Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) winter habitat selection and seasonal movements in an area of active coal mining

We examined winter habitat selection by Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis Shaw, 1804) where four large, open-pit coal mines are in operation. Sheep in this area generally winter at high elevation on windswept, south-facing native grasslands. We used GPS collars and Resource Selection Function analysis to examine movements and habitat selection. A majority (79%) of the sheep were migratory and fidelity to winter ranges was high (88%). Sheep showed low use ( ∼10%–20%) of mine areas between November and April, followed by increased use peaking at 60%–65% in September–October. Wintering sheep were positively associated with high elevations, closeness to escape terrain, and warmer aspects. High-elevation, native grasslands were the highest ranked c over class. Most sheep that used mine areas during winter used reclaimed habitats, primarily reclaimed spoils and pits. Primary winter ranges comprised 4.3% of merged sheep range, emphasizing the limited amount of occupied winter ranges within the landscape. Disturbance to native winter range result ing from development should be minimized or be conducted in a manner that effectively manages and (or) mitigates the impacts.

Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - July 20, 2016 Category: Zoology Authors: Kim G. Poole Rob Serrouya Irene E. Teske Kevin Podrasky Source Type: research