Skip to main content
Dryad

A case for human mobility data applications in wildlife management

Abernathy, Heather1; Ditmer, Mark1; Hibbard, Seth2; Lombardi, Jason3; Stephenson, Thomas3; Squires, John1; Newton, Jennifer4; Dewey, Sarah4; Zeller, Katherine5; Schwartz, Michael1; Wittemyer, George6

Published May 08, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sqv9s4nfb

Data files

May 08, 2025 version files 890.31 KB

Click names to download individual files

Abstract

Human activities have significantly altered terrestrial ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation. Traditional methods for measuring human impacts often lack the precision required for localized assessments, fail to capture temporal dynamics, or are scale-limited. Human mobility data (HMD) from GPS-enabled smartphone applications offers a valuable approach to understanding human movement patterns, overcoming many of these limitations. 

We present case studies that demonstrate the use of HMD in assessing human activity within ecologically sensitive habitats (e.g., winter ranges and breeding grounds) and in evaluating where human-wildlife interactions are likely to occur to inform proactive conflict management. We also discuss how HMD can improve inference from habitat connectivity analyses and provide detailed, timely insights on how HMD can broadly support conservation and wildlife management goals. 

HMD revealed patterns of recreational use in bighorn sheep's (Ovis canadensis) winter range and helped inform the timing and scope of protective measures for sheep. HMD also allowed us to quantify the frequency and timing of potential wildlife-human interactions, such as cougar (Puma concolor) proximity to human activity, identifying high human-wildlife conflict areas and opportunities to mitigate mortality risks (e.g., road crossings). 

We discussed how future uses of HMD can improve conservation and connectivity, allowing managers to assess barriers to movement, identify critical thresholds of human disturbance, and refine strategies for mitigating impacts on species sensitive to human disturbance. We provided a simple example by highlighting differences in human use of a migration corridor for pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). 

Synthesis and applications: HMD provides a transformative tool for wildlife management by offering scalable, dynamic insights into human activity that traditional methods cannot fully capture. These data enable managers to prioritize intervention areas, improve compliance with management zones, mitigate conflict risks, and enhance connectivity for sensitive species, supporting effective conservation strategies in a human-dominated world.