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Dissertation Final Kodiak Bears POPULATION DYNAMICS AND MANAGEMENT OF BROWN BEARS ON KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Natural Resources in the College of Graduate Studies University of Idaho by Lawrence J. Van Daele February 2007 Major Professor: Edward O. Garton, Ph.D. ii iii ABSTRACT Brown bear (Ursus arctos ) populations along the North Pacific Rim are generally healthy and an important economic resource, yet there are few long-term studies of their population dynamics and harvest management. This project gathered information on the population dynamics of bears on Kodiak Island, Alaska to develop an easily understood model for use by managers to develop harvest strategies and guidelines. I investigated a geographically closed brown bear population with no impassable physical barriers from 1982-2004. I hypothesized that Kodiak had a single bear population that could occupy any habitat and would use the best resources available. I investigated 402 marked bears within 4 diverse study areas, including 261 that were radiocollared, yielding 15,539 relocations. Mean home ranges for females were significantly smaller than males, and varied between areas. There was considerable home range overlap and no evidence of territoriality. Topography, vegetation, and salmon availability varied between areas, as did denning habitat and chronology. Elevations used by bears varied by area, reproductive status, and season. Most variations appeared to be related to resource availability. Reproductive fitness and bear densities were comparable in all areas. Generations of behavioral specialization have resulted in a population that is a radiating continuum in which bears that lived adjacent to each other used similar resources, but those living apart used different resources. Mitochondrial DNA analysis confirmed the hypothesis that bears on Kodiak were a single population; however resource use patterns rejected the hypothesis that all bears used the same “optimal” habitat. This ecological flexibility resulted in a higher carrying capacity than if all bears conformed to uniform habitat use patterns. I created a model that used population and harvest inputs to derive estimates of population change and the number of trophy-sized bears. Model validation suggested the Kodiak bear population was healthy and productive as it supported a sustainable harvest that yielded consistently large bears. To obtain refined harvest strategies, managers must consider local population parameters, management objectives, harvest characteristics, and confidence levels. There is no single harvest rate that is applicable to all situations. iv DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the brown bears on the Kodiak Archipelago. Without their tolerance and cooperation this project would never have been possible. Photo by Matthew Van Daele v TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHORIZATION TO SUBMIT DISSERTATION .. Error! Bookmark not defined. ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................iii DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. x INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 1: Ecological flexibility of brown bears on Kodiak Island, Alaska .......... 2 Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 3 Study Area ...................................................................................................................... 4 Methods........................................................................................................................... 8 Results........................................................................................................................... 11 Capture, Collaring and Data Collection.................................................................... 11 Home Range and Utilization Distribution ................................................................ 12 Habitat Availability and Use..................................................................................... 13 Cub Dispersal............................................................................................................ 14 Seasonal Movements ................................................................................................ 14 Denning..................................................................................................................... 16 Discussion..................................................................................................................... 17 Management Implications............................................................................................. 23 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................. 24 Appendix....................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 2: Management of brown bear hunting on Kodiak Island, Alaska ....... 48 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 48 Introduction................................................................................................................... 49 Study Area .................................................................................................................... 50 Methods......................................................................................................................... 52 Capture...................................................................................................................... 52 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 52 Data Analysis............................................................................................................ 53 Model Development.................................................................................................. 53 Results........................................................................................................................... 54 Survival Rates ........................................................................................................... 54 vi Harvest ...................................................................................................................... 55 Model ........................................................................................................................ 56 Discussion..................................................................................................................... 57 Survival Rates ........................................................................................................... 57 Harvest ...................................................................................................................... 59 Model ........................................................................................................................ 60 Management Implications............................................................................................. 61 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................. 62 Appendix....................................................................................................................... 75 vii LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1 Ecological flexibility of brown bears on Kodiak Island, Alaska Figure 1.1. Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska, including the 4 brown bear study areas. (TLH – Terror Lake, ZSP – Zachar/Spiridon, SWK – southwest Kodiak, and ALK – Aliulik Peninsula) and vegetative cover types, 1982-2004. .......................................... 30 Figure 1.2. Minimum convex polygon (100%) home ranges for all female bears with >30 relocations, Kodiak Island, Alaska, 1982-2004................................................. 31 Figure 1.3. Fixed kernel (95%) utilization distribution areas for all female bears with >30 relocations, Kodiak Island, Alaska, 1982-2004................................................. 32 Figure 1.4. Vegetative cover types (percentage of total area excluding marine habitat) within each study area (TLH – Terror Lake, ZSP – Zachar/Spiridon, SWK – southwest Kodiak, and ALK – Aliulik Peninsula), Kodiak Island, Alaska, 1982-2004 ......................................................................................................................... 33 Figure 1.5. Biweekly mean elevations of radio collared female bears that were with new cubs by study area (TLH – Terror Lake, ZSP –Zachar/Spiridon,
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