Research Trails Affect the Abundance of an Epiphytic Tropical Bromeliad

Concerns have been expressed that research methods and research infrastructure may affect the systems under study, which could lead to biased results. Effects of research activities on seedlings, saplings, and understory plants that are subjected to trampling and injury have been demonstrated. However, as of yet, no effects on epiphytic plants have been reported. In this paper, we demonstrate the impact of research trails on the abundance of an epiphytic tropical bromeliad, Guzmania vittata, at a research site in Peruvian Amazonia. Compared to the interior of the forest, the abundance of this bromeliad is significantly higher along the research trails. While we do not know the exact cause for the increased bromeliad abundance along the trails, we discuss enhanced dispersal of anemochorous seeds as a potential mechanism that generates this impact.     

The effect of seeds of exotic species transported via horse dung on vegetation along trail corridors

It has been suggested that exotic species will colonize within forests more frequently by the continual introduction of seeds through horse dung deposited along trails. Whether or not these exotic species have the ability to spread into and establish in the forest interior has been disputed. To address this, horse dung and soil samples were collected from trails during Autumn 1994 and Summer 1995 from three areas in southern Illinois, USA open to recreational horse travel. In addition, deer dung samples were collected from each of the study areas. Vegetation data were collected from each of the trail systems as well as from a trail along which horse travel was prohibited. The density of vascular plants in 0.25 m² quadrats placed at varying distances from the trail center to 5 m into the forest interior were recorded. Finally, dung samples were placed in situ along horse trails at one site to examine seedling germination in natural conditions. While 23 exotic species germinated from samples of horse dung placed out in a greenhouse, only one of these exotic species was also found in trail plots (Kummerowia striata). Similarly, while there were empirically more exotic species found along the trails allowing horse travel than there were on the trail lacking horse travel, the relative importance of those species was negligible along both trails. These results suggest that the emigration of exotic species via horse dung does not pose an immediate threat to the plant communities adjacent to trails in these forest systems. Nevertheless, the large number of exotic species in horse dung reflects the constant threat to any system from these species. Care must be taken, when allowing horseback use in areas, to anticipate invasion by exotic species from horse dung     

基于野外痕迹点和GIS技术定量评估步道对大熊猫活动的影响

道路建设不仅直接导致野生动物死亡,还能对栖息地形成阻碍效应,导致小种群出现或隔离,增加物种灭绝的风险。生态学家在道路对野生动物影响研究中的一个重要进展是道路影响域(road-effectzone)的提出,但影响域既不能反映道路影响的变化性,也难以满足栖息地评估对数据的要求。为此,我们以大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)为例来探讨道路影响的定量评估方法。在佛坪和长青保护区内选择了3条步道,获取了步道周边1,042个大熊猫的痕迹点数据,通过GIS计算各痕迹点到步道的距离,统计距离步道每20m内的痕迹点数量,以此作为其活动频率。在距步道每100m处设置检测点,通过非参数检验比较检测点前后活动频率分布的变化,寻找道路对大熊猫活动影响的突变点,确定影响变化的阈值距离和评价标准。研究发现在距离步道1,000m内,随距离的增加,大熊猫活动频率逐渐增大,大熊猫有明显的回避效应;在距步道500m、1,000m处发现活动频率发生了显著变化,为影响的阈值距离。本研究基于痕迹点和阈值距离的评估方法可以反映道路影响连续、渐变的特点,使定量、准确评估其影响成为可能。     

Do trails affect relative abundance estimates of rainforest frogs and lizards?

The selection of a sampling protocol is critical to study amphibian and reptile communities and in many instances researchers have combined the use of visual encounter surveys (VES) conducted on trails and off trails. The effect of human‐made trails on relative abundance estimates of amphibians and reptiles has been assessed in a few temperate locations, but data are lacking for tropical sites. Our study was designed to address this issue by comparing abundance estimates of frogs and lizards on and off trails in a lowland rainforest in south‐eastern Perú. We used nocturnal VES to sample frogs and lizards along transects established on trails and off trails in two different forest types. We found that the observed relative abundance estimates of frogs and lizards were affected by the location of transects (on trail vs. off trail) and the type of forest (floodplain forest vs. terra firme forest). We also found an interaction between the two main effects, indicating that the effect of transect location with respect to trails varies as a function of habitat. Observed frog abundances were higher on trails than off trails, indicating that studies that include VES on trails will bias relative abundance estimates in contrast to studies that include only VES off trails. We suggest that transects should be established only off trails, especially for monitoring studies because trail use by humans can have a strong influence on observed animal abundance.     

