John Squires - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by John Squires

The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2012

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a primary prey species for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in... more Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a primary prey species for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in western North America. Lynx management plans require knowledge of potential prey distribution and abundance in the western United States. Whether even-aged regenerating forests or multi-storied forests contain more snowshoe hares is currently unknown. During 2006-2008, we estimated snowshoe hare density in 3 classes of 30-70-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and 4 classes of late seral multi-storied forest with a spruce (Picea engelmannii)-fir (Abies lasiocarpa) component in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming. We recorded physiographic variables and forest structure characteristics to understand how these factors influence abundance of snowshoe hares. In many instances, snowshoe hares were more abundant in late seral multi-storied forests than regenerating even-aged forests. Forest attributes predicting hare abundance were often more prevalent in multi-storied forests. Late seral multi-storied forests with a spruce-fir component and dense horizontal cover, as well as 30-70-year-old lodgepole pine with high stem density, were disproportionately influential in explaining snowshoe hare densities in western Wyoming. In order to promote improved habitat conditions for snowshoe hares in this region, management agencies should consider shifting their focus towards maintaining, enhancing, and promoting multi-storied forests with dense horizontal cover, as well as developing 30-70-year-old lodgepole pine stands with high stem density that structurally mimic multi-storied forests.

The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2012

Forest Ecology and Management, 2020

www.wildlifebiology.com Estimating detection probability for Canada lynx Lynx canadensis using sn... more www.wildlifebiology.com Estimating detection probability for Canada lynx Lynx canadensis using snow-track surveys in the northern Rocky Mountains,

Carnivoran ecology has become the most multifaceted and dynamic taxonomic niche of mammalian ecol... more Carnivoran ecology has become the most multifaceted and dynamic taxonomic niche of mammalian ecology, for several reasons. The Carnivora are more varied than any other eutherian order in terms of body size, diet, locomotor adaptations, metabolic specializations, and reproductive delays. They interact strongly with other community members: herbivores, vegetation, and other carnivoran species. They alter densities, habitat use and activities of potential prey, with cascading effects to the foods of those prey. They pose mortal threats to members of other carnivoran species, especially those smaller than themselves by a factor of 2.5 – 4. At the same time, they are threatened by carnivores larger than themselves by the same margin. The importance interspecific competition among carnivores depends heavily on morphological/ecological specialization, with some families (e.g. Mustelidae) having up to seven species in local sympatry in North America. Canid species, much more morphologically...

Infection, Genetics and Evolution

Ecosphere

Outdoor recreationists are important advocates for wildlife on public lands. However, balancing p... more Outdoor recreationists are important advocates for wildlife on public lands. However, balancing potential impacts associated with increased human disturbance with the conservation of sensitive species is a central issue facing ecologists and land managers alike, especially for dispersed winter recreation due to its disproportionate impact to wildlife. We studied how dispersed winter recreation (outside developed ski areas) impacted a reintroduced meso-carnivore, Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), at the southern periphery of the species' range in the southern Rocky Mountains. On a voluntary basis, we distributed global positioning system (GPS) units to winter recreationists and documented 2143 spatial movement tracks of recreationists engaged in motorized and nonmotorized winter sports for a total cumulative distance of 56,000 km from 2010 to 2013. We also deployed GPS radio collars on adult Canada lynx that were resident in the mountainous topography that attracted high levels of dispersed winter recreation. We documented that resource-selection models (RSFs) for Canada lynx were significantly improved when selection patterns of winter recreationists were included in best-performing models. Canada lynx and winter recreationists partitioned environmental gradients in ways that reduced the potential for recreation-related disturbance. Although the inclusion of recreation improved the RSF model for Canada lynx, environmental covariates explained most variation in resource use. The environmental gradients that most separated areas selected by Canada lynx from those used by recreationists were forest canopy closure, road density, and slope. Canada lynx also exhibited a functional response of increased avoidance of areas selected by motorized winter recreationists (snowmobiling off-trail, hybrid snowmobile) compared with either no functional response (hybrid ski) or selection for (backcountry skiing) areas suitable for nonmotorized winter recreation. We conclude with a discussion of implications associated with providing winter recreation balanced with the conservation of Canada lynx.

