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Author(s):
John Steven Waller
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Fire & Wildlife
Mammals
Carnivores

NRFSN number: 18230
Record updated:

This study employed a sample of 22 radio-collared grizzly bears to document the extent to which grizzly bears used harvested habitats on a seasonal and annual basis and how this use compared to the availability of harvested habitats. Use sites within treated stands were sampled and compared to random sites within the same stand to determine if grizzly bears were selecting unique microsites within stands or if use sites were representative of the stand as a whole. Instrumented grizzly bears significantly avoided using harvested stands within the study area during all seasons., Within composite and seasonal 95% minimum convex polygon home ranges, instrumented grizzly bears used harvested stands in proportion to their availability within their home range polygons.' Use of harvested stands did not differ significantly among most of the individual grizzly bears. I found no significant difference in the use of harvested stands between age/sex classes. Instrumented grizzly bears were more likely to use harvested stands in summer than in spring or fall. Clearcuts were used less than other harvest types. Stands harvested 30-40 years ago were more likely to be used than younger or older cuts. Univariate and multivariate analyses of habitat data identified 3 variables that discriminated between use and random sites in 73% of the cases- They were distance to edge, vegetation density between I.0-1.5 m and amount of huckleberry present- I concluded that a lack of security cover, human disturbance, and food availability, regulated the amount of use that harvested stands received. Also, stands logged in the study area within the last 10 years are unavailable as grizzly bear habitat and should be recognized as such. Although the amount of available grizzly bear habitat in the study area is likely to increase as harvested stands recover, the study area may be currently overharvested in terms of providing optimal grizzly bear habitat. I suggest that management agencies conduct ecosystem specific investigations of the effects of logging on grizzly bears. It is neither appropriate nor valid to extrapolate the results of studies, in one ecosystem to another.

Citation

Waller JS. (1992). Grizzly bear use of habitats modified by timber management. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University Masters of Science, 74 p.

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