Zip file of RSF Data and Step Data

Data collected using GPS collars. RSF data includes 10 random/GPS location. Step data are lines connecting sequential 5 minute locations. RSF data: Data collected using GPS collars. Fields include a unique ID field (SEQID), animal identifier field (DEVICE_ID), season, year, if the GPS location is on (1) or off (0) a linear feature (LF), what type of feature (LF_TYPE), landcover(HABITAT), if its a use (1) or random (0) location (USE) and the conditional point ID (PNTID). Additionally elevation (ELEV) and linear feature density (LINE_DENSE) are included fields, but were not used in these analyses. Step Data: a unique identifier (Unique_ID), animal identifier (DEVICE_ID), datatime field (DT_GMT), year, season, if the location is on (1) or off (0) a linear feature (LF), location linear feature class (PT_LF_TYPE), location landcover (PT_HABITAT), Northing (X) and Easting (Y) of the location, length between successive locations (Shape_Leng), speed (STEPLENGTH), if the path is on (1) or off (0) a linear feature (PATH_LF), the linear feature class (PATH_LFTYP), and the proportion of the path within each landcover class (PTH_ **) where ** is the landcover

Simulated movements of 25 caribou over a one-year period relative to <i>in-situ</i> oil sands development that is modelled as completely impermeable (left) and completely permeable (right).

<p>Simulated movements of 25 caribou over a one-year period relative to <i>in-situ</i> oil sands development that is modelled as completely impermeable (left) and completely permeable (right).</p

Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) scores, differences and weights comparing models of caribou home range size and step length as a function of the number of <i>in-situ</i> development (ISD) crossings (permeability), protected areas and ISD lease spacing.

<p>Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) scores, differences and weights comparing models of caribou home range size and step length as a function of the number of <i>in-situ</i> development (ISD) crossings (permeability), protected areas and ISD lease spacing.</p

Influence of <i>In-Situ</i> Oil Sands Development on Caribou (<i>Rangifer tarandus</i>) Movement

<div><p>In-situ oil sands development (ISD) involves a network of facilities, wells, roads and pipelines to extract and transport subsurface bitumen. This technology is rapidly expanding and there is uncertainty whether ISDs restrict animal movement, leading to increased extinction probabilities for some wide-ranging species. Here we test for effects of simulated future (i.e., 50 years from now) and current ISDs on simulated movements of woodland caribou (<i>Rangifer tarandus</i>), a threatened species across North America. In simulations of future scenarios, we varied the spacing and permeability of ISDs and the presence/absence of protected areas. Permeability was measured as the number of times simulated caribou crossed ISDs with different levels of modelled permeability. We estimated the effects of these factors on caribou step length and annual home range size, key metrics of small and large spatiotemporal scales of movement, respectively. Current caribou crossings of above-ground pipeline features of ISDs were measured using camera traps and compared to expected caribou crossing rates based on present-day caribou movement simulations. Current crossing rates were evaluated within the context of predicted future crossing success rates necessary to maintain caribou step lengths and home ranges. With few exceptions, permeability across ISDs was the main factor affecting caribou movement, more so than spacing between developments or the presence of protected areas. However, minimal permeability (crossing rates of c. 15% to 60%, relative to an undisturbed site was needed to maintain existing home range size and step lengths. The effect of permeability on home range size and step length was non-linear, suggesting that small increases in permeability would provide a disproportionately greater benefit to caribou movement. Our predictions demonstrate that maintaining permeability across ISDs is more important than spacing between leases or including protected areas, and thus provides clear direction for mitigation efforts for features that will exist on the landscape for decades to come.</p></div

The number of actual and simulated expected aboveground pipeline (AGP) crossings by caribou.

<p>Ratios of actual crossings (measured by camera traps) to expected crossings greater than one indicate higher AGP permeability than expected. Simulated crossing rates were estimated using a 10-m or 100-m detection radius around cameras.</p

In-situ oil sands development scenarios simulated to test development effects on caribou movement, showing <i>in-situ</i> oil sands developments with a 2-km buffer between projects.

<p>In-situ oil sands development scenarios simulated to test development effects on caribou movement, showing <i>in-situ</i> oil sands developments with a 2-km buffer between projects.</p

Average simulated caribou (n = 25) step length as a function of the number of caribou crossings of <i>in-situ</i> developments (ISDs) in the study area under different spacing, protected area and modelled ISD permeability scenarios.

<p>Scenarios are indicated by different markers and permeability is indicated by colour. The predicted relationship between home step length and number of crossings, as determined using a generalized linear mixed model (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0136933#pone.0136933.t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a>), is also indicated for scenarios with (dotted line) and without (dashed line) protected areas.</p

Moose-wolf-caribou data for Figure 6

Data for figure 6 for caribou-moose-wolf case study

Caribou-cougar-deer data for Figure 5.

The first case study used to validate the ODE model

all the data_dryad3

18 Microsatellite loci. Alleles coded by three digits, six digits for the diploid organism are in each cell. Collected in the field. Columns are: subpopulation (pop), Subspecies, Ecotype, Individual ID, followed by the 18 markers