Ecosphere

Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized to impact nature and wildlife, yet few studies have... more Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized to impact nature and wildlife, yet few studies have examined recreation within large natural landscapes that are critical habitat to some of our most rare and potentially disturbance-sensitive species. Over six winters (2010-2015) and four study areas (>1.1 million ha) in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, we studied the responses of wolverines (Gulo gulo) to backcountry winter recreation. We fit Global Positioning System (GPS) collars to 24 individual wolverines and acquired >54,000 GPS locations over 39 animal-years during winter (January-April). Simultaneously, we monitored winter recreation, collecting~6000 GPS tracks (~200,000 km) from backcountry recreationists. We combined the GPS tracks with trail use counts and aerial recreation surveys to map the extent and relative intensity of motorized and non-motorized recreation. We integrated our wolverine and backcountry recreation data to (1) assess patterns of wolverine habitat selection and (2) evaluate the effect of backcountry recreation on wolverine habitat relationships. We used resource selection functions to model habitat selection of male and female wolverines within their home ranges. We first modeled habitat selection for environmental covariates to understand male and female habitat use then incorporated winter recreation covariates. We assessed the potential for indirect habitat loss from winter recreation and tested for functional responses of wolverines to differing levels and types of recreation. Motorized recreation occurred at higher intensity across a larger footprint than non-motorized recreation in most wolverine home ranges. Wolverines avoided areas of both motorized and non-motorized winter recreation with off-road recreation eliciting a stronger response than road-based recreation. Female wolverines exhibited stronger avoidance of off-road motorized recreation and experienced higher indirect habitat loss than male wolverines. Wolverines showed negative functional responses to the level of recreation exposure within the home range, with female wolverines showing the strongest functional response to motorized winter recreation. We suggest indirect habitat loss, particularly to females, could be of concern in areas with higher recreation levels. We speculate that the potential for backcountry winter recreation to affect wolverines may increase under climate change if reduced snow pack concentrates winter recreationists and wolverines in the remaining areas of persistent snow cover.

Forests

There is a pressing need to map changes in forest structure from the earliest time period possibl... more There is a pressing need to map changes in forest structure from the earliest time period possible given forest management policies and accelerated disturbances from climate change. The availability of Landsat data from over four decades helps researchers study an ecologically meaningful length of time. Forest structure is most often mapped utilizing lidar data, however these data are prohibitively expensive and cover a narrow temporal window relative to the Landsat archive. Here we describe a technique to use the entire length of the Landsat archive from Multispectral Scanner to Operational Land Imager (M2O) to produce three novel outcomes: (1) we used the M2O dataset and standard change vector analysis methods to classify annual forest structure in northwestern Montana from 1972 to 2015, (2) we improved the accuracy of each yearly forest structure classification by applying temporal continuity rules to the whole time series, with final accuracies ranging from 97% to 68% respectively for two and six-category classifications, and (3) we demonstrated the importance of pre-1984 Landsat data for long-term change studies. As the Landsat program continues to acquire Earth imagery into the foreseeable future, time series analyses that aid in classifying forest structure accurately will be key to the success of any land management changes in the future.

Ecology and evolution, 2018

Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recr... more Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed winter recreation on Canada lynx () at their southwestern range periphery in Colorado, USA. We used GPS collars to track movements of 18 adult lynx over 4 years, coupled with GPS devices that logged 2,839 unique recreation tracks to provide a detailed spatial estimate of recreation intensity. We assessed changes in lynx spatial and temporal patterns in response to motorized and nonmotorized recreation, as well as differences in movement rate and path tortuosity. We found that lynx decreased their movement rate in areas with high-intensity back-country skiing and snowmobiling, and adjusted their temporal patterns so that the...

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America, Jan 19, 2018

Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success is central to advancing ani... more Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success is central to advancing animal ecology and characterizing critical habitat. Unfortunately, much of the work examining drivers of reproductive success is biased toward particular groups of organisms (e.g., colonial birds, large herbivores, capital breeders). Long-lived mammalian carnivores that are of conservation concern, solitary, and territorial present an excellent situation to examine intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success, yet they have received little attention. Here, we used a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) dataset, from the southern periphery of their range, to determine if reproductive success in a solitary carnivore was consistent with capital or income breeding. We radio-marked and monitored 36 female Canada lynx for 98 lynx years. We evaluated how maternal characteristics and indices of food supply (via forest structure) in core areas influenced variation in body condition and reproduct...

