Effects of Large-Scale Gold Mining on Habitat Use and Selection by a Resident Population of American Pronghorn

Anthropogenic disturbances, including extraction of natural resources, are reducing and fragmenting habitat for wildlife across the western United States. The effects of these disturbances on wildlife populations have been explored by studying populations that migrate through oil and gas fields or wind and solar energy facilities. Our goal was to examine how a resident population of American pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in the Great Basin ecosystem is affected by a large-scale disturbance throughout the year. We investigated how that population selected resources in an area associated with a large open-pit gold mine. We classified levels of disturbance associated with the mine and used a random forest model to select ecological covariates associated with habitat use and selection by pronghorn. We used resource selection functions to examine how the disturbances affected how pronghorn used habitat, both annually and seasonally, in the area around the mine. Pronghorn strongly avoided locations near areas of high disturbance from the mine, which included open pits, heap leach fields, rock disposal areas, and a tram. Pronghorn selected areas near roads although strongest selection was for locations about 2km away from roads. We observed relatively broad variation among individuals both annually and seasonally in the extent to which they selected slope, shrub cover, and roads in this study area and how they responded to the mines. The Great Basin is a mineral rich area that continues to be exploited for natural resources, and sagebrush dependent species, including pronghorn, which rely on this critical habitat are directly affected. Our results provide documentation on how open-pit mining affects a resident population of pronghorn prior to the expansion of the mine and allows us to evaluate the effects of future disturbance on the landscape.

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Degree

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Osterhout, Megan J.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Stewart, Kelley M.

• anthropogenic disturbance
• Antilocapra americana
• Great Basin
• mining
• pronghorn antelope
• resource selection

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11714/8300

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/8300