[USGS] Corridor Mapping Team
Ungulate Migrations of the West
https://www.usgs.gov/programs/cooperative-research-units/science/corridor-mapping-team-ungulate-migrations-west <-- shared technical article
--
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20245006 <-- shared USGS 2024 publication ‘Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 4’
--
https://doi.org/10.5066/P9SS9GD9 <-- shared USGS ungulate migration data release
--
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13806 <-- shared paper ‘Barrier Behaviour Analysis (Baba) [‘fences’] Reveals Extensive Effects Of Fencing On Wide-Ranging Ungulates’
--
“Across the American West, migratory ungulates - like elk, mule deer, moose, pronghorn, and bison - move with the seasons to find food and escape harsh weather. 🦬🦌
But their ancient migration routes are increasingly disrupted by roads, fences, energy development, and growing recreation activity on public and private lands.
However, it’s not just ungulates that roam the West. USGS scientists, and partners, are also out on the western landscape, and they’ve been busy. They lead the collaborative Corridor Mapping Team, working with state, federal, and Tribal wildlife agencies to map more than 200 ungulate migration routes across the West. Partnering with groups like Wyoming Migration Initiative, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society, and others, [they] use GPS data to chart these seasonal paths, giving managers the tools to protect habitat, reduce barriers, and keep herds on the move.
Scientists may not be as photogenic as the wildlife they study (it’s hard to compete with horns and antlers), but they know their science—and it’s science that helps keep migrations healthy. Healthy migrations mean healthy ecosystems, hunting opportunities, and wildlife viewing…”
--
“Broadly distributed across the Western United States, ungulates (hooved mammals) play an important role in ecosystem function by affecting vegetation communities and forming the prey base for large carnivores. Additionally, ungulates provide economic benefits to regional communities through tourism and hunting and hold cultural significance for many Tribal communities. Many ungulates migrate seasonally between distinct summer and winter ranges to take advantage of spatially and temporally variable food sources and avoid threats such as predators and deep snow.”
#GIS #spatial #mapping #USWest #USA #ungulate #migration #route #deer #elk #moose #antelope #bison #buffalo #infrastructure #manmade #obstacles #ecosystems #wildlife #publicland #privateland #CorridorMappingTeam #opendata #fedopendata #fedscience #naturalresources #Wyoming #FirstNation #tracking #GPS #seasonal #habitat #protection #fences #barriers #herds #herbivore #management #healthy #herdhealth #vegetation #prey #carnivore #economy #benefits #income #food #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #snow #weather
#USGS #USFWS