Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop - Carnivore ...

Mountain Lion Movements Relative to Development, Roads, and Trails
in a Fragmented, Urban Landscape
Jeff A. Sikich, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 W. Hillcrest Dr.,
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA, jeff_sikich@nps.gov
Seth P. D. Riley, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 W. Hillcrest
Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA, seth_riley@nps.gov
Eric C. York, Deceased, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 W.
Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA
Raymond M. Sauvajot, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 W.
Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA, ray_sauvajot@nps.gov
ABSTRACT Habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization can have significant
impacts on wildlife movement and survival. Large carnivores, such as mountain lions
(Puma concolor), are especially vulnerable to the effects of urbanization because of their
extensive spatial requirements, low density, and potential for conflicts with humans.
Since 2002, we have been using GPS collars to study the behavior, ecology, and
conservation of mountain lions in and around Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area, a national park west of Los Angeles. Collars have generated over
30,000 locations for 8 mountain lions and allowed us to collect detailed information on
activity and movement patterns. We measured the degree to which mountain lions used
developed areas, altered open lands (golf courses, low-density residential areas,
landscaped parks, etc.), and areas within various distances (100, 250, 500, and 1000m)
from urbanization. On average, mountain lion home ranges included less developed area
or habitat close to development and more area >1km from development than the study
area as a whole (e.g., 48% of home ranges consisted of area >1 km from development vs.
40% of the study area). However, 3 mountain lions utilized urban and altered areas
significantly more than other animals, with home ranges consisting of more than 10%
developed area. One of these lions made multiple trips into habitat fragments that were
isolated from core park areas by roads and development, and another showed increased
use of highly urbanized areas while attempting to disperse. Mountain lions regularly
crossed all of the major 2-lane paved roads through the Santa Monica Mountains.
Although in some instances crossings occurred under roads along streams, or over roads
above tunnels, most of the road crossings were on the road. Two male lions were killed
along one stretch of road during the 5 years of our study. GPS locations and track counts
show that mountain lions will move along recreational roads and trails frequented by
people, but mostly at night when human activity is low. Most mountain lion travel routes
were in the dense brush along game trails and on gentle slopes or in canyon bottoms.
Even though mountain lions utilized habitat near urban areas with many roads and trails
and recreating humans, there have been minimal encounters and conflicts with people.
Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop
252