Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) Population Characteristics and Resource Selection in the North Dakota Badlands

Due to the relatively recent recolonization of the North Dakota Badlands, reliable long-term data for this mountain lion population were limited. The first research project on the species was initiated in 2011, which focused on collection of ecological and demographic information of this unique population (Wilckens 2014, Wilckens et al. 2016). In 2014, a second phase of intensive research commenced to expand the knowledge base regarding the population characteristics and resource selection patterns of mountain lions in western North Dakota (Figure 1). Our objectives were to: 1) improve estimates of home range size, subadult movements, and survival of mountain lions in North Dakota, 2) employ statistical population reconstruction (SPR) techniques to model the mountain lion population in North Dakota and use it to produce estimates of population abundance, population density, and investigate population trajectory, 3) investigate individual and population-level resource selection and develop a population-level resource selection function (RSF) for mountain lions across the Badlands, and 4) create a statewide habitat suitability map for the species and compare it with previous models, and 5) estimate statewide carrying capacity for mountain lions based upon quantity of suitable habitat.