human activities in their analyses. They also misinterpreted previous research that has accounted for temperature in the habitat selection of brown bears. There is much literature published on the negative effects of human disturbance on wildlife in general and on bears in particular. Downplaying the role of human disturbance could have important negative consequences if, in fact, human disturbance were a more important factor than thermoregulation. Indeed, dismissing the importance of human influence, in the face of contradictory evidence, could tempt managers to disregard an important factor that is difficult and often unpopular to deal with in their conservation plans.

Highlights

It is well documented that human disturbance can affect the behavior and habitat use of wildlife (e.g., Harrington and Veitch 1992; Beale and Monaghan 2004; Müllner et al 2004; Blanc et al 2006; Moore and Seigel 2006; Tuomainen and Candolin 2011)
Pigeon et al (2016) analyzed the effect of ambient temperature on the habitat selection of grizzly bears in a landscape with a heavy human footprint in Alberta, Canada. They acknowledged that bear habitat selection is mainly driven by food, intra-specific factors, and avoidance of human activity, but concluded that temperature played a significant role in bear habitat selection and argued that in a changing climate, large mammals may increasingly need to adjust spatial and temporal selection patterns in response to thermal constraints
They did not consider variables related to human activities, they concluded that it was unlikely that human activity introduced temporal, spatial, or sex-related biases to the habitat selection patterns that they observed for male and female grizzly bears

Summary

Introduction

It is well documented that human disturbance can affect the behavior and habitat use of wildlife (e.g., Harrington and Veitch 1992; Beale and Monaghan 2004; Müllner et al 2004; Blanc et al 2006; Moore and Seigel 2006; Tuomainen and Candolin 2011). Pigeon et al (2016) analyzed the effect of ambient temperature on the habitat selection of grizzly bears (i.e., brown bears Ursus arctos) in a landscape with a heavy human footprint in Alberta, Canada.

Results

Conclusion