Stone walls and sacred forest conservation in Ethiopia

Many tropical forests worldwide are protected due to their sacredness to religious communities. In the south Gondar region of Ethiopia, most of the remaining native forests are tiny fragments (5.42 ha ± 0.34) surrounded by pasture and agriculture that are protected because they encompass churches of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC). A small number of communities have erected stone walls around the perimeter of the forests to demarcate the boundary, and/or protect the interior of the forest. We evaluated the effectiveness of these walls at protecting ecological conditions by examining tree and seedling communities among sacred forests with and without walls in Montane and Upper Montane sites. We found the wall to be an effective conservation tool as regeneration potential was higher in forests with a wall. The density and species richness of seedlings were significantly higher in forests with a wall and these effects were more pronounced in Upper Montane forests. Forests with a wall also had seedlings of many native tree species that were not found in forests without walls. As expected, there were few differences in tree communities in forests with and without a wall. Although rare on the landscape, the presence of a stone wall around these forests was effective at protecting the seedling community because it likely reduced access to the forests by grazers and directed human visitors to trails. The use of a stone wall may protect seedling communities in other sacred forest fragments, particularly for those that are small, isolated, surrounded by agriculture, and have a depleted seed bank.     

Least-effort pathways?: a GIS analysis of livestock trails in rugged terrain

Livestock trails frequently evolve in pastures when plant growth or establishment cannot keep pace with vegetation disturbance. In some instances, man-made trails are established in rangeland settings to encourage uniform use of forages or facilitate livestock passage through dense vegetation or across rugged terrain. A long-term assumption has been that livestock establish pathways of least resistance between frequented areas of their pastures, but this hypothesis has never been tested. We mapped cattle trails in three 800+ ha pastures with global positioning units. A geographic information system (GIS) helped quantify characteristics of trails and the landscape and was used to plot least-effort pathways between water sources and distant points on selected trails in the pastures. Characteristics of the cattle trails and least-effort pathways were compared to test the hypothesis that cattle develop least-effort routes of travel in rugged terrain. The mean slope of the three pastures was 13.5%, and the average slope of the topography traversed by the cattle trails was 8%. The slope of the trails was reduced to 5.2% by selection of cross-slope routes. When we compared the characteristics of 10 selected cattle trails and least-effort pathways generated by our GIS, the cattle trails were 11% shorter (P=0.046) than the least-effort pathways, and the topography traversed by cattle had a gradient about 1% less than the least-effort pathways (P=0.02). The slope of the selected trails (5.5%) and pathways (5.6%) were similar (P=0.74), however. Analyses of values extracted from cost surfaces indicated that, on the average, 183 units of effort were needed to traverse the trails and 170 units of effort expended to traverse the least-effort pathways (P=0.07). These data support the hypothesis that cattle establish least-effort routes between distant points in rugged terrain and suggest that GIS software may be useful in designing systems of livestock trails in extensive settings.     

Differential Use of Trails by Forest Mammals and the Implications for Camera-Trap Studies: A Case Study from Belize

Relative abundance indices are often used to compare species abundance between sites. The indices assume that species have similar detection probabilities, or that differences between detection probabilities are known and can be corrected for. Indices often consist of encounter frequencies of footprints, burrows, markings or photo captures along trails or transect lines, but the assumption of equal detection probabilities is rarely validated. This study analyzes detection probabilities of a range of Neotropical mammals on trails in dense secondary forests, using camera-trap and track data. Photo captures of the two large cats, jaguars ( Panthera onca ) and pumas ( Puma concolor ), were correlated solely with trail variables, while photo captures of their potential prey species had no correlation or negative correlation with trail variables. The Neotropical mammals varied greatly in their tendency to follow or cross trails based on footprints surveys. This indicates that camera locations on trails will have varying detection probability for these Neotropical mammals. Even the two similar-sized jaguars and pumas, occupying relatively similar niches, differed subtly in their use of trails. Pumas followed trails more completely while jaguars were more likely to deviate from trails. The ecological significance of these findings is that jaguars seem to be more willing to use the forest matrix away from trails than do pumas. We conclude that trail-based indices, such as photographic captures or tracks along trails, are not appropriate for comparison between Neotropical species, and not even between relatively similar species like jaguars and pumas.     

