Spatial Ecology of Coyotes and Cougars: Understanding the Influence of Multiple Prey on the Spatial Interactions of Two Predators
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2017 Spatial Ecology of Coyotes and Cougars: Understanding the Influence of Multiple Prey on the Spatial Interactions of Two Predators Peter J. Mahoney Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation Mahoney, Peter J., "Spatial Ecology of Coyotes and Cougars: Understanding the Influence of Multiple Prey on the Spatial Interactions of Two Predators" (2017). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 5658. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/5658 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]. SPATIAL ECOLOGY OF COYOTES AND COUGARS: UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE PREY ON THE SPATIAL INTERACTIONS OF TWO PREDATORS by Peter J. Mahoney A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Ecology Approved: ______________________ ____________________ Julie Young, Ph.D. Eric Gese, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member ______________________ ____________________ David Koons, Ph.D. Jim Powell, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member ______________________ ____________________ John Shivik, Ph.D. Mark McLellan, Ph.D. Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2017 ii Copyright © Peter J. Mahoney 2017 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Spatial Ecology of Coyotes and Cougars: Understanding the Influence of Multiple Prey on the Spatial Interactions of Two Predators by Peter J. Mahoney, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2017 Major Professor: Dr. Julie Young Department: Wildland Resources The extent to which predators regulate prey populations remains a subject of debate. Yet, when predator control is employed as a management strategy, it is often assumed that predators can and do regulate prey populations. From 2011 through 2015, I monitored the demography and space use of coyotes (Canis latrans) and cougars (Puma concolor) on Monroe Mountain in Fishlake National Forest, Utah as part of a larger collaboration investigating the impacts of coyote aerial control on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) neonate survival. My primary objective was to assess the impacts of anthropogenic regulation on the respective populations and identify any cascading effects relevant to mule deer management. To meet this objective, I established a monitoring program for both predators by deploying radio-telemetry collars (VHF and GPS) on each, documented predation events, established surveys for small mammals and lagomorphs to monitor primary prey populations during deer parturition (June – August), and collected data on the location and demographic composition of winter-removed coyotes. I analyzed iv these data primarily in a community-based, animal movement and resource selection framework permitting the integration of data from multiple sources. When evaluating coyote aerial removal as a management strategy, I identified a spatial dependency in the ability to match removals with indices of deer recruitment as Wildlife Services Operations personnel were primarily limited by terrain and tree cover. Thus, matching treatment with deer fawning was highly variable with only a small number of sites where removals were effective. In addition, I found that coyotes selected for sites with the highest densities of lagomorphs while avoiding areas with a high probability of encountering cougars. Coyotes did not select for mule deer fawning sites, although individual coyotes that occupied resource-poor home ranges were more likely to do so. Cougars strongly selected for mule deer high use areas throughout much of the year, only switching to elk (Cervus elaphus) during the cougar harvest season (i.e., winter). Data from cougar kill site investigations match the observed patterns in cougar space use. My results suggest that predator-prey processes are multi-dimensional and dynamic through time, which likely contribute to the lack of resolution regarding the efficacy of predator control and the regulatory potential of predators in general. (252 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT Spatial Ecology of Coyotes and Cougars: Understanding the Influence of Multiple Prey on the Spatial Interactions of Two Predators Peter J. Mahoney The coyote (Canis latrans) has expanded throughout much of North America over the past century following the regional extirpation of apex predators. These highly adaptable canids can occupy a variety of landscapes from the rainforests of Central America to the dense, human-dominated urban centers of the United States. As a generalist predator, coyotes can capitalize on a variety of food resources, including anthropogenic subsidies such as domestic livestock and food tailings at landfills. These tendencies often bring coyotes in direct conflict with humans, forcing managers to consider mitigation strategies ranging from the targeted removal of problem individuals to a broader reduction in population abundance. However, managing these wild canids is not without controversy. Thus, I take a science-based approach to understanding the nuances of coyote impacts on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). I present my findings from a 4-year study in southcentral Utah pertaining to the general ecology of coyotes and their primary competitor, the cougar (Puma concolor), as well as specific findings with regards to the efficacy of a predator control program used in mule deer management. My findings indicate coyotes generally favor areas with high lagomorph density over that of areas occupied by pregnant mule deer, suggesting deer fawn predation by coyotes may be opportunistic. Interestingly, coyotes strongly avoid areas utilized by cougars, which may vi indicate cougars can regulate coyote access to deer. Cougars, on the other hand, strongly select for areas utilized by mule deer, which make up almost two thirds of their diet. However, during the cougar harvest season and over the winter months, cougars appear to be more willing to consume elk (Cervus elaphus), likely because of increased access and spatial overlap with elk. Finally, my evaluation of aerial control of coyotes as a management strategy for deer indicates that outcomes are often highly variable across space and among individual coyotes removed. However, there is some indication control can be effective at local scales where there is strong overlap between coyote removal and areas favored by pregnant deer. My results suggest that predator-prey processes are multi-dimensional and dynamic through time, which likely contribute to the lack of resolution with regard to the efficacy of predator control and the regulatory potential of predators in general. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank Dr. Julie Young whose wisdom and guidance were everything I could have asked for from a major advisor. Thank you for the opportunity to conclude my graduate studies in an environment that was both amiable and ambitious, supportive and studious. I am very cognizant of my good fortune to have been a part of your lab, and am proud to have you as a friend and colleague. I would like to thank the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, USDA-WS National Wildlife Research Center, Utah State University, and the Ecology Center for their financial support of my field research and studies while a PhD student. I thank my committee composed of Drs. Eric Gese, David Koons, Jim Powell, and John Shivik for their guidance regarding life as a professional scientist and assistance with drafting my dissertation. Further, I would like to thank them for the patience they displayed throughout, but most especially during the final push toward my defense. I would also like to thank Vance Mumford and Kent Hersey with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Kreig Rasmussen with the U.S. Forest Service for their year- round field and logistical support on Monroe Mountain. Their expertise and local knowledge benefited my safety, and that of my technicians, while working in the field, and contributed immeasurably to the quality of my dissertation. I thank Kevin Dustin and Mike Linnell with USDA Wildlife Services for their logistical support and expert advice regarding predators borne from years of field work. I thank all my technicians, which included Isaac Kelsey, Matt King, Jeff Brown, Jared Moore, Carrie Jamieson, Patrick Schirf, Erin Wampole, Cliff Maehr, Zach Dustin, viii Ryan Dillingham, and Nickoli Kallman, for many weeks or months of participation that was essential to the success of the project, all while tirelessly contending with my often stochastic and frenetic leadership in the field. I thank my friends and colleagues in the Animal ‘Predator’ Ecology Lab, including Michel Kohl, Danny Kinka, Beth Orning, Julie Golla, Jarod Raithel, Aimee Tallian, Lacy Smith, Gavin Cotterill, Joel Ruprecht, Patrick Meyers, Brad Nichols, Pat Jackson, Ryan Kindermann, Sharon Poessel, Bryan Kluever, and many more, for their advice, support, and friendship. I thank David Stoner for always lending an open ear, whether it be to discuss specifics with regards to predator-prey systems or how best to strike balance between life as an academic and as a father and husband. And to Clint Mecham,