title: Environmental and managerial factors associated with pack stock distribution in high elevation meadows: Case study from Yosemite National Park.
abstract: Parks and protected areas are integral strategies for biological diversity conservation, and their management often involves balancing visitor use with resource protection. Effectively balancing these objectives requires data about how use is distributed within areas of interest and how management strategies and environmental conditions interact to minimize negative impacts. This study examined which environmental and managerial factors most influenced the distribution of domestic pack stock animals, a common visitor use-related activity, when released to graze in high elevation meadows. Using a species distribution modelling approach, MaxEnt, managerial factors were found to be among the top contributors to models. Pack stock animals concentrated use near the locations where they were released as well as portable enclosure fencing confining the lead animal even though the remainder were allowed to roam freely. Elevation was the environmental factor contributing most, with animals remaining at similar elevations to the meadow even if moving into nearby understory. Results highlight the importance of release point and fence locations to overall pack stock animal distribution and rotational or strategic placement can be a tactic for mitigating impacts to sensitive habitats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8004, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. Electronic address: cawalden@ncsu.edu.
authors.forename: Chelsey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walden-Schreiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8004, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7106, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Fai
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Division of Resources Management and Science, Yosemite National Park, P.O. Box 700W, El Portal, CA, 95318, USA.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.affiliation: Division of Resources Management and Science, Yosemite National Park, P.O. Box 700W, El Portal, CA, 95318, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Newburger
authors.affiliation: Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8004, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Wei-Lun
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D065948:Grassland; D000068316:Parks, Recreational
keywords: GPS tracking; Horse; Maximum entropy; Meadow; Mule