Habitat Selection, Foraging Behavior, and Dietary Nutrition of Elk in Burned Aspen Forest
Issue Date
1987-09-01Keywords
habitat selectionforaging
forests
Populus tremuloides
Cervus elaphus
prescribed burning
Idaho
animal nutrition
feeding preferences
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Canon, S. K., Urness, P. J., & DeByle, N. V. (1987). Habitat selection, foraging behavior, and dietary nutrition of elk in burned aspen forest. Journal of Range Management, 40(5), 433-438.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementDOI
10.2307/3899605Additional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
Prescribed burning is frequently used to enhance regeneration of aspen. The effects of burning aspen on wild ungulates are poorly understood. We used free-ranging tame elk to assess diet composition and quality on a site containing a 40-ha aspen burn, pure unburned aspen, mixtures of aspen and conifers, and other habitats. Foraging preferences of elk among the habitats were also investigated. Overall, no dietary nutritional differences were found between burned and unburned aspen habitats. Diet composition by forage class varied somewhat, due primarily to an abundance of very palatable post-fire forbs on the burn. Time spent feeding was significantly different among habitats. The burn was substantially more attractive for foraging probably because preferred forages were consistently available and greater foraging efficiency was possible than in other habitats.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/3899605