The trail pheromone of the termite, Trinervitermes trinervoides

By using a T-junction choice assay workers of Trinervitermes trinervoides have been shown to lay and follow pheromone trails. The trials are not polarized and there is a quantitative relation between the number of termites laying the trail and the fraction of test termites which follw correctly. Workers reinforce trails whenever they follow them, and the degree of this reinforcement seems to be independent of trail strength. The trail pheromone is volatile and need not be perceived by contact chemoreception. Activity loss from filter paper is approximately exponential with a half-life of about 2 hr. Extracts of papers over which workers had laid trails were used to show a linear relationship, on a log-probit scale, between dose and response. Soldier termites also follow trails about as well as do workers, but workers lay trails that are about six to seven times as strong as soldier trails. No preference of either caste for their own trails could be demonstrated. Thin-layer chromatography indicated that the trail pheromone(s) is a fairly polar substance.     

Trail following behaviour in relation to pedal mucus production in the intertidal gastropod Monodonta labio (Linnaeus)

Trail following behaviour and pedal mucus production were investigated in the mid-shore topshell, Monodonta labio (Linnaeus) in Hong Kong. On the shore, individuals exhibited both conspecific and self trail following while awash on ebb and flood tides, although fidelity to resting sites during emersion on successive days was low. In the laboratory, animals that encountered trails that had been aged on the shore for different periods showed similar patterns of movement (distance moved, speed and tortuosity) suggesting that degradation of cues in the mucus that animals responded to did not occur until > 3 days post-deposition. Animals moved faster, with a lower rate of radular rasping, on freshly laid mucus trails than on a biofilm-covered substratum and did not change their speed when moving over aged (biofilm-covered) mucus compared to fresh mucus. Mucus production rates were similar when animals were crawling on vertical or horizontal surfaces, but significantly more mucus was produced when animals were emersed than when submerged. Mucus trail profiles were of variable thickness, but ‘double’ mucus trails (marker + tracker trails) did not contain significantly more mucus than ‘single’ trails (marker mucus only) and were considerably thinner than single trails suggesting tracker snails utilized mucus laid by marker snails, reducing their own deposition of mucus. Thus, while M. labio do not appear to utilize trails for orientation or refuge location, snails that follow trails have the potential to save energy through reducing mucus production or to gain energy through mucus ingestion. Given the role of pedal mucus production in the overall energy balance of gastropods, such energetic benefits are considerable and may have implications for the life history of the snail.     

Microhabitat use by white-footed mice Peromyscus leucopus in forested and old-field habitats occupied by Morrow's honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii

We quantified microhabitat use by white-footed mice Peromyscus leucopus in forest and old-field habitats occupied by Morrow's honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii, an invasive exotic shrub imported from Japan. Microhabitat characteristics were compared between trails used by mice (n=124) and randomly selected trails (n=127) in 4 study plots located at Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, Pennsylvania, USA. We compared 10 microhabitat variables between used and random trails using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Trails used by mice were statistically different from randomly selected trails in both forested plots (P<0.008) and old-field plots (P<0.001). In the forested plots, trails of white-footed mice were more often associated with a greater percent cover (% cover) of coarse woody debris (CWD) than were randomly selected trails. In the old-field plots, mouse trails were commonly characterized by having a lower % cover of exotic herbaceous vegetation, a greater % cover of shrubs, and a greater % cover of Morrow's honeysuckle than randomly selected trails. Our study indicates that white-footed mice do not move randomly and prefer areas of high structural complexity, thereby showing significant microhabitat preference. The preference of white-footed mice for areas with a relatively high percent cover of Morrow's honeysuckle could 1) be a factor in the aggressive nature of the exotic honeysuckle shrub's spread throughout the Battlefield or 2) cause the shrub to spread even faster into adjacent areas not yet occupied by Morrow's honeysuckle[Current Zoology 55(2):111-122,2009].     

Testing the directed dispersal hypothesis: are native ant mounds (Formica sp.) favorable microhabitats for an invasive plant?

