Premium
L es infrastructures pétrolières et gazières et la structure spatiale de la sélection d'habitat par les grizzlys en Alberta, Canada
Author(s) -
Laberee Karen,
Nelson Trisalyn A.,
Stewart Benjamin P.,
McKay Tracy,
Stenhouse Gordon B.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the canadian geographer / le géographe canadien
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.35
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1541-0064
pISSN - 0008-3658
DOI - 10.1111/cag.12066
Subject(s) - grizzly bears , ursus , geography , threatened species , wildlife , habitat , fishery , critical habitat , spring (device) , resource (disambiguation) , ecology , environmental science , endangered species , population , biology , engineering , demography , sociology , mechanical engineering , computer network , computer science
Oil and gas development is increasing in areas of Alberta, Canada that are also home to threatened grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) populations. While impacts of forest disturbances on bears have been heavily studied, research on the impacts of oil and gas activities is limited. Our research goal was to test the hypothesis that grizzly bears select locations of oil and gas development randomly, using grizzly bear telemetry data collected from 2005 to 2010 in the Kakwa region of Alberta. Maps of probability of resource use by bears were generated and used to conditionally randomize telemetry data to classify bear locations as being closer, farther, or no different than expected from oil and gas features. Our results indicated that bears were generally observed closer to oil and gas features during spring. Adult males were farther than expected to all features during the summer season. During fall, adult females showed avoidance of all oil and gas features during the day, but were closer at night. Active wellsites were avoided by all bears in the fall, and roads were avoided more than pipelines. Spatial analysis and geographic information science are ideal tools for examining the influence of landscape features on wildlife.