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| Weaver, J.L.; Paquet, P.C.; Ruggiero, L.F. | |
| Resilience and conservation of large carnivores in the Rocky Mountains | |
| 1996 Conservation Biology (10): 964-976 | |
Large carnivores evolved behaviors and life-history traits that conferred resilience to environmental disturbances at various temporal and spatial scales. We synthesize empirical information for each large carnivore species in the Rocky Mountains regarding three basic mechanisms of resilience at different hierarchical levels." (1) behavioral plasticity in foraging behavior that ameliorates flux in food availability, (2) demographic compensation that mitigates increased exploitation, and (3) dispersal that provides functional connectivity among fragmented populations. With their high annual productivity and dispersal capabilities, wolves (_Canis lupus_) possess resiliency to modest levels of human disturbance of habitat and populations. Cougars (_Puma concolor_) appear to have slightly less resiliency because of more specific requirements for stalking habitat and lower biennial productivity. Grizzly bears (_Ursus arctos horribilis_) possess much less resiliency because of their need for quality forage in spring and fall, their low triennial productivity, and the strong philopatry of female offspring to maternal home ranges. Based upon limited information, wolverines (_Gulo gulo_) appear more susceptible to natural fluctuations in scavenging opportunities and may have lower lifetime productivity than even grizzly bears. By accelerating the rate and expanding the scope of disturbance, humans have undermined the resiliency mechanisms of large carnivores and have caused widespread declines. Both the resiliency profiles and the historical record attest to the need for some form of refugia for large carnivores. With their productivity and dispersal capability, wolves and cougars might respond adequately to refugia that are well distributed in several units across the landscape at distances scaled to successful dispersal (e.g., less than five home range diameters). With their Iower productivity and dispersal capability, grizzly bears and wolverines might fare better in a landscape dominated by larger or more contiguous refugia. Refugia must encompass the full array of seasonal habitats needed by large carnivores and should be connected to other refugia through landscape linkages. |
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