Demographic responses of bighorn sheep to recreational activities: A trial of a trail

Long-term effects of anthropogenic disturbance to wildlife, and whether such effects have population-level consequences, often are difficult to determine. In 1996, a recreational hiking trail (Maah Daah Hey Trail [Trail]) was constructed by the U.S. Forest Service through 4 geographic areas, each oc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Wildlife Society bulletin 2014-12, Vol.38 (4), p.773-782
Main Authors: Wiedmann, Brett P., Bleich, Vernon C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
bighorn sheep
Demography
disturbance
Habitat conservation
Lambing
lambing area
Mountain sheep
North Dakota
Original Articles
Ovis canadensis
recreation
recruitment
Sheep
trails
Ungulates
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife ecology
Wildlife habitats
Wildlife management
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Summary:Long-term effects of anthropogenic disturbance to wildlife, and whether such effects have population-level consequences, often are difficult to determine. In 1996, a recreational hiking trail (Maah Daah Hey Trail [Trail]) was constructed by the U.S. Forest Service through 4 geographic areas, each occupied by a distinct sub-population of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), in western North Dakota, USA. From 2001 to 2012, we monitored distribution, recruitment rates, and abundance of female bighorn sheep in the sub-populations to investigate responses to activities associated with the Trail, and whether demographic consequences occurred. Female bighorn sheep at Sully Creek were displaced from, and eventually abandoned, lambing habitat subjected to intensive recreational use that was erratic and unpredictable. Consequently, females inhabiting Sully Creek had lower fidelity to lambing areas than did other sub-populations, all of which realized 100% fidelity. Further, females inhabiting Sully Creek achieved lower recruitment of young, exhibited a substantial downward trend in recruitment rate, and a decline in abundance of females compared with the other sub-populations also exposed to the Trail, but where perturbation was less severe and human activities were consistent, predictable, and spatial separation existed between recreationists and lambing habitat. Metapopulations of bighorn sheep occurring in fragmented habitat having minimal vertical relief may be especially susceptible to sources of disturbance, which should be a consideration when recreational facilities are developed.
ISSN:1938-5463
2328-5540
1938-5463
2328-5540
DOI:10.1002/wsb.463