Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool
Abstract Most Americans support legal hunting for food or as a population management tool, but there are strong concerns about illegal hunting activities such as poaching. Poaching may negatively impact animal populations by causing local extinctions, reducing genetic variability, reducing trophy si...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.194 |
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| _version_ | 1850256979938770944 |
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| author | Aaron M. Haines David Elledge Lucas K. Wilsing Matt Grabe Michael D. Barske Nolan Burke Stephen L. Webb |
| author_facet | Aaron M. Haines David Elledge Lucas K. Wilsing Matt Grabe Michael D. Barske Nolan Burke Stephen L. Webb |
| author_sort | Aaron M. Haines |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Most Americans support legal hunting for food or as a population management tool, but there are strong concerns about illegal hunting activities such as poaching. Poaching may negatively impact animal populations by causing local extinctions, reducing genetic variability, reducing trophy size and hunting opportunities, and altering sex ratios and age structures. One approach to help mitigate poaching is to identify patterns of reported poaching activity and to document poaching arrests to help facilitate the efficiency of future surveillance for poachers. Our goal for this manuscript was to analyze temporal, spatial, and environmental patterns associated with poaching activity reported for white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Fayette County, Iowa, USA, based on reports of poaching activity. We analyzed data from 67 reported poaching events from 2000 to 2009 and correlated these events with temporal, spatial, and environmental variables to determine trends in illegal hunting behavior. We found that poachers preferred to be active during the evening in mid‐ to late autumn (primarily Oct–Dec), on days with no precipitation and high visibility, and in areas next to roads, forests, and riparian cover types containing variable topography. We used these results to develop a spatially explicit map depicting hotspots of poaching activity. By identifying patterns of poaching behavior and spatially explicit prediction maps, conservation officers will be able to survey for poaching activity more efficiently. © 2012 The Wildlife Society. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-16523cd8ed334f43b72249fd1660719f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2328-5540 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-16523cd8ed334f43b72249fd1660719f2025-08-20T01:56:32ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402012-12-0136468569210.1002/wsb.194Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management toolAaron M. Haines0David Elledge1Lucas K. Wilsing2Matt Grabe3Michael D. Barske4Nolan Burke5Stephen L. Webb6Department of Biological Sciences, Upper Iowa University, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142, USAState Conservation Officer [Retired], East Street, Arlington, IA 50606, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Upper Iowa University, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Upper Iowa University, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Upper Iowa University, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Upper Iowa University, 605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142, USADepartment of Scientific Computing, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK 73401, USAAbstract Most Americans support legal hunting for food or as a population management tool, but there are strong concerns about illegal hunting activities such as poaching. Poaching may negatively impact animal populations by causing local extinctions, reducing genetic variability, reducing trophy size and hunting opportunities, and altering sex ratios and age structures. One approach to help mitigate poaching is to identify patterns of reported poaching activity and to document poaching arrests to help facilitate the efficiency of future surveillance for poachers. Our goal for this manuscript was to analyze temporal, spatial, and environmental patterns associated with poaching activity reported for white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Fayette County, Iowa, USA, based on reports of poaching activity. We analyzed data from 67 reported poaching events from 2000 to 2009 and correlated these events with temporal, spatial, and environmental variables to determine trends in illegal hunting behavior. We found that poachers preferred to be active during the evening in mid‐ to late autumn (primarily Oct–Dec), on days with no precipitation and high visibility, and in areas next to roads, forests, and riparian cover types containing variable topography. We used these results to develop a spatially explicit map depicting hotspots of poaching activity. By identifying patterns of poaching behavior and spatially explicit prediction maps, conservation officers will be able to survey for poaching activity more efficiently. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.194conservationillegal harvestOdocoileus virginianuspoachingspatial pattern analysiswhite‐tailed deer |
| spellingShingle | Aaron M. Haines David Elledge Lucas K. Wilsing Matt Grabe Michael D. Barske Nolan Burke Stephen L. Webb Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool Wildlife Society Bulletin conservation illegal harvest Odocoileus virginianus poaching spatial pattern analysis white‐tailed deer |
| title | Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool |
| title_full | Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool |
| title_fullStr | Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool |
| title_short | Spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool |
| title_sort | spatially explicit analysis of poaching activity as a conservation management tool |
| topic | conservation illegal harvest Odocoileus virginianus poaching spatial pattern analysis white‐tailed deer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.194 |
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