Landscape and Urban Planning

h i g h l i g h t s • Lynx crossed two-lane paved highways an average of 0.6 times per day. • Lyn... more h i g h l i g h t s • Lynx crossed two-lane paved highways an average of 0.6 times per day. • Lynx crossed roads more at dusk and night, coincident with lower traffic volumes. • Forest cover was predictive of lynx highway crossings at fine and landscape scales. • Predictions from remotely-sensed covariates validate well with independent data.

Ecology and evolution, 2017

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an ecologically important herbivore because they modify veg... more Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an ecologically important herbivore because they modify vegetation through browsing and serve as a prey resource for multiple predators. We implemented a multiscale approach to characterize habitat relationships for snowshoe hares across the mixed conifer landscape of the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Our objectives were to (1) assess the relationship between horizontal cover and snowshoe hares, (2) estimate how forest metrics vary across the gradient of snowshoe hare use and horizontal cover, and (3) model and map snowshoe hare occupancy and intensity of use. Results indicated that both occupancy and intensity of use by snowshoe hares increased with horizontal cover and that the effect became stronger as intensity of use increased. This underscores the importance of dense horizontal cover to achieve high use, and likely density, of snowshoe hares. Forest structure in areas with high snowshoe hare use and horizontal cover was characterized as m...

Environmental management, 2017

Parks and protected area managers use zoning to decrease interpersonal conflict between recreatio... more Parks and protected area managers use zoning to decrease interpersonal conflict between recreationists. Zoning, or segregation, of recreation-often by non-motorized and motorized activity-is designed to limit physical interaction while providing recreation opportunities to both groups. This article investigated the effectiveness of zoning to reduce recreation conflict in the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area in Colorado, USA. Despite a zoning management system, established groomed travel routes were used by both non-motorized recreationists (backcountry skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers) and motorized recreationists (snowmobilers). We hypothesized that persistent recreation conflict reported by non-motorized recreationists was the result of recreation occurring in areas of mixed non-motorized and motorized use, mostly along groomed routes. We performed a geospatial analysis of recreation [from Global Positioning System (GPS) points, n = 1,233,449] in the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Ar...

Canada lynx occur throughout boreal forests of North America, but ecological conditions in southe... more Canada lynx occur throughout boreal forests of North America, but ecological conditions in southern regions differ in many respects from those in Canada and Alaska. To evaluate the extent to which lynx ecology and population biology may differ between these regions, we review existing information from southern boreal forests and compare our findings to information presented in Chapter 9 on lynx in the taiga. Throughout North America, lynx diets in both winter and summer are dominated by snowshoe hares. In southern boreal forests, alternative prey, especially red squirrels, are important constituents of the diet. This reliance on alternative prey may reflect a response to low-density hare populations in southern regions, because alternative prey are also important in the taiga during lows in the snowshoe hare cycle. In addition, limited information on lynx diets during snow-free months indicates that alternative prey are important during summer in both northern and southern populations, regardless of the status of local hare populations. As in the taiga, lynx in southern regions are associated with boreal and sub-boreal forest conditions, including upper elevation, coniferous forests in lynx populations, including low densities, low pregnancy rates, low litter sizes, and high kitten mortality rates are similar to those reported from the taiga during times of hare scarcity. As in the taiga, we found little evidence that roads represented a significant disturbance or mortality factor for lynx. Roads into lynx habitat may, however, provide access to generalist competitors, such as coyotes and bobcats. Although there is little evidence that competition with other predators negatively influences lynx populations, this aspect of their ecology has not been studied in southern boreal forests. In summary, differences in lynx ecology between populations in southern boreal forests and those in the taiga appear to be related primarily to the use of alternative prey species; the effect of habitat patchiness on movements, reproduction, and survival; and the potential effects of different communities of predators and competitors on lynx populations.

Northwest Science, 2005

ABSTRACT

International Journal of Climatology, 2015

Gridded temperature data sets are typically produced at spatial resolutions that cannot fully res... more Gridded temperature data sets are typically produced at spatial resolutions that cannot fully resolve fine-scale variation in surface air temperature in regions of complex topography. These data limitations have become increasingly important as scientists and managers attempt to understand and plan for potential climate change impacts. Here, we describe the development of a high-resolution (250 m) daily historical (1979-2012) temperature data set for the US Northern Rocky Mountains using observations from both long-term weather stations and a dense network of low-cost temperature sensors. Empirically based models for daily minimum and maximum temperature incorporate lapse rates from regional reanalysis data, modelled daily solar insolation and soil moisture, along with time invariant canopy cover and topographic factors. Daily model predictions demonstrate excellent agreement with independent observations, with mean absolute errors of <1.4 ∘ C for both minimum and maximum temperature. Topographically resolved temperature data may prove useful in a range of applications related to hydrology, fire regimes and fire behaviour, and habitat suitability modelling. The form of the models may provide a means for downscaling future temperature scenarios that account for potential fine-scale topographically mediated changes in near-surface temperature.

