Abstract

A Robust Approach for Modeling Bighorn Sheep Habitat
Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management
Author(s): Daniel Olson, Steven Petersen, Randy Larsen, Jerran Flinders, Justin Shannon, Jericho Whiting

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are endemic to the dry, mountainous regions of North America, but many populations were extirpated shortly after European colonization. Consequently, reintroducing bighorn sheep has been a major undertaking throughout the western United States. GIS has been used to evaluate bighorn sheep habitat since the 1990's. In this study, we developed habitat-use models for female bighorn sheep using GIS and logistic regression. We created habitat models for two study areas in north-central Utah, which classified 85.2 to 95.9% of bighorn locations correctly. When the habitat models were extrapolated to areas with bighorn sheep and validated with known bighorn locations, they correctly classified 94.0 to 95.4% of locations. We found slope and tree cover to be robust variables that accurately predicted habitat-use of bighorns. Our results provide managers with a tool to predict habitat-use of bighorn sheep at a landscape scale.

Daniel Olson
Brigham Young University
448 WIDB
Provo , Utah 84602
United States
Phone: 801-718-3884
E-mail: dolson2@byu.edu

Steven Petersen
Brigham Young University
487 WIDB
Provo , Utah 84602
United States
Phone: 801-422-4885
E-mail: steven_petersen@byu.edu

Randy Larsen
Utah State University
5230 Old Main Hill
NR 206
Logan , Utah 84322
United States
Phone: 801-361-3598
E-mail: randy.larsen@usu.edu

Jerran Flinders
Brigham Young University
407 WIDB
Provo , Utah 84602
United States
Phone: 801-422-3233
E-mail: jerran_flinders@byu.edu

Justin Shannon
Brigham Young University
448 WIDB
Provo , Utah 84602
United States
Phone: 801-369-1672
E-mail: jshannon@byu.net

Jericho Whiting
Idaho State University
921 South 8th Avenue
Stop 80007
Pocatello , Idaho 83209
United States
Phone: 801-602-3598
E-mail: whitjeri@isu.edu