McClure Meredith L, Dickson Brett G, Nicholson Kerry L
Conservation Science Partners Truckee CA USA.
University of Arizona Tucson Arizona.
Ecol Evol. 2017 Apr 18;7(11):3762-3772. doi: 10.1002/ece3.2939. eCollection 2017 Jun.
This study sought to identify critical areas for puma () movement across the state of Arizona in the American Southwest and to identify those most likely to be impacted by current and future human land uses, particularly expanding urban development and associated increases in traffic volume. Human populations in this region are expanding rapidly, with the potential for urban centers and busy roads to increasingly act as barriers to demographic and genetic connectivity of large-bodied, wide-ranging carnivores such as pumas, whose long-distance movements are likely to bring them into contact with human land uses and whose low tolerance both for and from humans may put them at risk unless opportunities for safe passage through or around human-modified landscapes are present. Brownian bridge movement models based on global positioning system collar data collected during bouts of active movement and linear mixed models were used to model habitat quality for puma movement; then, a wall-to-wall application of circuit theory models was used to produce a continuous statewide estimate of connectivity for puma movement and to identify pinch points, or bottlenecks, that may be most at risk of impacts from current and future traffic volume and expanding development. Rugged, shrub- and scrub-dominated regions were highlighted as those offering high quality movement habitat for pumas, and pinch points with the greatest potential impacts from expanding development and traffic, although widely distributed, were particularly prominent to the north and east of the city of Phoenix and along interstate highways in the western portion of the state. These pinch points likely constitute important conservation opportunities, where barriers to movement may cause disproportionate loss of connectivity, but also where actions such as placement of wildlife crossing structures or conservation easements could enhance connectivity and prevent detrimental impacts before they occur.
本研究旨在确定美洲狮在美國西南部亚利桑那州活动的关键区域，并确定那些最有可能受到当前和未来人类土地利用影响的区域，特别是不断扩张的城市发展以及随之而来的交通流量增加。该地区的人口正在迅速增长，城市中心和繁忙道路有可能越来越多地成为大型、活动范围广的食肉动物（如美洲狮）种群和基因连通性的障碍。美洲狮的长途活动可能使它们与人类土地利用产生接触，而且它们对人类的容忍度较低，这可能使它们面临风险，除非存在安全通过或绕过人类改造景观的机会。基于在活跃活动期间收集的全球定位系统项圈数据的布朗桥运动模型和线性混合模型被用于模拟美洲狮活动的栖息地质量；然后，运用电路理论模型进行全面应用，以得出该州范围内美洲狮活动连通性的连续估计值，并确定可能最容易受到当前和未来交通流量以及不断扩张的开发活动影响的狭窄点或瓶颈。崎岖不平、以灌木和矮树丛为主的地区被视为为美洲狮提供高质量活动栖息地的区域，而那些因开发和交通扩张而受到潜在影响最大的狭窄点虽然分布广泛，但在菲尼克斯市的北部和东部以及该州西部的州际公路沿线尤为突出。这些狭窄点可能构成重要的保护机会，在这些地方，活动障碍可能导致连通性不成比例地丧失，但也是可以通过设置野生动物穿越结构或保护地役权等行动来增强连通性并在不利影响发生之前加以预防的地方。