The Birds of North America Online, 1997

The northern goshawk is the largest of the three North American accipiters, or forest hawks. Fema... more The northern goshawk is the largest of the three North American accipiters, or forest hawks. Female goshawks are similar in size to the common red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), whereas male goshawks are somewhat smaller. Like all accipiters, goshawks exhibit short, rounded wings and a long tail compared to those of buteos such as the red-tailed hawk. The goshawks' wings are more tapered or falcon-like and its tail is broader than that of its closest relative, the Cooper's hawk (A. cooperii). The wing beats of the northern goshawk are heavy and deep like those of some of the larger species of buteo. The call of the northern goshawk is a series of loud, piercing "cacks" that can be heard from nearly a mile away. Adult northern goshawks are pale blue-gray on the back and whitish underneath with fine charcoal-colored barring. Juveniles are brown above with a narrow, tawny bar across the upperwing and buff-colored below with broad, dark vertical streaking on the breast and belly. Juvenile goshawks obtain adult plumage during their first molt, which occurs in their second year of age. All ages show a diagnostic broad, white superciliary (eyebrow) line. Eye color changes from yellow in juveniles to blood red in adults. The sexes are nearly identical in plumage.

Wildlife 2001: Populations, 1992

Habitat-use relationships were studied for trumpeter swans that nest and winter in the Tristate (... more Habitat-use relationships were studied for trumpeter swans that nest and winter in the Tristate (northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and northeastern Idaho) region. Both macro-habitat and micro-habitat characteristics were selected by trumpeter swans on nesting sites. Swans selected large, shallow ponds with abundant macrophytes compared with available sites. On foraging sites within nest ponds, swans selected shallow water feeding sites that had more Chara, Potamogeton, and total macrophytes, but less Nuphar luteum compared with available sites. Some "productive" pairs have consistently fledged cygnets whereas "nonproductive" pairs have constantly occupied sites but failed, even though both classes of nesters used common wintering areas. In 1988, the total macrophyte standing stocks were significantly (P=O.05) greater on wetlands used by productive pairs compared with nonproducers. This same relationship was again significant (P=O.02) in 1989, suggesting that macrophyte standing stocks at nest sites may influence swan productivity. Wintering swans selected feeding sites with low water velocities, located in wide stream reaches, far from vegetation (> 1 m high), with more total macrophytes and tubers compared with available sites. Logistic regression models are presented that evaluate nesting and wintering sites.

Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2012

R ipple et al. (2011) proposed a hypothesis th a t th e recovery o f gray wolves {Canis lupus) m ... more R ipple et al. (2011) proposed a hypothesis th a t th e recovery o f gray wolves {Canis lupus) m ay positively affect th e viahility o f th reatened C an ad a lynx {Lynx canadensis) populations in th e contiguous U n ite d States th ro u g h indirect species interactions. R ipple et al. (2011) proposed 2 key tro p h ic linkages connecting w o lf restoration w ith lynx recovery. First, recovering w o lf populations m ay benefit lynx th ro u g h reduced interference and exploitative com petition w ith coyotes (C. latrans). Second, recovering w o lf populations m ay henefit lynx th ro u g h reduced exploitative com petition am ong ungulates and snow shoe hares {Lepus americanus), th e prim ary prey o f lynx. B o th proposed linkages have w eak or contradictory em pirical support in th e available literature on lyn x-h are ecology, casting d oubt on th e utility o f R ipple et al.'s (2011) hypothesis. D ebate over R ipple et al.'s (2011) hypothesis dem onstrates th e im portance o f experi m ental or com parative docum entation w hen proposing tro p h ic cascades in com plex food webs. In this case, publishing unsupported opinions as hypotheses th a t concern com plex tro p h ic interactions is a potential disservice to lynx conservation th ro u g h m isallocated research, conservation funding, and m isplaced public perception.

