Featured
Research
Connecting applied statistical methods
to wildlife ecology.
A change is gonna come; using change-point models to identify parturition events
Kathleen P. Gundermann, Diefenbach, D.R., Walter, W.D., Corondi, A.C., Rosenberry, C.R., Banfield, J.E. & Buderman, F.E.I developed two change-point models for identifying singular changes in movement behavior: a location-based and a movement metric-based model. I applied these models to two ungulate species, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) in central Pennsylvania with the goal of identifying parturition events. Previous research and anecdotal evidence suggest that these two species exhibit different location- and movement-based changes during parturition.
Anthropogenic source of predation and how movement behaviors change over the course of a hunting season
Kathleen P. Gundermann, Diefenbach, D.R., Wallingford, B.D., Stainbrook, D.P., Rosenberry, C.R., & Buderman, F.E.Predator activity can alter behavior of prey species, as prey must balance habitat benefits with predation risk. In the eastern U.S., recreational hunting is the primary source of mortality for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Hunting, like predation, can modify how deer perceive the risks and rewards of a landscape, which can change their space-use and movement behavior. We developed two Bayesian state-switching hidden Markov-models, one describing location-based changes and another describing movement-metric based changes. Our results indicate that hunting season may not be a driving factor influencing the transition between behavioral states in most individuals. Humans may not be identified as a replacement predator by deer and increased human presence might not precipitate behavioral shifts.
Ecological characteristics of diurnal rest sites used by ringtails
Kathleen P. Gundermann, Green, D.S., Buderman, F.E., Myers, C., Higley, J.M., Brown, R., & Matthews, S.M.The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a species of conservation concern. Yet, little is known about their basic ecology in the northwestern edge of their range. Understanding the forest conditions associated with rest sites selected by ringtails can inform forest management practices. We found that ringtails were more likely to select rest sites in mature older forests compared to oak woodland and open areas and were less likely to select rest sites closer to perennial water sources. We did not detect an effect of fishers on the selection of rest sites. These results indicate that both late- and some early-seral forest conditions provide suitable habitat for ringtail rest sites and ultimately demonstrate that ringtails use a mosaic of seral stages in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.