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Space Use by Coyotes (Canis latrans) in an Urbanizing Landscape, and Implications for Management

Franckowiak, Gregory Allen
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1398243682

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Science, University of Akron, Biology.
Over the past 100 years, the coyote (Canis latrans) has expanded its geographic range across North America. As a result of their adaptability and behavioral flexibility, coyotes are now a common occupant of urban areas in the United States. Because their expansion from rural to urban areas is recent, there is limited research on coyote space use within different levels of development when ranging from truly urban to truly rural environments. We studied a total of 34 radiocollared coyotes in the Cuyahoga Valley, OH region from October 2009 through October 2012 to determine variation in coyote home range size, home range land cover composition, and habitat selection in northeast Ohio. Mean (± SE) composite home ranges of transient coyotes (x¯ = 108.614 ± 16.667 km2) were significantly larger than those of resident coyotes (x¯ = 6.63 ± 0.729 km2) in the Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio. Home ranges did not vary by sex or season for resident and transient coyotes, but resident subadults had significantly larger composite home ranges than other age classes. Home range sizes of transient coyotes were significantly larger than resident coyotes during the breeding, pup-rearing, and dispersal seasons. Neither sex nor age significantly influenced resident or transient coyote seasonal home range. Resident coyote home range size was smaller than found in previous studies. An a priori prediction that coyote home range size in the Cuyahoga Valley would be intermediate to coyote home range size in more urban and more rural habitats was, therefore, not supported. Within the study area and individual home ranges, coyotes commonly avoided land-cover types associated with human development and predominately selected natural habitats (i.e. deciduous forests, grasslands, etc.) more than they were available with little variation as a function of resident status, sex, age, or season. Although we did find that coyotes use areas of high human activity, we found little evidence that coyotes widely utilized areas associated with human development across the landscape.
Randall Mitchell, Dr. (Advisor)
Gregory Smith, Dr. (Advisor)
Francisco Moore, Dr. (Committee Member)
141 p.
Biology; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management
coyote; wildlife; management; conservation; implications for management; urban ecology;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Franckowiak, G. A. (2014). Space Use by Coyotes (Canis latrans) in an Urbanizing Landscape, and Implications for Management [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1398243682

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Franckowiak, Gregory. Space Use by Coyotes (Canis latrans) in an Urbanizing Landscape, and Implications for Management. 2014. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1398243682.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Franckowiak, Gregory. "Space Use by Coyotes (Canis latrans) in an Urbanizing Landscape, and Implications for Management." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1398243682

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.