Spatial patterns of reproduction suggest marginal habitat limits continued range expansion of black bears at a forest-desert ecotone.

ABSTRACT: Investigating spatial patterns of animal occupancy and reproduction in peripheral populations can provide insight into factors that form species range boundaries. Following historical extirpation, American black bears (Ursus americanus) recolonized the western Great Basin in Nevada from the Sierra Nevada during the late 1900s. This range expansion, however, has not continued further into the Great Basin despite the presence of additional habitat. We aimed to quantify whether reduced reproduction toward the range edge contributes to this range boundary. We analyzed black bear detections from 100 camera traps deployed across black bear distribution in western Nevada using a multistate occupancy model that quantified the probability of occupancy and reproduction (i.e., female bears wit

SUBMITTER: Sultaire SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10616736 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature