Keyword: elk

Effects of climate change on wildlife in the Northern Rockies [Chapter 8]

Few data exist on the direct effects of climatic variability and change on animal species. Therefore, projected climate change effects must be inferred from what is known about habitat characteristics and the autecology of each species.

Characteristics of successful puma kill sites of elk in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Elk Cervus canadensis nelsoni in the Black Hills, South Dakota, have been declining since 2006 and there is concern by resource managers and hunters that puma Puma concolor predation may be contributing to declining herds. We evaluated characteristics at sites where puma successfully killed elk in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We evaluated characteristics at coarse (79-ha plots) and fine (0.2-ha plot) scales across the landscape.

Elk resource selection at parturition sites, Black Hills, South Dakota

We studied elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) parturition sites at coarse (314-km2 and 7-km2) and fine (0.2-ha) scales in the Black Hills, South Dakota, 2011-2013, following a period of population decline and poor calf recruitment. Our objective was to test whether female elk selected parturition sites across spatial scales in association with forage, terrain ruggedness, road density, or hiding and security cover.

Missing lynx and trophic cascades in food webs: A reply to Ripple et al.

Ripple et al. (2011) proposed a hypothesis that the recovery of gray wolves (Canis lupus) may positively affect the viability of threatened Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) populations in the contiguous United States through indirect species interactions. Ripple et al. (2011) proposed 2 key trophic linkages connecting wolf restoration with lynx recovery.

Mortality of aspen on the Gros Ventre elk winter range

Stands of aspen on the Gros Ventre elk winter range of northwestern Wyoming are suffering high mortality and are not regenerating satisfactorily. If the 1970 mortality rate (3.6 percent) continues, about a two-thirds reduction in the numbers of tree-sized aspen can be expected by year 2000.

Fire effects in southwestern forests: Proceedings of the second La Mesa Fire symposium; 1994 March 29-31; Los Alamos, New Mexico

In 1977, the La Mesa Fire burned across 15,444 acres of ponderosa pine forests on the adjoining lands of Bandelier National Monument, the Santa Fe National Forest, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Following this event, several fire effects studies were initiated. The 16 papers herein document longer-term knowledge gained about the ecological effects of the fire and about Southwestern fire ecology in general.

Influence of logging and weather on elk distribution in western Montana

Reports and evaluates the significance of weather conditions and logging activities on elk distribution. Recommendations for reducing the effects of disturbance on elk are presented.

Habitat use by elk (cervus elaphus) within structural stages of a managed forest of the northcentral United States

Timber management is the most prominent land management activity in the Black Hills National Forest in the northcentral United States. Management units are stands 4-32 ha in size and are described using a hierarchal vegetative description including vegetation type, size class (age), and overstory canopy cover. For the most part, these stands are relatively homogeneous resulting from decades of even-aged management.