Thesis
Spatial and temporal effects of motorized and nonmotorized human recreation on wildlife in eastern Washington
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
05/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004274
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124611
Abstract
Outdoor recreation is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades, particularly in accessible lands with low fees (e.g., National Forests). Human recreation can induce shifts in wildlife activity timing and habitat use, though the degree and nature of the response may be species- and context-dependent. Recent studies have suggested that nonmotorized, non-consumptive forms of recreation (e.g., hikers, bikers) may elicit especially strong fear responses in mammals, causing landscape-scale impacts across multiple trophic levels. To investigate possible nonmotorized and motorized recreation disturbance of mammalian wildlife, we conducted a camera-trapping survey in the Colville National Forest (CNF) of northeastern Washington in the summers of 2019 and 2020. We collected ~11,000 trap nights of spatially-extensive data, simultaneously recording the presence and activity patterns of human recreation and wildlife. We used diel overlap analysis, time lag analysis, and single-season single-species occupancy modeling to examine the impact of recreation on several mid-large sized mammals, including mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), moose (Alces alces), snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans), black bears (Ursus americanus), cougars (Puma concolor), and wolves (Canis lupus). Diel overlap and time lag analyses indicated that most species temporally avoided recreationists by shifting to more nocturnal hours or delaying return to recently-used recreation sites. Regarding spatial responses, occupancy models suggested that human recreation often influenced species detection probability (i.e., intensity of site use) but did not often affect overall site occupancy. Recreation effects were strongest at sites located on trails or roads and subsided at sites located off trails or roads, though some effects persisted into an area-of-influence extending up to ~250 m from the nearest trail or road. Overall, avoidance responses were stronger for nonmotorized recreation and greater intensity of human presence, particularly for carnivores. Several species displayed attraction responses to certain forms of recreation. Together, these results demonstrate that human recreation may influence mammalian wildlife activity at broad and fine spatiotemporal scales in CNF, causing species-specific avoidance-attraction responses. Our work suggests that land managers should consider the effects of even "low impact" forms of recreation, as such activities may influence wildlife communities.
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Details
- Title
- Spatial and temporal effects of motorized and nonmotorized human recreation on wildlife in eastern Washington
- Creators
- Kelsey Marie Gump
- Contributors
- Daniel Thornton (Advisor) - Washington State University, Environment, School of the (CAS)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900896413901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis