2004 UC Proceedings Abstract
A Spatially-Explicit Habitat Model for Cougar in Utah Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Author(s): Wendy Rieth, David Stoner, R. Ramsey, Michael Wolfe Although the cougar (Puma concolor) is the widest ranging mammal in the western hemisphere, its habitat in the western United States is generally thought to be declining as a result of development. In some cases this species can tolerate low to moderate levels of suburban development; however, it is also sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. An understanding of habitat use is therefore critical when developing cougar management plans. Wildlife managers will find that GIS works well as a tool for modeling habitat for the cougar because cougars use landscapes of relatively large extents and their movements are adequately captured at a fairly coarse resolution. This paper uses statistical modeling of radio-telemetry data within a raster GIS to create a spatially-explicit cougar habitat model for two sites in Utah. The results are used to make recommendations for the management of this species. Wendy Rieth Utah State University RS/GIS Lab 1143 Capitol St. Ogden , UT 84401 US Phone: (435) 797-4482 E-mail: wendy.rieth@usu.edu David Stoner Utah State University Dept. of Forest, Range and Wildlife Sciences 5230 Old Main Hill Logan , UT 84322-5230 US Phone: (435)797-4482 E-mail: dstoner@cc.usu.edu R. Ramsey Utah State University Dept. of Forest, Range, and Wildlife Sciences 5240 Old Main Hill Logan , UT 84322-5240 US Phone: (435) 797-3783 E-mail: doug.ramsey@usu.edu Michael Wolfe Utah State University Dept. of Forest, Range, and Wildlife Sciences 5230 Old Main Hill Logan , UT 84322-5230 US Phone: 437 797 2533 E-mail: mlwolfe@cc.usu.edu |
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