Ant-mediated seed dispersal may be a form of directed dispersal if collected seeds are placed in a favorable microhabitat (e.g., in or near an ant nest) that increases plant establishment, growth, and/or reproduction relative to random locations. We investigated whether the native ant community interacts with invasive leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in a manner consistent with predictions of the directed dispersal hypothesis. Resident ants quickly located and dispersed 60% of experimentally offered E. esula seeds. Additionally, 40% of seeds whose final deposition site was observed were either brought inside or placed on top of an ant nest. Seed removal was 100% when seeds were placed experimentally on foraging trails of mound-building Formica obscuripes, although the deposition site of these seeds is unknown. Natural density and above-ground biomass of E. esula were greater on Formica mound edges compared to random locations. However, seedling recruitment and establishment from experimentally planted E. esula seeds was not greater on mound edges than random locations 3 m from the mound. Soil from Formica mound edges was greater in available nitrogen and available phosphorus relative to random soil locations 3 m from the mound. These results suggest Formica ant mounds are favorable microhabitats for E. esula growth following seedling establishment, a likely consequence of nutrient limitation during plant growth. The results also indicate positive species interactions may play an important role in biological invasions.     

Trail Pheromone of the Argentine Ant,Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is recognized as one of the world''s most damaging invasive species. One reason for the ecological dominance of introduced Argentine ant populations is their ability to dominate food and habitat resources through the rapid mobilization and recruitment of thousands of workers. More than 30 years ago, studies showed that (Z)-9-hexadecenal strongly attracted Argentine ant workers in a multi-choice olfactometer, suggesting that (Z)-9-hexadecenal might be the trail pheromone, or a component of a trail pheromone mixture. Since then, numerous studies have considered (Z)-9-hexadecenal as the key component of the Argentine ant trails. Here, we report the first chemical analyses of the trails laid by living Argentine ants and find that (Z)-9-hexadecenal is not present in a detectible quantity. Instead, two iridoids, dolichodial and iridomyrmecin, appear to be the primary chemical constituents of the trails. Laboratory choice tests confirmed that Argentine ants were attracted to artificial trails comprised of these two chemicals significantly more often than control trails. Although (Z)-9-hexadecenal was not detected in natural trails, supplementation of artificial dolichodial+iridomyrmecin trails with an extremely low concentraion of (Z)-9-hexadecenal did increase the efficacy of the trail-following behavior. In stark contrast with previous dogma, our study suggests that dolichodial and iridomyrmecin are major components of the Argentine ant trail pheromone. (Z)-9-hexadecenal may act in an additive manner with these iridoids, but it does not occur in detectable quantities in Argentine ant recruitment trails.     

Use of fecal extract trails to enhance trap catch in German cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) monitoring stations

An aqueous extract of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), fecal material was evaluated for inducing trail-following behavior in German cockroaches. In arena tests the fecal extract was found to stimulate trail following in 74% of adult male cockroaches. Significantly fewer cockroaches (22%) followed water-treated (control) trails. Residual activity of the fecal extract trails was evaluated by bioassay after the trails had been stored in the refrigerator or in the open air. Although trails stored in the refrigerator showed no decline in activity after 14 d, those stored in the open air declined significantly after 3 d, inducing only 40% of adult male cockroaches to follow the trail. After 7 d the activity of trails stored in the open air was further reduced to 23%. The ability of fecal-extract trails to influence trap catch in monitoring stations was determined by bioassay. Paper trails treated with fecal extract or water were positioned between cockroach harborages and monitoring stations inside 122-cm2 arenas. The presence of the fecal extract-treated trails significantly enhanced trap catch. Mean catch in the traps with fecal extract trails was 28 cockroaches compared with a mean of 11 cockroaches in the control traps. The trap catch ratios of adults to nymphs in the treated and control treatments were not significantly different.     