The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2012

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a primary prey species for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in... more Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are a primary prey species for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) in western North America. Lynx management plans require knowledge of potential prey distribution and abundance in the western United States. Whether even-aged regenerating forests or multi-storied forests contain more snowshoe hares is currently unknown. During 2006-2008, we estimated snowshoe hare density in 3 classes of 30-70-year-old lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and 4 classes of late seral multi-storied forest with a spruce (Picea engelmannii)-fir (Abies lasiocarpa) component in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming. We recorded physiographic variables and forest structure characteristics to understand how these factors influence abundance of snowshoe hares. In many instances, snowshoe hares were more abundant in late seral multi-storied forests than regenerating even-aged forests. Forest attributes predicting hare abundance were often more prevalent in multi-storied forests. Late seral multi-storied forests with a spruce-fir component and dense horizontal cover, as well as 30-70-year-old lodgepole pine with high stem density, were disproportionately influential in explaining snowshoe hare densities in western Wyoming. In order to promote improved habitat conditions for snowshoe hares in this region, management agencies should consider shifting their focus towards maintaining, enhancing, and promoting multi-storied forests with dense horizontal cover, as well as developing 30-70-year-old lodgepole pine stands with high stem density that structurally mimic multi-storied forests.

The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2012

Forest Ecology and Management, 2020

www.wildlifebiology.com Estimating detection probability for Canada lynx Lynx canadensis using sn... more www.wildlifebiology.com Estimating detection probability for Canada lynx Lynx canadensis using snow-track surveys in the northern Rocky Mountains,

Carnivoran ecology has become the most multifaceted and dynamic taxonomic niche of mammalian ecol... more Carnivoran ecology has become the most multifaceted and dynamic taxonomic niche of mammalian ecology, for several reasons. The Carnivora are more varied than any other eutherian order in terms of body size, diet, locomotor adaptations, metabolic specializations, and reproductive delays. They interact strongly with other community members: herbivores, vegetation, and other carnivoran species. They alter densities, habitat use and activities of potential prey, with cascading effects to the foods of those prey. They pose mortal threats to members of other carnivoran species, especially those smaller than themselves by a factor of 2.5 – 4. At the same time, they are threatened by carnivores larger than themselves by the same margin. The importance interspecific competition among carnivores depends heavily on morphological/ecological specialization, with some families (e.g. Mustelidae) having up to seven species in local sympatry in North America. Canid species, much more morphologically...

Infection, Genetics and Evolution

Ecosphere

Outdoor recreationists are important advocates for wildlife on public lands. However, balancing p... more Outdoor recreationists are important advocates for wildlife on public lands. However, balancing potential impacts associated with increased human disturbance with the conservation of sensitive species is a central issue facing ecologists and land managers alike, especially for dispersed winter recreation due to its disproportionate impact to wildlife. We studied how dispersed winter recreation (outside developed ski areas) impacted a reintroduced meso-carnivore, Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), at the southern periphery of the species' range in the southern Rocky Mountains. On a voluntary basis, we distributed global positioning system (GPS) units to winter recreationists and documented 2143 spatial movement tracks of recreationists engaged in motorized and nonmotorized winter sports for a total cumulative distance of 56,000 km from 2010 to 2013. We also deployed GPS radio collars on adult Canada lynx that were resident in the mountainous topography that attracted high levels of dispersed winter recreation. We documented that resource-selection models (RSFs) for Canada lynx were significantly improved when selection patterns of winter recreationists were included in best-performing models. Canada lynx and winter recreationists partitioned environmental gradients in ways that reduced the potential for recreation-related disturbance. Although the inclusion of recreation improved the RSF model for Canada lynx, environmental covariates explained most variation in resource use. The environmental gradients that most separated areas selected by Canada lynx from those used by recreationists were forest canopy closure, road density, and slope. Canada lynx also exhibited a functional response of increased avoidance of areas selected by motorized winter recreationists (snowmobiling off-trail, hybrid snowmobile) compared with either no functional response (hybrid ski) or selection for (backcountry skiing) areas suitable for nonmotorized winter recreation. We conclude with a discussion of implications associated with providing winter recreation balanced with the conservation of Canada lynx.

