Dataset Information

Estimating brown bear abundance and harvest rate on the southern Alaska Peninsula.

ABSTRACT: Abundance estimation of hunted brown bear populations should occur on the same geographic scale as harvest data analyses for estimation of harvest rate. Estimated harvest rates are an important statistic for managing hunted bear populations. In Alaska, harvest data is collected over large geographic units, called Game Management Units (GMUs) and sub-GMUs. These sub GMUs often exceed 10,000 km2. In the spring of 2002, we conducted an aerial survey of GMU 9D (12,600 km2) and GMU 10 (4,070 km2) using distance sampling with mark-resight data. We used a mark-resight distance sampling method with a two-piece normal detection function to estimate brown bear abundance as 1,682.9 (SE = 174.29) and 316.9 (SE = 48.25) for GMU 9D and GMU 10, respectively. We used reported hunter harvest to estimate harvest rates of 4.35% (SE = 0.45%) and 3.06% (SE = 0.47%) for GMU 9D and GMU 10, respectively. Management objective for these units support sustained, high quality hunting opportunity which harvest data indicate are met with an annual harvest rate of approximately 5-6% or less.

SUBMITTER: Becker EF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7845982 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Estimating brown bear abundance and harvest rate on the southern Alaska Peninsula.

Becker Earl F EF Crowley David W DW

PloS one 20210129 1

Abundance estimation of hunted brown bear populations should occur on the same geographic scale as harvest data analyses for estimation of harvest rate. Estimated harvest rates are an important statistic for managing hunted bear populations. In Alaska, harvest data is collected over large geographic units, called Game Management Units (GMUs) and sub-GMUs. These sub GMUs often exceed 10,000 km2. In the spring of 2002, we conducted an aerial survey of GMU 9D (12,600 km2) and GMU 10 (4,070 km2) usi ...[more]

PMID: 33513142

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Project description:We combine a recently developed framework for describing dietary generalism with compositional data analysis to examine patterns of omnivory in a large widely distributed mammal. Using the brown bear (Ursus arctos) as a model species, we collected and analyzed data from the literature to estimate the proportions of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and lipid) in the diets of bear populations. Across their range, bears consumed a diversity of foods that resulted in annual population diets that varied in macronutrient proportions, suggesting a wide fundamental macronutrient niche. The variance matrix of pairwise macronutrient log-ratios indicated that the most variable macronutrient among diets was carbohydrate, while protein and lipid were more proportional or codependent (i.e., relatively more constant log-ratios). Populations that consumed anthropogenic foods, such agricultural crops and supplementary feed (e.g., corn), had a higher geometric mean proportion of carbohydrate, and lower proportion of protein, in annual diets. Seasonally, mean diets were lower in protein and higher in carbohydrate, during autumn compared to spring. Populations with anthropogenic subsidies, however, had higher mean proportions of carbohydrate and lower protein, across seasons compared to populations with natural diets. Proportions of macronutrients similar to those selected in experiments by captive brown bears, and which optimized primarily fat mass gain, were observed among hyperphagic prehibernation autumn diets. However, the majority of these were from populations consuming anthropogenic foods, while diets of natural populations were more variable and typically higher in protein. Some anthropogenic diets were close to the proportions selected by captive bears during summer. Our results suggest that omnivory in brown bears is a functional adaptation enabling them to occupy a diverse range of habitats and tolerate variation in the nutritional composition and availability of food resources. Furthermore, we show that populations consuming human-sourced foods have different dietary macronutrient proportions relative to populations with natural diets.

Dataset Information

Estimating brown bear abundance and harvest rate on the southern Alaska Peninsula.

Publications

Estimating brown bear abundance and harvest rate on the southern Alaska Peninsula.

Similar Datasets

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