Abstract Habitat selection is a dynamic process influenced by population density, yet few studies have tested the effects of density on habitat selection of large herbivores within enclosed systems. We used long‐term global positioning system (GPS) collar data from 22 adult female plains bison ( Bison bison bison ) in a fenced enclosure in Grasslands National Park, Canada, to test for density‐dependent habitat selection across biologically relevant seasons at 2 spatial scales. The study leveraged a unique opportunity created by a period of natural population growth followed by biennial population reductions to explore how bison adjust habitat use under varying density conditions. Resource selection functions and latent selection difference models showed that bison selected high normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) areas and avoided roads at low density. As density increased, selection patterns generalized or reversed, especially during the calving and post‐calving seasons when nutritional demands were greatest. Bison consistently avoided roads, suggesting they perceive human activity as a form of risk. However, this avoidance declined during the rut, likely because of changes in herd composition and behavioral priorities. Seasonal variation in the strength and direction of selection highlights the complexity of density‐dependent space use. Our results emphasize that ignoring density in spatial models may lead to biased management decisions. Understanding how space use shifts with population density is especially important for fully fenced populations that cannot disperse naturally and where intraspecific competition is likely to be exacerbated. In such systems, incorporating density‐dependent behavior into species or habitat monitoring is essential for anticipating ecological outcomes and guiding long‐term management.
Sawatzky et al. (Mon,) studied this question.