Ecosphere

Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized to impact nature and wildlife, yet few studies have... more Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized to impact nature and wildlife, yet few studies have examined recreation within large natural landscapes that are critical habitat to some of our most rare and potentially disturbance-sensitive species. Over six winters (2010-2015) and four study areas (>1.1 million ha) in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, we studied the responses of wolverines (Gulo gulo) to backcountry winter recreation. We fit Global Positioning System (GPS) collars to 24 individual wolverines and acquired >54,000 GPS locations over 39 animal-years during winter (January-April). Simultaneously, we monitored winter recreation, collecting~6000 GPS tracks (~200,000 km) from backcountry recreationists. We combined the GPS tracks with trail use counts and aerial recreation surveys to map the extent and relative intensity of motorized and non-motorized recreation. We integrated our wolverine and backcountry recreation data to (1) assess patterns of wolverine habitat selection and (2) evaluate the effect of backcountry recreation on wolverine habitat relationships. We used resource selection functions to model habitat selection of male and female wolverines within their home ranges. We first modeled habitat selection for environmental covariates to understand male and female habitat use then incorporated winter recreation covariates. We assessed the potential for indirect habitat loss from winter recreation and tested for functional responses of wolverines to differing levels and types of recreation. Motorized recreation occurred at higher intensity across a larger footprint than non-motorized recreation in most wolverine home ranges. Wolverines avoided areas of both motorized and non-motorized winter recreation with off-road recreation eliciting a stronger response than road-based recreation. Female wolverines exhibited stronger avoidance of off-road motorized recreation and experienced higher indirect habitat loss than male wolverines. Wolverines showed negative functional responses to the level of recreation exposure within the home range, with female wolverines showing the strongest functional response to motorized winter recreation. We suggest indirect habitat loss, particularly to females, could be of concern in areas with higher recreation levels. We speculate that the potential for backcountry winter recreation to affect wolverines may increase under climate change if reduced snow pack concentrates winter recreationists and wolverines in the remaining areas of persistent snow cover.

Forests

There is a pressing need to map changes in forest structure from the earliest time period possibl... more There is a pressing need to map changes in forest structure from the earliest time period possible given forest management policies and accelerated disturbances from climate change. The availability of Landsat data from over four decades helps researchers study an ecologically meaningful length of time. Forest structure is most often mapped utilizing lidar data, however these data are prohibitively expensive and cover a narrow temporal window relative to the Landsat archive. Here we describe a technique to use the entire length of the Landsat archive from Multispectral Scanner to Operational Land Imager (M2O) to produce three novel outcomes: (1) we used the M2O dataset and standard change vector analysis methods to classify annual forest structure in northwestern Montana from 1972 to 2015, (2) we improved the accuracy of each yearly forest structure classification by applying temporal continuity rules to the whole time series, with final accuracies ranging from 97% to 68% respectively for two and six-category classifications, and (3) we demonstrated the importance of pre-1984 Landsat data for long-term change studies. As the Landsat program continues to acquire Earth imagery into the foreseeable future, time series analyses that aid in classifying forest structure accurately will be key to the success of any land management changes in the future.

Ecology and evolution, 2018

Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recr... more Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed winter recreation on Canada lynx () at their southwestern range periphery in Colorado, USA. We used GPS collars to track movements of 18 adult lynx over 4 years, coupled with GPS devices that logged 2,839 unique recreation tracks to provide a detailed spatial estimate of recreation intensity. We assessed changes in lynx spatial and temporal patterns in response to motorized and nonmotorized recreation, as well as differences in movement rate and path tortuosity. We found that lynx decreased their movement rate in areas with high-intensity back-country skiing and snowmobiling, and adjusted their temporal patterns so that the...

Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America, Jan 19, 2018

Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success is central to advancing ani... more Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success is central to advancing animal ecology and characterizing critical habitat. Unfortunately, much of the work examining drivers of reproductive success is biased toward particular groups of organisms (e.g., colonial birds, large herbivores, capital breeders). Long-lived mammalian carnivores that are of conservation concern, solitary, and territorial present an excellent situation to examine intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of reproductive success, yet they have received little attention. Here, we used a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) dataset, from the southern periphery of their range, to determine if reproductive success in a solitary carnivore was consistent with capital or income breeding. We radio-marked and monitored 36 female Canada lynx for 98 lynx years. We evaluated how maternal characteristics and indices of food supply (via forest structure) in core areas influenced variation in body condition and reproduct...

