DOI: 10.5061/dryad.bg79cnp82
title: Kananaskis/Willmore Camera and Landcover Data

description: Anthropogenic landscape change is a leading driver of biodiversity loss.
 Preceding dramatic changes such as wildlife population declines and range
 shifts, more subtle responses may signal impending larger-scale change.
 For example, disturbance-induced shifts to species’ activity patterns may
 disrupt temporal niche partitioning along the 24-h time axis, compromising
 community structure via altered competitive interactions. We investigated
 the impacts of human landscape disturbance on species’ activity patterns
 and temporal niche partitioning in the Canadian Rocky Mountain carnivore
 guild using camera trap images collected across two regions encompassing a
 wide gradient of human footprint. Applying kernel density estimation
 techniques, we tested for carnivore species’ activity shifts 1) between a
 low versus high disturbance landscape, and 2) in relation to site-scale
 disturbance. To test our hypothesis that human disturbance impacts
 species’ temporal niche partitioning, we modelled activity overlap between
 co-occurring carnivore species in relation to natural and anthropogenic
 landscape features, as well as carnivore community composition. Multiple
 carnivore species altered activity patterns between the low versus high
 disturbance landscapes and camera sites, but these shifts varied
 considerably among species. While wolves appeared to increase nocturnal
 activity in relation to disturbance, coyote activity consistently trended
 towards cathemerality and marten increased diurnal activity. Detecting
 effects of landscape disturbance on activity overlap between co-occurring
 species was highly sensitive to site-level detection sample sizes, and our
 results suggest altered temporal niche partitioning between marten and
 wolverine in relation to forest cover. This study indicates that
 mesocarnivores may respond differently and perhaps indirectly to
 anthropogenic disturbance compared to apex predators. Apex predator shifts
 to nocturnality may facilitate a ‘behavioural release’ in mesocarnivores.
 This may be a likely component of mesocarnivore population release, with
 important management implications for ecological communities on disturbed
 landscapes.
description: Taken from "Methods" in article: We
 used photographic data collected in remote camera arrays deployed using
 identical sampling designs and sampling methods (Heim et al. 2017)
 explicitly designed to be networked (sensu Steenweg et al. 2017) to
 examine predator distribution across gradients of disturbance the Canadian
 Rocky Mountains. Species were surveyed in a systematic grid-based sampling
 design, with individual 12 × 12 km2 grid cells as our sampling unit, the
 size of a wolverine’s home range which is the most wide-ranging species we
 sought to sample. Within grid cells cameras were placed on landscape
 features to maximize probability of detection. We deployed baited camera
 sites in both the WW (n = 66) and KR (n = 157) in October–December,
 monitoring monthly until March. Our sampling period is therefore
 representative of species’ activity over the prolonged winter season in
 the Canadian Rockies. Sites were accessed by ground (ski, snowmobile,
 all-terrain vehicles) or helicopter. While sampling years and duration
 differed between the two study areas (WW = 2006–2008; KR = 2011–2014), we
 have no evidence to indicate this affects any observed differences in
 species’ behaviour. In both areas Reconyx infrared-triggered digital
 cameras (models RM30, PM30 and PC900) were deployed paired with a frozen
 beaver carcass nailed to the tree facing the camera ca1 6-m away. Cameras
 were placed ca 1.5 m off the ground oriented north to prevent false
 triggers and set to high sensitivity with no trigger delay. Data were
 collected and bait replenished monthly (see Fisher and Bradbury 2014 for
 further details). We quantified human landscape
 disturbance using digital map inventories (Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring
 Institute, Human Footprint Map 2012). Linear features were the predominant
 landscape development feature present in the WW and the most widespread
 anthropogenic feature in the KR, so we used these as proxies of overall
 landscape disturbance. In the WW, seismic lines from petroleum exploration
 were the only linear feature (Fisher and Burton 2018) whereas in the more
 disturbed KR, this included a variety of anthropogenic linear disturbance
 features such as roads, recreational trails and industrial cutlines (e.g.
 seismic and power lines). Based on the available human footprint data, we
 calculated the percent cover (% area) of linear features at a 5000-m
 buffer around each camera site (Fisher et al. 2011) by merging all
 anthropogenic linear features into a single ‘linear disturbance’
 variable.
description: README <em>Details
 and description of variables used to generate species' activity
 curves across camera sites with differing levels of human
 disturbance.</em> <strong>Willmore Camera
 Data:</strong> 1. Camera_Site: Name of the camera
 site 2. Date: Date that the image was
 captured 3. Time: Time that the image was
 captured 4. Minutes: Minutes passed since
 midnight (used to calculate Radians) 5. Radians:
 Radians, calculated as Minutes * π/720   6. Species:
 Name of species observed in image 7. Total: Total
 number of individuals observed in image
 <strong>Willmore Linear Data:</strong>
 1. Camera_Site: Name of the camera site.
 2. Percent_Area.Seismic_Lines: Percent cover (% area) of seismic
 lines at a 5000-m buffer around each camera site
 <strong>Kananaskis Camera Data:</strong>
 1. Camera_Site: Name of the camera site
 2. DateImage: Date that the image was captured
 3.TimeImage: Time that the image was captured.
 4. Minutes: Minutes passed since midnight (used to calculate
 Radians) 5. Radians: Radians, calculated as Minutes
 * π/720 6. Species: Name of species observed in the
 image 7. Total: Total number of individuals observed in
 the image <b>Kananaskis Linear Footprint
 Data:</b> 1. Camera_Site: Name of the camera
 site 2. Percent_Area.All_Linear: Percent cover (% area)
 of all combined linear features at a 5000-m buffer around each camera
 site. Linear features included canals, pipelines, rail
 (hard surface and vegetated verge), roads (hard surface and vegetated
 vegre), vegetated road trails, seismic lines, and transmission
 lines.