1. Resource selection by coyotes (Canis latrans) in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem: effects of anthropogenic fires and landscape features
- Author
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Stevenson, E.R., Lashley, M.A., Chitwood, M.C., Garabedian, J.E., Swingen, M.B., DePerno, C.S., and Moorman, C.E.
- Subjects
Coyotes -- Environmental aspects ,Pines -- Environmental aspects ,Animal-plant relationships -- Environmental aspects ,Wildlife ,Global Positioning System ,Forests ,Prescribed burning ,Environmental management ,Zoology and wildlife conservation - Abstract
Prescribed fire is used to restore and maintain fire-dependent forest communities. Because fire affects food and cover resources, fire-mediated resource selection has been documented for many wildlife species. The first step in understanding these interactions is to understand resource selection of the predators in a fire-maintained system. We attached GPS radio collars to 27 coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and examined resource selection relative to fire-maintained vegetation types, years since fire, anthropogenic features that facilitate prescribed burning, and other landscape features likely to affect coyote resource selection. Coyote home ranges were characterized by more open vegetation types and more recently burned forest (i.e., burned 0-1 year prior) than available on the study area. Within their home ranges, coyotes avoided areas close to densely vegetated drainages and paved roads. Coyote selection of more recently burned forest likely was in response to greater prey density or increased ability to detect prey soon after vegetation cover was reduced by fires; similarly, coyotes likely avoided drainages due to decreased hunting efficiency. Coyote resource selection was linked to prescribed fire, suggesting the interaction between fire and coyotes may influence ecosystem function in fire-dependent forests. Key words: Canis latrans, coyote, longleaf pine, Pinus palustris, prescribed fire, resource selection. Le brulage dirige est utilise pour restaurer et maintenir des communautes forestieres qui dependent du feu. Comme le feu a une incidence sur les ressources de nourriture et de couverture, la selection de ressources modulee par le feu est documentee pour de nombreuses especes sauvages. La premiere etape vers une comprehension de ces interactions consiste a comprendre la selection des ressources par les predateurs dans un systeme entretenu par le feu. Nous avons fixe des colliers emetteurs GPS a 27 coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) et examine leur selection de ressources en fonction des types de vegetation maintenue par le feu, du nombre d'annees ecoulees depuis un feu, d'elements d'origine humaine qui facilitent le brulage dirige et d'autres elements du paysage qui auraient vraisemblablement une incidence sur la selection de ressources par les coyotes. Les domaines vitaux des coyotes etaient caracterises par des types de vegetation plus ouverts et des forets plus recemment brulees (c.-a-d. de 0 a 1 an auparavant) que ce qui etait disponible dans la region a l'etude. Dans leurs domaines vitaux, les coyotes evitaient les zones situees pres de cours d'eau presentant une vegetation dense et de routes revetues. La selection par les coyotes de forets brulees plus recemment etait probablement une reaction a la plus grande densite de proies ou la capacite accrue de deceler des proies peu apres la reduction de la couverture vegetale par le feu; de meme, les coyotes evitaient probablement les cours d'eau en raison d'une moins grande efficacite de la chasse dans ces milieux. La selection de ressources par les coyotes etait reliee au brulage dirige, ce qui indiquerait que les interactions entre le feu et les coyotes pourraient influencer la fonction ecosystemique dans les forets dependant du feu. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : Canis latrans, coyote, pin des marais, Pinus palustris, brulage dirige, selection des ressources., Introduction Fire is a dominant disturbance that occurs globally and regulates many terrestrial plant and animal communities. Influences of fire on the function and structure of ecosystems are well studied [...]
- Published
- 2019
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