Landscape and Urban Planning

h i g h l i g h t s • Lynx crossed two-lane paved highways an average of 0.6 times per day. • Lyn... more h i g h l i g h t s • Lynx crossed two-lane paved highways an average of 0.6 times per day. • Lynx crossed roads more at dusk and night, coincident with lower traffic volumes. • Forest cover was predictive of lynx highway crossings at fine and landscape scales. • Predictions from remotely-sensed covariates validate well with independent data.

Ecology and evolution, 2017

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an ecologically important herbivore because they modify veg... more Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are an ecologically important herbivore because they modify vegetation through browsing and serve as a prey resource for multiple predators. We implemented a multiscale approach to characterize habitat relationships for snowshoe hares across the mixed conifer landscape of the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Our objectives were to (1) assess the relationship between horizontal cover and snowshoe hares, (2) estimate how forest metrics vary across the gradient of snowshoe hare use and horizontal cover, and (3) model and map snowshoe hare occupancy and intensity of use. Results indicated that both occupancy and intensity of use by snowshoe hares increased with horizontal cover and that the effect became stronger as intensity of use increased. This underscores the importance of dense horizontal cover to achieve high use, and likely density, of snowshoe hares. Forest structure in areas with high snowshoe hare use and horizontal cover was characterized as m...

Environmental management, 2017

Parks and protected area managers use zoning to decrease interpersonal conflict between recreatio... more Parks and protected area managers use zoning to decrease interpersonal conflict between recreationists. Zoning, or segregation, of recreation-often by non-motorized and motorized activity-is designed to limit physical interaction while providing recreation opportunities to both groups. This article investigated the effectiveness of zoning to reduce recreation conflict in the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area in Colorado, USA. Despite a zoning management system, established groomed travel routes were used by both non-motorized recreationists (backcountry skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers) and motorized recreationists (snowmobilers). We hypothesized that persistent recreation conflict reported by non-motorized recreationists was the result of recreation occurring in areas of mixed non-motorized and motorized use, mostly along groomed routes. We performed a geospatial analysis of recreation [from Global Positioning System (GPS) points, n = 1,233,449] in the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Ar...

Canada lynx occur throughout boreal forests of North America, but ecological conditions in southe... more Canada lynx occur throughout boreal forests of North America, but ecological conditions in southern regions differ in many respects from those in Canada and Alaska. To evaluate the extent to which lynx ecology and population biology may differ between these regions, we review existing information from southern boreal forests and compare our findings to information presented in Chapter 9 on lynx in the taiga. Throughout North America, lynx diets in both winter and summer are dominated by snowshoe hares. In southern boreal forests, alternative prey, especially red squirrels, are important constituents of the diet. This reliance on alternative prey may reflect a response to low-density hare populations in southern regions, because alternative prey are also important in the taiga during lows in the snowshoe hare cycle. In addition, limited information on lynx diets during snow-free months indicates that alternative prey are important during summer in both northern and southern populations, regardless of the status of local hare populations. As in the taiga, lynx in southern regions are associated with boreal and sub-boreal forest conditions, including upper elevation, coniferous forests in lynx populations, including low densities, low pregnancy rates, low litter sizes, and high kitten mortality rates are similar to those reported from the taiga during times of hare scarcity. As in the taiga, we found little evidence that roads represented a significant disturbance or mortality factor for lynx. Roads into lynx habitat may, however, provide access to generalist competitors, such as coyotes and bobcats. Although there is little evidence that competition with other predators negatively influences lynx populations, this aspect of their ecology has not been studied in southern boreal forests. In summary, differences in lynx ecology between populations in southern boreal forests and those in the taiga appear to be related primarily to the use of alternative prey species; the effect of habitat patchiness on movements, reproduction, and survival; and the potential effects of different communities of predators and competitors on lynx populations.

Northwest Science, 2005

ABSTRACT

International Journal of Climatology, 2015

Gridded temperature data sets are typically produced at spatial resolutions that cannot fully res... more Gridded temperature data sets are typically produced at spatial resolutions that cannot fully resolve fine-scale variation in surface air temperature in regions of complex topography. These data limitations have become increasingly important as scientists and managers attempt to understand and plan for potential climate change impacts. Here, we describe the development of a high-resolution (250 m) daily historical (1979-2012) temperature data set for the US Northern Rocky Mountains using observations from both long-term weather stations and a dense network of low-cost temperature sensors. Empirically based models for daily minimum and maximum temperature incorporate lapse rates from regional reanalysis data, modelled daily solar insolation and soil moisture, along with time invariant canopy cover and topographic factors. Daily model predictions demonstrate excellent agreement with independent observations, with mean absolute errors of <1.4 ∘ C for both minimum and maximum temperature. Topographically resolved temperature data may prove useful in a range of applications related to hydrology, fire regimes and fire behaviour, and habitat suitability modelling. The form of the models may provide a means for downscaling future temperature scenarios that account for potential fine-scale topographically mediated changes in near-surface temperature.

