doug cottam - big game in early seral forests
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Doug Cottam - Big Game in Early Seral ForestsTRANSCRIPT
Big Game and Early Seral Habitat
Doug Cottam Herman Biederbeck
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Big Game
• Bears, cougars, deer, elk.
• Cougars deer, elk.• Brief details on bears.
Early Seral Forest Habitat
• Different definition for wildlife?• For deer and elk:
– Food– Cover: weather and predators– Birth, grow antlers…– Microclimate and microhabitat
• Quality vs. quantity• Early seral: post disturbance to closed
canopy (little or no understory).
Black Bears
• The real reason why I’m being brief on bears!– Omnivorous, intelligent, eat anything.– Berry producing vegetation high on the list as they
ripen.• Plant species diversity - increase bear use.
Black-tailed Deer
• Range CA to AK• Variety of habitats• Population density
– Highest in early seral
Black-tailed Deer
• Deer rumen: less volume:body mass– Microbial digestion relatively short time– High quality diet requirement:
• Digestible• Nutritious
• Forage quickly• Seek cover to ruminate• Decreased winter metabolic rate
– Must gain weight/body fat in growing season.
Black-tailed Deer
• Plant species diversity important.
• Quality is important• Majority of food is
browse.– Stems, leaves woody
vegetation
• Preference and use seasonal.
Black-tailed Deer
• Important foods:– Trailing blackberry– Vine maple– Huckleberry– Grasses (green)– Red Alder– Ocean spray– Madrone– Oak (acorns)– herbs
Black-tailed Deer
• Non-native plants• Native increasers
• Non fire managed early seral
Elk
• Roosevelt elk Cascades west.
• Variety of habitats• Population density
– Highest in early seral
• Significant differences with deer.
Roosevelt Elk
• Elk rumen: large volume:body mass– Microbial digestion breaks down more
indigestible vegetation.
• Consume 50% more than deer.
• Forage quickly.
• Seek cover to ruminate.
• Decreased winter metabolic rate.– Must gain weight/body fat in growing season.
Roosevelt Elk
• More capable than deer on low quality diet.
• Low quality – high quantity.
• Compared to Rocky Mt elk:– Significantly lower calf
production due to nutrition
Roosevelt Elk
• Grazers and browsers:– Consume grasses
(including rank) – winter and spring
– Grass legume mix– Browse all seasons
• Diet varies seasonally• Cover can differ from
deer.
Roosevelt Elk
• Cover:– Thermal issues both
summer and winter.– Sexual segregation.– Antler development.
Deer and Elk
• Deer and elk are generalists.– Deer more specialized than elk.
• Reach higher densities – early seral forest habitats.– Not entirely dependent upon early seral
forests.
• Use and importance is much more complicated.
Big Game and Early Seral ForestsChallenges
• Deer numbers in western OR in decline.– Habitat suspected
• Elk numbers increasing, but misleading?– Only recently reintroduced.
• Lack of scientific research in PNW.– Effects of modern forestry on wildlife– Future role of federal lands
• Other early seral species?
Questions?