Future Bear Paths? (IMAGE)
Caption
A map juxtaposes predicted paths for male grizzlies from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, generated by a randomized shortest path algorithm based on data from GPS-collared males monitored from 2000 to 2015. Factors that may predict bear movements include vegetation type, density of houses, ruggedness of terrain, and distance to forest edges, roadways, and rivers. Overlapping predictions from the algorithm (purple) indicate a tight squeeze for the bears, with few optimal paths. A scattered proliferation of paths (yellow) through a region suggests that it offers more continuous grizzly habitat. Blue triangles mark verified sightings of grizzlies outside their occupied ranges (Number 19 marks the bear seen twice in the Big Belts in the summer of 2017). From Figure 3 of Peck, C.P. et al. (2017) Potential paths for male-mediated gene flow to and from an isolated grizzly bear population. Ecosphere 8(10):e01969
Credit
Ecological Society of America
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