Conflicts between humans and wildlife have become increasingly important challenges for resource managers along the urban‐wildland interface. Food conditioning (i.e., reliance by an animal on anthropogenic foods) of American black bears (Ursus americanus) is related to conflict behavior (i.e., being bold or aggressive toward humans, consuming human food or garbage, causing property damage) and often occurs in communities adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM or Park), USA. The goal of our study was to evaluate black bear space use in GRSM and in exurban areas on surrounding private lands and to identify factors associated with food conditioning and conflict behavior. We radio‐collared 53 bears (29 males, 24 females) from 2015 to 2017 to compare space use characteristics and used carbon isotopic signatures (δ¹³C) from bear hair to assess food conditioning. We then performed an integrated step selection function (iSSF) analysis to characterize and compare movement and resource use as related to food conditioning. Based on the stable isotope analyses, 24 bears were classified as food conditioned (FC; 16 males and 8 females) and 37 were not food conditioned (NFC; 14 males and 23 females). Annual 95% kernel density estimate (KDE) home ranges and 50% KDE core area estimates of female and male bears did not differ by level of food conditioning (i.e., mean δ¹³C), but 95% and 50% home ranges of FC females were smaller than NFC females when data from 2015, a year of food scarcity and abnormally large home ranges, were excluded. The mean proportion of exurban development (e.g., roads, buildings, openings) within 95% KDE and 50% KDE home ranges of females increased with mean δ¹³C (i.e., greater food conditioning). The iSSF models indicated that FC bears were more likely to use forest openings associated with higher levels of development than NFC bears. We used those models to demonstrate how landscape modifications can reduce bear use of exurban areas, particularly for NFC bears. Our stable isotope, movement, and resource use data indicate that conflict behaviors displayed by many bears within GRSM were learned in areas outside Park boundaries. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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黑熊运动和郊区环境中的食物调节

人类与野生动植物之间的冲突已成为资源管理者在城乡结合部的日益重要的挑战。饮食调理（即，通过对人类食物的动物的依赖）美国黑熊（熊属美洲）与冲突行为有关（即对人类大胆或攻击性，食用人类食物或垃圾，造成财产损失），并经常发生在美国大烟山国家公园（GRSM或公园）附近的社区中。我们研究的目的是评估GRSM和周边私人土地上郊区地区的黑熊空间使用情况，并确定与食物调节和冲突行为相关的因素。我们无线电颈圈53只熊（男性29例，女性24例）2015年至2017年，比较空间的使用特性和使用的碳同位素特征（δ ¹³C）从熊毛来评估食物调理。然后，我们执行了集成的步骤选择功能（iSSF）分析，以表征和比较与食物调理有关的运动和资源使用。根据稳定的同位素分析，将24头熊分类为食物条件食品（FC； 16例雄性和8例女性），其中37例未进行食物条件化（NFC； 14例雄性和23例雌性）。每年95％的核密度估计（KDE）的活动范围和女性和男性熊的50％KDE核心面积估计没有通过饮食调理（即平均δ程度不同¹³C），但如果排除2015年的数据（一年的食物短缺和异常大的家庭范围），则FC女性的家庭范围要比NFC女性小95％和50％。远郊发展（如，道路，建筑物，开口）的95％KDE和女性的50％KDE家庭范围内的平均比例，平均δ增加¹³C（即更好的食物调理）。iSSF模型表明，与NFC熊相比，FC熊更可能使用与更高发展水平相关的森林开放。我们使用这些模型来说明景观改造如何减少郊区居民对熊的使用，特别是对于NFC熊。我们稳定的同位素，运动和资源使用数据表明，GRSM内许多熊表现出的冲突行为是在公园边界以外的地区得知的。©2020野生动物协会。