Data from: Faster and farther: wolf movement on linear features and implications for hunting behaviour

1. Predation by Canis lupus grey wolves has been identified as an important cause of Rangifer tarandus caribou boreal woodland caribou mortality and it has been hypothesized that wolf use of human-created linear features such as seismic lines, pipelines and roads increases movement, resulting in higher kill rates. 2. We tested if wolves select linear features and if movement rates increased while travelling on linear features in north-eastern Alberta and north-western Saskatchewan using 5-minute GPS (Global Positioning System) locations from twenty-two wolves in six packs. 3. Wolves selected all but two linear feature classes, with the magnitude of selection depending on feature class and season. Wolves travelled two to three times faster on linear features compared to the natural forest. Increased average daily travelling speed while on linear features and increased proportion of steps spent travelling on linear features increased net daily movement rates, suggesting that wolf use of linear features can increase their search rate. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our findings that wolves move faster and farther on human-created linear features can inform mitigation strategies intended to decrease predation on woodland caribou, a threatened species. Of the features that can realistically be restored, mitigation strategies, such as silviculture and linear deactivation (i.e. tree-felling and fencing) should prioritize conventional seismic lines (i.e. cleared lines used for traditional oil and gas exploration) and pipelines, as they were selected by wolves and increased travelling speed, before low-impact seismic lines.1. 灰狼（Canis lupus）的捕食行为已被确认为北美林地驯鹿（Rangifer tarandus caribou）死亡的重要诱因，且有假说指出，灰狼利用地震勘探线、管道、道路等人类开发的线性设施（linear features）会提升自身移动能力，进而提高猎杀率。 2. 我们依托分属6个狼群的22头灰狼的5分钟间隔全球定位系统（Global Positioning System, GPS）定位数据，在阿尔伯塔省东北部与萨斯喀彻温省西北部开展研究，验证了两个假设：一是灰狼是否会优先选择线性设施活动，二是灰狼在该类设施上行进时的移动速率是否会提升。 3. 灰狼几乎会选择所有类型的线性设施（仅排除两类设施类别），其选择偏好的强度取决于设施类别与季节。相较于天然森林环境，灰狼在上述线性设施上的行进速度要快2至3倍。灰狼在使用线性设施时的日均行进速度提升，以及用于在该类设施上移动的步数占比增加，均会提升其日均净移动速率，这表明灰狼利用线性设施可提高其猎物搜索效率。 4. 综合研究与应用启示：我们关于灰狼在人类开发线性设施上行进更快、移动范围更广的研究结果，可为旨在降低受胁物种北美林地驯鹿捕食压力的减缓策略（mitigation strategies）提供参考。在可实际修复的设施中，诸如营林作业与线性设施灭活（linear deactivation，即砍伐树木与设置围栏）这类减缓措施，应优先针对传统地震勘探线（即传统油气勘探所用的清挖线路）与管道开展，因为相较于低影响地震勘探线，灰狼更偏好使用这两类设施，且它们可显著提升灰狼的行进速度。