Influence of Landscape Attributes on American Black Bear Den-Site Selection in Mississippi

Increasingly, human activities influence wildlife populations in numerous ways including habitat selection, demography, behavior, and physiology (Apps et al. 2004). These effects are often magnified in urban and exurban environments; however, they also occur in rural and remote environments (Yorio et al. 2001; Reynolds-Hogland et al. 2007). Understanding types and magnitude of disturbances affecting species can be used to improve conservation, and is especially relevant to conservation of endangered species (Frid and Dill 2002). Anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., recreational activities and roads) may result in decreased habitat suitability as well as increased stress levels and energetic losses to animals (Linnell et al. 2000; White et al. 2001). Consequently, individuals of species such as grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) may select home ranges in areas that are uninhabited by, or inaccessible to, humans to avoid interaction (Apps et al. 2004). Non-anthropogenic factors including conspecifics, habitat edges, and topographic features, also may result in disturbances to bears (White et al. 2001; Garneau et al. 2006).