Abstract
To further understand the impact of urban development on wildlife populations, we examined habitat use and selection by female bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis in two endangered subpopulations near a metropolitan area in southern California. One subpopulation, which had previously been found to have low reproductive success, selected urban environments while the other did not use urban areas. In the subpopulation that used urban areas, females had smaller core activity areas and selected lower elevations and gentler slopes. These females used urban sources of water but a clear relationship between levels of urban use and periods of increased water need was not evident. Diet quality was higher among females that selected urban areas, and this increase was correlated with the level of urban use. Thus, optimal foraging behavior may have contributed to the selection of urban areas. Urban use was lowest during peak months of parturition, suggesting that reproductive strategies may also have influenced temporal patterns of urban use. Although urban areas provided bighorn sheep with forage and water resources, the use of these areas may have substantial costs. For example, females using urban areas had internal parasites that were not found elsewhere in the Peninsular Ranges.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 251-263 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Biological Conservation |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2002 |
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Keywords
- Bighorn sheep
- Habitat selection
- Habitat use
- Ovis canadensis
- Urban
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Ecology
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
Cite this
Bighorn sheep habitat use and selection near an urban environment. / Rubin, Esther S.; Boyce, Walter M; Stermer, Chris J.; Torres, Steven G.
In: Biological Conservation, Vol. 104, No. 2, 2002, p. 251-263.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Bighorn sheep habitat use and selection near an urban environment
AU - Rubin, Esther S.
AU - Boyce, Walter M
AU - Stermer, Chris J.
AU - Torres, Steven G.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - To further understand the impact of urban development on wildlife populations, we examined habitat use and selection by female bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis in two endangered subpopulations near a metropolitan area in southern California. One subpopulation, which had previously been found to have low reproductive success, selected urban environments while the other did not use urban areas. In the subpopulation that used urban areas, females had smaller core activity areas and selected lower elevations and gentler slopes. These females used urban sources of water but a clear relationship between levels of urban use and periods of increased water need was not evident. Diet quality was higher among females that selected urban areas, and this increase was correlated with the level of urban use. Thus, optimal foraging behavior may have contributed to the selection of urban areas. Urban use was lowest during peak months of parturition, suggesting that reproductive strategies may also have influenced temporal patterns of urban use. Although urban areas provided bighorn sheep with forage and water resources, the use of these areas may have substantial costs. For example, females using urban areas had internal parasites that were not found elsewhere in the Peninsular Ranges.
AB - To further understand the impact of urban development on wildlife populations, we examined habitat use and selection by female bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis in two endangered subpopulations near a metropolitan area in southern California. One subpopulation, which had previously been found to have low reproductive success, selected urban environments while the other did not use urban areas. In the subpopulation that used urban areas, females had smaller core activity areas and selected lower elevations and gentler slopes. These females used urban sources of water but a clear relationship between levels of urban use and periods of increased water need was not evident. Diet quality was higher among females that selected urban areas, and this increase was correlated with the level of urban use. Thus, optimal foraging behavior may have contributed to the selection of urban areas. Urban use was lowest during peak months of parturition, suggesting that reproductive strategies may also have influenced temporal patterns of urban use. Although urban areas provided bighorn sheep with forage and water resources, the use of these areas may have substantial costs. For example, females using urban areas had internal parasites that were not found elsewhere in the Peninsular Ranges.
KW - Bighorn sheep
KW - Habitat selection
KW - Habitat use
KW - Ovis canadensis
KW - Urban
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036189272&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036189272&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00171-9
DO - 10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00171-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036189272
VL - 104
SP - 251
EP - 263
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
IS - 2
ER -