Industrial energy development decouples ungulate migration from the green wave.

Area of Science:

• Wildlife ecology
• Conservation biology
• Behavioral ecology

Background:

• Migratory ungulates rely on 'green-wave surfing'—tracking spring green-up—for optimal foraging.
• Landscape alterations from development pose unknown risks to migratory behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of energy development on mule deer migration and green-wave surfing.
• To quantify the behavioral changes and their consequences for migratory ungulates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a long-term tracking dataset of mule deer migration.
• Analyzed movement patterns in relation to coalbed natural gas development phases.
• Quantified changes in green-wave surfing synchronization over a 14-year period.

Main Results:

• Mule deer initially synchronized with green-up but altered movements as development expanded.
• Energy development decoupled deer from the green wave, reducing surfing by 38.65%.
• Behavioral changes occurred both before and after deer encountered developed areas within corridors.

Conclusions:

• Industrial development within migratory corridors disrupts ungulate behavior and diminishes migration benefits.
• Such disruptions can render corridors unprofitable, potentially leading to their loss on developed landscapes.
• Understanding these impacts is crucial for effective wildlife corridor management and conservation.