Movement Behavior of Wildlife: Effect of Resource Distribution and Landscape Structure in North America

This book describes a large and complex research and conservation project which addressed the movement behavior of a variety of wildlife species, each with varying movement patterns, resource needs, and empirical knowledge of their ecologies.  This work used a comprehensive approach to identify focal species and describe habitat quality of six iconic North American wildlife species (brown bear, black bear, wolverine, Canada lynx, moose, Dall sheep) using resource selection functions previously published, developing resource selection function from original field data, and developing Bayesian Networks using scientific literature and expert opinion. The results of these analyses were then used to describe movement patterns of each species.
Specifically, the authors:
·    Used a rigorous species selection process to identify focal species that represented a broad-array of biological diversity,
·    Used field-based data and published results to describe habitat quality of the six iconic species they selected,
·    Linked least-cost path analyses with circuit-theory analyses to generate movement patterns of wildlife from the habitat-quality information, and
·    Incorporated information describing these movement patterns and corridors into a case study of the reconstruction of the Sterling Highway on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA, and further integrated wildlife movement into construction planning and design to plan and implement mitigation practices for the focal species.
This book provides a unique and much needed resource to wildlife and land management practitioners by bringing together, in one volume, an analysis of habitat quality of these high-interest species combined with an analysis of movement and corridors using innovative and cutting-edge approaches. The resulting information provides land managers with the information necessary to fully integrate conservation of wildlife into land management activities (e.g., timber harvest, mining, development of infrastructure).  A real-world application of the process is demonstrated in a case study that incorporates research findings into the reconstruction of the Sterling Highway across the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The material presented in this book is particularly relevant and timely due to the increasing international attention on wildlife movement behavior and corridor management.

Lowell H. Suring specializes in the development and implementation of analytical techniques and tools that may be used to evaluate the capability of habitats to support wildlife and the effects of land management activities on habitat capability. He is recognized as Certified Wildlife Biologist and as an elected Fellow of The Wildlife Society. Lowell served as Section Editor for the Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes and Encyclopedia of Imperiled Ecosystems of the World. He also currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of The Wildlife Society. He has worked on a variety of research and conservation projects that involved assessment and management of species of conservation concern throughout North America, resulting in more than 70 peer-reviewed reports, journal articles, and book chapters. His current interests include response of grassland habitats and associated wildlife to climate change.

William L. Gaines holds a PhD in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington. He is currently the Executive Director of the Washington Conservation Science Institute, a small research institute located in Leavenworth, Washington, USA. Bill has published over 75 journal articles, technical reports, and book chapters covering a wide variety of wildlife species and conservation topics. In addition to the work presented in this volume, he has participated in numerous research projects aimed at understanding wildlife movement ecology. He has actively engaged in several initiatives that apply wildlife movement ecology research to inform the best options to maintain and restore habitat connectivity. For example, he served as a primary scientist on the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group, recognized for their state-wide habitat connectivity assessment by the National Highway Administration. His current research interests include integrating wildlife movement ecology with species viability modeling and understanding how climate change influences wildlife movements.