DOI: 10.5061/dryad.23qp6
title: Data from: Quantifying risk and resource use for a large carnivore in an expanding urban-wildland interface

description: Large carnivores, though globally threatened, are increasingly using
 developed landscapes. However, most of our knowledge of their ecology is
 derived from studies in wildland systems; thus, for effective conservation
 and management, there is a need to understand their behavioural plasticity
 and risk of mortality in more developed landscapes. We examined cougar
 Puma concolor foraging ecology and survival in an expanding urban–wildland
 system in Colorado from 2007 to 2013. For GPS-collared individuals, we
 related diet (n = 41; isotopic analysis) to age–sex class and fine-scale
 space use, with regard to levels of habitat development. We also examined
 how habitat development impacted risk of mortality (n = 49), using hazards
 models and records of cougar–human conflict. Cougars obtained 63–82% of
 assimilated biomass from native herbivores, and adult females consistently
 showed higher use of native herbivores than other age–sex classes.
 Individuals using the most highly developed areas obtained approximately
 20% more of their diet from alternative prey (synanthropic wildlife and
 domestic species) than those in the least developed areas. Overall,
 survival of adult females was higher than adult males. Yet, use of
 developed areas substantially increased cougar risk of mortality; for
 every 10% increase in housing density, risk of mortality increased by
 6·5%, regardless of sex. Synthesis and applications. Cougars showed
 flexibility in diet, taking advantage of human-associated prey items, but
 had high rates of mortality, suggesting that human tolerance, rather than
 adaptability, may be the limiting factor for range expansion by cougar and
 other large carnivores. Thus, large carnivore conservation will not only
 depend upon adequate prey resources, but also limiting potential conflict
 resulting from depredation of synanthropic wildlife and domestic animals.
description: Cougar isotopic
 signature and covariatesData describes
 GPS-collared cougars from the Colorado Front Range, monitored from
 2007-2013. Data is in csv format, created with Microsoft Excel. Cougars
 were subadults (independent offspring &lt; 24 months) or adults (&gt;24
 months with established home range). We describe isotopic signature of
 cougar hair (in delta-13C and delta-15N), sex, age at capture, and housing
 density. Housing density is the median density of housing units (in
 units/km2) over all of an individuals night-time GPS positions, and is a
 measure of the intensity of human influence in an individual's home
 range. We did not estimate housing density for individuals with fewer than
 50 GPS locations, and we use asterisks to represent these
 individuals.JAE_00481_Cougar Isotopic
 Signature and Covariates.csvCougar Survival
 DataSurvival data for
 cougars monitored the Colorado Front Range from 2007-2013. Data is in CSV
 format, and is intended for Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Entry and exit
 dates are given in months and describe either the date the cougar was
 first captured, or the date an individual reached adulthood (24 months).
 "TotalMonths" is the amount of time each cougar was monitored.
 "Event" describes whether monitoring ended due to censorship (0)
 or death (1). Censorship included lost communication with GPS collar or
 cessation of the study. We include covariates that may be linked to
 survival, including sex, isotopic signature (in delta-13C or delta15N),
 housing density (see manuscript for details), and percent of diet from
 native herbivores. We also include mortality cause where available (see
 manuscript for category descriptions). Complete data was not available for
 all cougars in the study.JAE_00481_Cougar Survival
 Data.csvCougar prey isotopic
 signaturesIsotopic signatures of
 potential prey species of cougars in the Colorado Front Range, in CSV
 format. Prey hair were collected between 2007 and 2013 throughout the
 study area, and analyzed for isotopic signature, in delta-13C and
 delta-15N (see manuscript for details).JAE_00481_Prey Isotopic
 Signatures.csv