The Birds of North America Online, 1997

The northern goshawk is the largest of the three North American accipiters, or forest hawks. Fema... more The northern goshawk is the largest of the three North American accipiters, or forest hawks. Female goshawks are similar in size to the common red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), whereas male goshawks are somewhat smaller. Like all accipiters, goshawks exhibit short, rounded wings and a long tail compared to those of buteos such as the red-tailed hawk. The goshawks' wings are more tapered or falcon-like and its tail is broader than that of its closest relative, the Cooper's hawk (A. cooperii). The wing beats of the northern goshawk are heavy and deep like those of some of the larger species of buteo. The call of the northern goshawk is a series of loud, piercing "cacks" that can be heard from nearly a mile away. Adult northern goshawks are pale blue-gray on the back and whitish underneath with fine charcoal-colored barring. Juveniles are brown above with a narrow, tawny bar across the upperwing and buff-colored below with broad, dark vertical streaking on the breast and belly. Juvenile goshawks obtain adult plumage during their first molt, which occurs in their second year of age. All ages show a diagnostic broad, white superciliary (eyebrow) line. Eye color changes from yellow in juveniles to blood red in adults. The sexes are nearly identical in plumage.

Wildlife 2001: Populations, 1992

Habitat-use relationships were studied for trumpeter swans that nest and winter in the Tristate (... more Habitat-use relationships were studied for trumpeter swans that nest and winter in the Tristate (northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and northeastern Idaho) region. Both macro-habitat and micro-habitat characteristics were selected by trumpeter swans on nesting sites. Swans selected large, shallow ponds with abundant macrophytes compared with available sites. On foraging sites within nest ponds, swans selected shallow water feeding sites that had more Chara, Potamogeton, and total macrophytes, but less Nuphar luteum compared with available sites. Some "productive" pairs have consistently fledged cygnets whereas "nonproductive" pairs have constantly occupied sites but failed, even though both classes of nesters used common wintering areas. In 1988, the total macrophyte standing stocks were significantly (P=O.05) greater on wetlands used by productive pairs compared with nonproducers. This same relationship was again significant (P=O.02) in 1989, suggesting that macrophyte standing stocks at nest sites may influence swan productivity. Wintering swans selected feeding sites with low water velocities, located in wide stream reaches, far from vegetation (> 1 m high), with more total macrophytes and tubers compared with available sites. Logistic regression models are presented that evaluate nesting and wintering sites.

Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2012

R ipple et al. (2011) proposed a hypothesis th a t th e recovery o f gray wolves {Canis lupus) m ... more R ipple et al. (2011) proposed a hypothesis th a t th e recovery o f gray wolves {Canis lupus) m ay positively affect th e viahility o f th reatened C an ad a lynx {Lynx canadensis) populations in th e contiguous U n ite d States th ro u g h indirect species interactions. R ipple et al. (2011) proposed 2 key tro p h ic linkages connecting w o lf restoration w ith lynx recovery. First, recovering w o lf populations m ay benefit lynx th ro u g h reduced interference and exploitative com petition w ith coyotes (C. latrans). Second, recovering w o lf populations m ay henefit lynx th ro u g h reduced exploitative com petition am ong ungulates and snow shoe hares {Lepus americanus), th e prim ary prey o f lynx. B o th proposed linkages have w eak or contradictory em pirical support in th e available literature on lyn x-h are ecology, casting d oubt on th e utility o f R ipple et al.'s (2011) hypothesis. D ebate over R ipple et al.'s (2011) hypothesis dem onstrates th e im portance o f experi m ental or com parative docum entation w hen proposing tro p h ic cascades in com plex food webs. In this case, publishing unsupported opinions as hypotheses th a t concern com plex tro p h ic interactions is a potential disservice to lynx conservation th ro u g h m isallocated research, conservation funding, and m isplaced public perception.