Matt Guyerson Winter Ecology Spring 2014 Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder

Research suggests:  traveling and hunting in deep snow is energetically expensive for coyotes (Gese, 2013)  Coyotes were most abundant at low elevations where snow was shallow (Murray, 1991)  Snowshoe hares are the main prey of coyotes and lynx (Murray 1991) Q: How does snow depth and snowshoe hare abundance affect the distribution of coyotes in the southern rocky mountain forests?

H 1 : The coyotes will be more abundant in lower elevation forests with less snow H 2: The coyotes will be more abundant in areas of high snowshoe hare abundance

 Gain an understanding of the relationship between coyotes and snowshoe hares in the winter  Gain an understanding of the habitats preferred by coyotes and also by snowshoe hare in the winter

 Selected two sites  MRS high elevation deep snow depth forest  Caribou Ranch Open Space Lower elevation medium-low snow depth forest  At each site selected a random area of the forest to be studied  area of forest studied was calculated using plotted locations  Walked around selected area of forest recording snowshoe hare and coyote tracks along with snow depth at each track occurrence

850 ft 675 ft Area=208,656 ft 2

850 ft 500 ft 400 ft 925 ft Area= 397,500 ft 2

 Data collection is dependent on good weather  Have no replication

 Snow depth is affecting coyotes distribution  There is a relationship between Snowshoe Hare abundance and the coyotes distribution

 Snowshoe Hare tracks were always found next to coyote tracks  Snowshoe Hares did not mind the snow depth  Snow depth seemed to be the driving factor in the coyotes distribution

 Coyotes use of snowmobile tracks increased in areas of deep snow (Gese 2013)  Other factors could be affecting coyotes distribution  Possible Sources of Error:  Not enough data collection/ no replication  Hard to tell if tracks were the same or different animal

 Snowshoe Hare abundance is affecting the coyotes distribution  Snow depth is the main driver for the distribution of the coyotes

Murray DL, Boutin S (1991) The influence of snow on lynx and coyote movements: does morphology affect behavior? Oecologia 88: 463–469. Gese, Eric M., Jennifer L. B. Dowd, and Lise M. Aubry. "The Influence of Snowmobile Trails on Coyote Movements during Winter in High-Elevation Landscapes." Ed. Matt Hayward. PLoS ONE 8.12 (2013): E Print.