Perceptual differences in trail-following leaf-cutting ants relate to body size

Leaf-cutting ants of the genus Atta have highly size-polymorphic workers, and size is related to division of labor. We studied trail-following behavior of different-sized workers in a laboratory colony of Atta vollenweideri. For small and large workers, we measured responsiveness and preference to artificial conspecific and heterospecific pheromone trails made from poison gland extracts of A. vollenweideri and A. sexdens. Responsiveness was measured as the probability of trail-following, and preference was measured by testing the discrimination between one conspecific and one heterospecific trail. Minute amounts of the releaser component methyl-4-methylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (0.4pg/1m), present in both, conspecific and heterospecific trails, suffice to elicit trail-following behavior. Workers followed heterospecific trails, and these trails (after normalizing their concentration) were as effective as conspecific trails. Small workers were less likely to follow a trail of a given concentration than large workers. In the discrimination test, small workers preferred the conspecific trail over the heterospecific trail, whereas large workers showed no significant preference. It is suggested that large workers primarily respond to the releaser component present in both trails, whereas small workers focus more on the conspecific traits provided by the blend of components contained in the trail pheromone.     

兰科菌根真菌研究方法的概述

兰科植物资源在全球分布广泛,其中有许多是重要的药用植物和名贵的珍稀花卉,由于具有较高的商业价值,受到各界人士的广泛关注。兰科植物生长习性的特殊性导致其在自然状态下繁殖率极低,因此难以满足市场的广泛需求。近年研究表明,几乎所有兰科植物都能与相应的菌根真菌建立共生关系,并且必须依赖于这些内生真菌才能完成其整个生活史。因而对菌根真菌在提高兰科植物生长速度和繁殖能力过程中机制的研究以及将研究成果运用于工业化育苗中将是缓解兰科植物市场供求紧张问题的关键。通过对近几年有关天麻和铁皮石斛等兰科植物的问题研究中所采用的研究方法加以阐述,以期对今后兰科菌根真菌的研究提供一定的参考。     

Effects of the built environment on childhood obesity: The case of urban recreational trails and crime

We study the effects of urban environment on childhood obesity by concentrating on the effects of walking trails and crime close to children's homes on their BMI and obesity status. We use a unique dataset, which combines information on recreational trails in Indianapolis with data on violent crimes and anthropomorphic and diagnostic data from children's clinic visits between 1996 and 2005. We find that having a trail near a home reduces children's weight. However, the effect depends on the amount of nearby violent crimes. Significant reductions occur only in low crime areas and trails could have opposite effects on weight in high crime areas. These effects are primarily among boys, older children, and children who live in higher income neighborhoods. Evaluated at the mean length of trails this effect for older children in no crime areas would be a reduction of 2 lb of the body weight. Falsification tests using planned trails instead of existing trails, show that trails are more likely to be located in areas with heavier children, suggesting that our results on effects of trails represent a lower bound.     

Resource density regulates the foraging investment in higher termite species

1. Resource density can regulate the area that animals use. At low resource density, there is a conflict in terms of balance between costs of foraging and benefits acquired. The foraging of the higher termite Nasutitermes aff. coxipoensis consists of searching throughout trails and a building galleries phase. 2. In this study, a manipulative field experiment was used to test the hypothesis that colonies of N. aff. coxipoensis forage towards a more profitable balance between the establishment of trails and gallery construction at low resource density. 3. The experiment was conducted in north‐eastern Brazil. Seven experimental plots were established with a continuous increase in resource density (sugarcane baits). Entire colonies of N. aff. coxipoensis were transplanted from their original sites to the experimental plot, totalling 35 nests. The number, branches and total length of trails and galleries were quantified. 4. The results show that N. aff. coxipoensis optimises its foraging output, intensifying the establishment of trails at the cost of gallery construction when resource density is low. The number of trails, the number of trail branches and the total length of trails decreased with increasing resource density. Interestingly, at low resource density, the search effort was concentrated on forming longer and a greater number of trails, a small proportion of which were converted into galleries. The opposite relationship was observed at high resource density. 5. These results suggest an optimisation of search efforts during foraging depending on resource density, a mechanism that may help researchers to understand the use of space by higher termite species.     

Electron Microscopic Analysis of Circumsporozoite Protein Trail Formation by Gliding Malaria Sporozoites

Immunoelectron microscopic techniques were utilized to characterize the morphology of circumsporozoite protein-containing trails deposited on various substrates by gliding Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. The basic components of the trails are beadlike particles, 25 to 90 nm in diameter, which are devoid of unit membrane and have an electronlucent center. Trails were captured on formvar-covered grids coated with anticircumsporozoite protein monoclonal antibodies and compared with trails produced on uncoated formvar; the results suggest that material containing circumsporozoite protein forms the matrix within which the particles are embedded. The trails exhibit morphological features similar to those displayed by circumsporozoite precipitation reactions; of note is the demonstration of sheaths of circumsporozoite protein-containing material that emanate from sporozoites prior to their gliding. The sheaths narrow into accumulations of electron-dense material, which eventually taper to form typical trails. The structural manifestation of sheaths and other morphological details of the formed trails enables us to correlate sporozoite behavior during trail formation with the motile actions of gliding sporozoites observed by light microscopy.     

