The response of wolves, grizzly bears, and elk to human activity on trails and roads

Abstract

National parks are important for conservation of species such as wolves (Canis lupus), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), and elk (Cervus elaphus). However, topographic and anthropogenic features within parks may limit available habitat, however. Human activity on trails and roads may lead to habitat loss, yet research on such impacts to wildlife is incomplete, especially at fine spatial and temporal scales. My research investigated the relationship between wolf, grizzly bear, and elk distribution and human activity using finescale Global Positioning System (GPS) wildlife telemetry locations and hourly human activity on trails and roads in Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks, Canada. I found wolf and elk distributions changed with increasing human activity levels, while grizzly bear distributions did not. As human activity increased, wolves and elk increasingly selected distances farther away from roads and trails. In particular, in response to increases in human activity, I documented wolf displacement 400 m from trails and 200 m from roads, and elk displacement 800 m from trails. I also observed that the method of displacement varied between wolves and elk in response to increasing human trail activity. In fact, wolves appeared to respond to increasing trail activity by moving from distances <400 m to distances >400 m while elk responded to increasing trail activity by moving to adjacent areas further away and ultimately >800 m. If managers are concerned with human impacts on wolves, grizzly bears, and elk or on these species ' interactions, then managers should monitor and consider hourly changes in human activity levels in areas important to wildlife.