Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2011 Ecology and Conservation of Cougars in the Eastern Great Basin: Effects of Urbanization, Habitat Fragmentation, and Exploitation David C. Stoner Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation Stoner, David C., "Ecology and Conservation of Cougars in the Eastern Great Basin: Effects of Urbanization, Habitat Fragmentation, and Exploitation" (2011). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 989. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/989 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF COUGARS IN THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN: EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION, HABITAT FRAGMENTATION, AND EXPLOITATION by David C. Stoner A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Ecology Approved: ______________________ ______________________ Michael L. Wolfe James A. MacMahon Major Professor Committee Member ______________________ ______________________ Johan T. du Toit Frank P. Howe Committee Member Committee Member ______________________ ______________________ Eric Gese Byron Burnham Committee Member Dean of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2011 ii Copyright © David C. Stoner 2011 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Ecology and Conservation of Cougars in the Eastern Great Basin: Effects of Urbanization, Habitat Fragmentation, and Exploitation by David C. Stoner, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2011 Major Professor: Dr.