Snails and their trails: the multiple functions of trail‐following in gastropods

Snails are highly unusual among multicellular animals in that they move on a layer of costly mucus, leaving behind a trail that can be followed and utilized for various purposes by themselves or by other animals. Here we review more than 40 years of experimental and theoretical research to try to understand the ecological and evolutionary rationales for trail‐following in gastropods. Data from over 30 genera are currently available, representing a broad taxonomic range living in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. The emerging picture is that the production of mucus trails, which initially was an adaptation to facilitate locomotion and/or habitat extension, has evolved to facilitate a multitude of additional functions. Trail‐following supports homing behaviours, and provides simple mechanisms for self‐organisation in groups of snails, promoting aggregation and thus relieving desiccation and predation pressures. In gastropods that copulate, trail‐following is an important component in mate‐searching, either as an alternative, or in addition to the release of water‐ or air‐borne pheromones. In some species, this includes a capacity of males not only to identify trails of conspecifics but also to discriminate between trails laid by females and males. Notably, trail discrimination seems important as a pre‐zygotic barrier to mating in some snail species. As production of a mucus trail is the most costly component of snail locomotion, it is also tempting to speculate that evolution has given rise to various ways to compensate for energy losses. Some snails, for example, increase energy intake by eating particles attached to the mucus of trails that they follow, whereas others save energy through reducing the production of their own mucus by moving over previously laid mucus trails. Trail‐following to locate a prey item or a mate is also a way to save energy. While the rationale for trail‐following in many cases appears clear, the basic mechanisms of trail discrimination, including the mechanisms by which many snails determine the polarity of the trail, are yet to be experimentally determined. Given the multiple functions of trail‐following we propose that future studies should adopt an integrated approach, taking into account the possibility of the simultaneous occurrence of many selectively advantageous roles of trail‐following behaviour in gastropods. We also believe that future opportunities to link phenotypic and genotypic traits will make possible a new generation of research projects in which gastropod trail‐following, its multitude of functions and evolutionary trade‐offs can be further elucidated.     

The Influence of Snowmobile Trails on Coyote Movements during Winter in High-Elevation Landscapes

Competition between sympatric carnivores has long been of interest to ecologists. Increased understanding of these interactions can be useful for conservation planning. Increased snowmobile traffic on public lands and in habitats used by Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) remains controversial due to the concern of coyote (Canis latrans) use of snowmobile trails and potential competition with lynx. Determining the variables influencing coyote use of snowmobile trails has been a priority for managers attempting to conserve lynx and their critical habitat. During 2 winters in northwest Wyoming, we backtracked coyotes for 265 km to determine how varying snow characteristics influenced coyote movements; 278 km of random backtracking was conducted simultaneously for comparison. Despite deep snow (>1 m deep), radio-collared coyotes persisted at high elevations (>2,500 m) year-round. All coyotes used snowmobile trails for some portion of their travel. Coyotes used snowmobile trails for 35% of their travel distance (random: 13%) for a mean distance of 149 m (random: 59 m). Coyote use of snowmobile trails increased as snow depth and penetrability off trails increased. Essentially, snow characteristics were most influential on how much time coyotes spent on snowmobile trails. In the early months of winter, snow depth was low, yet the snow column remained dry and the coyotes traveled off trails. As winter progressed and snow depth increased and snow penetrability increased, coyotes spent more travel distance on snowmobile trails. As spring approached, the snow depth remained high but penetrability decreased, hence coyotes traveled less on snowmobile trails because the snow column off trail was more supportive. Additionally, coyotes traveled closer to snowmobile trails than randomly expected and selected shallower snow when traveling off trails. Coyotes also preferred using snowmobile trails to access ungulate kills. Snow compaction from winter recreation influenced coyote movements within an area containing lynx and designated lynx habitat.