Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Temporal and spatial variation in habitat selection and movements of female mallards in the parklands of Canada(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1997) Thorpe, Philip PendletonItem Summer habitat use of white-tailed deer on the Tally Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1993) Morgan, John T.Item Relationships between activity patterns and foraging strategies of Yellowstone grizzly bears(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1985) Harting, Albert L.; United States. National Park Service; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Harold D. PictonEleven grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) were radiotracked in Yellowstone National Park and vicinity in 1981 and 1982. Principal objectives of the study were 1: to examine the daily and seasonal activity patterns of Yellowstone grizzlies and to determine what influence certain temporal and environmental factors had on these activity patterns and 2: to examine the interrelationships of food habits, habitat use, movements, and activity patterns. Two methods for rating the quality of a bear’s occupied habitat were employed. One method considered the abundance, diversity, and relative value to grizzlies of the vegetation occurring at field-checked relocation sites. The second method utilized existing habitat maps and a spatial information computer package to identify the habitats surrounding relocation points. These habitat types were then rated according to a system of Habitat Importance Values developed by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study. Theoretical aspects of grizzly bear foraging strategies and predatory habits were also considered. Environmental factors which had a significant effect on grizzly bear activity patterns were temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover. Some of the influence of environmental variables on bear activity could be explained according to their probable effect on olfactory perception. Temporal factors found to be important were season and time of day (diel period). Grizzlies in this study were primarily crepuscular and nocturnal but individual bears differed significantly in their activity patterns. Individual differences in grizzly bear food habits and habitat use were reflected in their characteristic activity patterns and movements. Bears which occupied vegetatively poor habitat appeared to be more reliant on "supplemental" food sources (meat or garbage) than bears in rich mesic areas. The use of trained bear dogs to retrace grizzly bear movements proved to be a valuable adjunct to traditional research tactics.Item Influence of abiotic and biotic factors on occurrence of resident bull trout in fragmented habitats, western Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1996) Rich, Cecil FrankItem Ex-urban development in the Rocky Mountain West : consequences for native vegetation, wildlife diversity, and land-use planning in Big Sky, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2000) Oechsli, Lauren MarieItem Factors affecting duck nesting in the aspen parklands : a spatial analysis(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2003) Howerter, David WilliamItem Habitats and movements of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon in the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, Montana and North Dakota(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1996) Bramblett, Robert GlennHabitat use and movements of the endangered pallid sturgeon and the closely related shovelnose sturgeon are poorly known. Using radio and sonic telemetry, I obtained observations of microhabitat and macrohabitat use and movements on 24 pallid and 27 shovelnose sturgeon in the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers in Montana and North Dakota. Pallid sturgeon preferred sand and avoided gravel/cobble substrates. Shovelnose sturgeon preferred gravel/cobble and avoided sand substrates, although individual shovelnose sturgeon were variable in substrate use. Pallid sturgeon used depths ranging from 0.6 to 14.5 m, while shovelnose sturgeon used depths ranging from 0.9 to 10.1 m. Median depths at pallid sturgeon locations were significantly greater than at shovelnose sturgeon locations, and there was significant variation in mean depths among individual pallid and shovelnose sturgeon. Pallid and shovelnose sturgeon used bottom current velocities ranging from 0 to 1.37 m/s, and 0.02 to 1.51 m/s, respectively. Mean bottom current velocities were significantly greater at shovelnose sturgeon locations than at pallid sturgeon locations, although analysis of variance indicated that difference was due to location in the Yellowstone River versus the Lower Missouri River. Pallid sturgeon were most often relocated in the lower 28 km of the Yellowstone River in spring and summer and in the Lower Missouri River in fall and winter. Shovelnose sturgeon were most often relocated in the 114 km of the Yellowstone River from the Intake diversion dam to the confluence in all seasons. Only rarely were either species relocated in the Upper Missouri River. Pallid sturgeon aggregations in late spring and early summer indicate that spawning may occur in the lower 13 km of the Yellowstone River. Home range of both species ranged to over 250 km. Both species moved during both day and night and less during fall and winter than during spring and summer. Linear regression models suggested that discharge and photoperiod may be important environmental cues for movements of both species. Pallid sturgeon used moderately diverse, dynamic macrohabitats while shovelnose sturgeon were less selective in macrohabitat use. Substantial differences in habitat use and movements between adult pallid and shovelnose sturgeon indicate that shovelnose sturgeon have limited utility as pallid sturgeon surrogates.Item Behavioral responses to water current of age-O Arctic grayling from the Madison River, and their use of stream habitat(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1996) Jeanes, Eric DonaldItem Winter habitat and distribution of Arctic grayling in Upper Red Rock Lake, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1996) Gangloff, Michael MatthewItem Pellet and scat analysis as indicators of past and present habitats(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2000) Craighead, April Charmaine H.