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Land-use change due to anthropogenic development is pervasive across the globe and commonly associated with negative consequences for biodiversity. While land-use change has been linked to shifts in the behavior and habitat-use patterns of wildlife species, little is known about its influence on animal population dynamics, despite the relevance of such information for conservation. We conducted the first broad-scale investigation correlating temporal patterns of land-use change with the demographic rates of mule deer, an iconic species in the western United States experiencing wide-scale population declines. We employed a unique combination of long-term (1980-2010) data on residential and energy development across western Colorado, in conjunction with congruent data on deer recruitment, to quantify annual changes in land-use and correlate those changes with annual indices of demographic performance. We also examined annual variation in weather conditions, which are well recognized to influence ungulate productivity, and provided a basis for comparing the relative strength of different covariates in their association with deer recruitment. Using linear mixed models, we found that increasing residential and energy development within deer habitat were correlated with declining recruitment rates, particularly within seasonal winter ranges. Residential housing had two times the magnitude of effect of any other factor we investigated, and energy development had an effect size similar to key weather variables known to be important to ungulate dynamics. This analysis is the first to correlate a demographic response in mule deer with residential and energy development at large spatial extents relevant to population performance, suggesting that further increases in these development types on deer ranges are not compatible with the goal of maintaining highly productive deer populations. Our results underscore the significance of expanding residential development on mule deer populations, a factor that has received little research attention in recent years, despite its rapidly increasing footprint across the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation development (CD) refers to a set of land development techniques aimed at minimizing impacts on natural resources. Typically, homes are clustered and open space is set aside for conservation. The evidence for the effectiveness of CDs in conserving biodiversity is mixed, with some studies attributing these results to a lack of stewardship in conserved areas. The purpose of this research was to ask landowners and developers to evaluate which conservation practices, as part of a policy scenario, would be most acceptable. We surveyed landowners and developers who had created CDs in north-central Colorado; we solicited their attitudes about native wildlife conservation and willingness to adopt four conservation practices, given proposed incentive-based policies. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with respondents to elaborate on their response to these proposed incentives, as well as two potential funding mechanisms for managing the open space for biodiversity (homeowners’ association dues and a property tax). Overall, we found moderate support for the conservation practices, some interest in two types of incentives (a housing density bonus and fast-tracking permits), and opposition to the two proposed funding mechanisms for land stewardship. Our findings suggest that CD developers in Colorado would be willing to adopt conservation practices, and are generally supportive of incentive-based policies, but greater understanding of homeowners’ willingness to pay for conservation features is needed to gain support for a funding mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exurban development, defined as residential development outside of cities and towns, occupies nearly five times more land in the United States than urban and suburban development combined. Understanding the effects of exurban development on biodiversity thus has important and wide-ranging implications for the planning, construction and stewardship of sustainable communities and surrounding rural lands. To assess the impact of exurban development on mammalian habitat use, wildlife cameras were placed along a unique gradient of landscape permeability through varying densities and configurations of housing development in a rapidly growing rural region of Colorado. Multiple-season species occupancy and relative activity levels were measured in summer and winter seasons. The impacts of exurban housing on mammals were species specific and varied along the development gradient. Bobcats (Lynx rufus), elk (Cervus canadensis), and coyotes (Canis latrans), showed decreased activity and occupancy levels in more developed areas, whereas red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) occurred more frequently in these areas. Other species did not show significant responses to exurban development. In addition, black bears (Ursus americanus) used embedded greenbelts more frequently in high-density exurban subdivisions. Using our development gradient provides ecologically relevant insight into how mammals respond to residential development, and our results demonstrate that some species respond positively to residential development, but that others decline or disappear as the development gradient intensifies. Incorporating well-designed and naturally vegetated open spaces into development projects and minimizing human disturbance could mitigate impacts to mid-large sized mammals in regions undergoing exurban expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]