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

Abstract

We studied elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) parturition sites at coarse (314-km 2 and 7-km 2 ) and fine (0.2-ha) scales in the Black Hills, South Dakota, 2011, 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. At coarse scales in forests and grasslands, female elk selected sites in areas with greater proportions of vegetation communities that provided forage (56-74% of area) and more rugged topography (194-248 m) than found at random. At coarse scales in grasslands, elk selected sites in areas with lower road densities ( 1.24 km/plot). At the fine scale in forests and grasslands, female elk selected sites in areas with intermediate slope (19%), closer to water (355-610 m), and far from roads (541-791 m). Further, elk in forests and grasslands selected sites with intermediate security cover (50-88 m). We hypothesize elk selected for intermediate rugged terrain at larger scales for security from high road densities and human disturbance, but these areas may have placed elk in riskier environments for puma (Puma concolor) predation. Forest management that maintains opencanopied vegetation communities in less rugged areas and prevents ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) encroachment of meadows to provide forage may be beneficial for elk. Further, elk parturition sites occurred close to roads, particularly on public lands, and agencies should consider road-use restrictions and vegetation buffers beside roads in areas with less rugged terrain, which may provide favorable calving habitat. Ó 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Selection of Calf Bedding Sites by Female Elk in the Central Appalachian Mountains

“…All captured calves were 7 d old and still using a hiding strategy in response to perceived threats; therefore, we required only physical restraint when handling animals. We observed no evidence that any of the captured calves were at their actual parturition sites; these locations lacked placental material with blood, cleared vegetation, strong odors, or moist soils (Lehman et al 2016;Larkin, personal observation). Elk calves begin to transition from a hiding strategy to a fleeing strategy in response to perceived danger between the ages of 5 and 20 d (Johnson 1951;Geist 2002).…”

“…Several authors describe cover as a key component of rearing young for several ungulate species, including elk (Millspaugh et al 1998;Stillings 1999;Tull et al 2001;Lehman et al 2016). Early in life, elk calves are a ''hiding'' species and as such, concealing cover enhances this antipredator strategy (Alldredge et al 1991).…”

“…Rather, the lack of selection could indicate that acceptable conditions are widespread in our study area and these conditions were merely present in similar proportions and dimensions between used and random sites. Additionally, we examined only two spatial scales during this study, but selection could be occurring at larger spatial scales as well (i.e., Lehman et al 2016). As habitats change or elk colonize new areas, the importance of some of these variables may become more pronounced.…”

“…Identification and conservation of quality calf habitat is essential to managing elk, especially small (, 1,000 individuals), isolated elk populations like those found in eastern North America (Taber et al 1982). Nonetheless, few published studies have attempted to characterize the habitats used by elk calves early in life, and the majority of those studies were in western North America (Barbknecht et al 2011;Pitman et al 2014;Lehman et al 2016). Insight gained from elk calf habitat studies in these areas may not be applicable to elk in eastern North America due to regional differences in topography, plant communities, predation pressures, and elk population sizes.…”

Association of moose parturition and post‐parturition habitat with calf survival

“…Recently (2013–2015) in northeastern Minnesota, USA, few calf mortalities were observed at calving sites (Severud et al ), similar to observations elsewhere (Bubenik ). Moose and elk ( Cervus canadensis ) may use anthropogenic features as shields against predators, calving near roads or campsites that predators often avoid (Edwards , Lehman et al ). Moose calving sites have been associated with increased elevation, steeper slopes, and lower tree density, characteristics that may allow earlier detection of predators (Addison et al , Wilton and Garner , Bowyer et al , Poole et al ).…”