Poster Session I
Project Type
Poster
Project Funding and Affiliations
Hebblewhite Lab, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Thomas Riecke
Faculty Mentor’s Department
W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation
Additional Mentor
Connor Meyer, PhD student in the Hebblewhite Lab. connor.meyer@umconnect.umt.edu
Abstract / Artist's Statement
For my Honors Capstone Project, I am choosing to conduct a spatial analysis of elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Ya Ha Tinda region. The primary objective of this project is to apply occupancy modeling techniques to evaluate spatial patterns of site usage in order to determine which habitat qualities are preferentially selected for by elk. The project utilizes camera trap data (courtesy of the University of Montana’s Hebblewhite Lab), from which 65 distinct sites have been selected for analysis. Sites comprise a gradient of canopy cover ranging from low to high, as well as levels of predation risk. These two covariates (% canopy cover and probability of landscape use by wolves) are the foundation for my two hypotheses, which are as follows. Hypothesis 1: Elk prefer open-canopy spaces. I predict that elk occupancy will decrease as percent canopy cover increases. Hypothesis 2: Elk prefer spaces with low wolf density. I predict that elk occupancy will decrease as the probability of landscape use by wolves increases, indicating spatial avoidance of areas with high predation risk. Utilizing the elk occupancy data provided to me by the Hebblewhite Lab, I will model elk habitat selectivity in response to the two aforementioned covariates in R Studio and map my findings with ArcGIS Pro. This project will contribute to the existing database on the elk population in the Ya Ha Tinda region.
Category
Life Sciences
Quantifying Spatial Variation in Site Selectivity Patterns of Ya Ha Tinda Elk
UC South Ballroom
For my Honors Capstone Project, I am choosing to conduct a spatial analysis of elk (Cervus canadensis) in the Ya Ha Tinda region. The primary objective of this project is to apply occupancy modeling techniques to evaluate spatial patterns of site usage in order to determine which habitat qualities are preferentially selected for by elk. The project utilizes camera trap data (courtesy of the University of Montana’s Hebblewhite Lab), from which 65 distinct sites have been selected for analysis. Sites comprise a gradient of canopy cover ranging from low to high, as well as levels of predation risk. These two covariates (% canopy cover and probability of landscape use by wolves) are the foundation for my two hypotheses, which are as follows. Hypothesis 1: Elk prefer open-canopy spaces. I predict that elk occupancy will decrease as percent canopy cover increases. Hypothesis 2: Elk prefer spaces with low wolf density. I predict that elk occupancy will decrease as the probability of landscape use by wolves increases, indicating spatial avoidance of areas with high predation risk. Utilizing the elk occupancy data provided to me by the Hebblewhite Lab, I will model elk habitat selectivity in response to the two aforementioned covariates in R Studio and map my findings with ArcGIS Pro. This project will contribute to the existing database on the elk population in the Ya Ha Tinda region.