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Abstract
We studied habitat selection by Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) in a temperate rain forest in the lower Queets River Valley of the western Olympic Peninsula, Washington from June 1986-July 1987. Elk annual home ranges included predominantly unlogged forests protected within Olympic National Park and logged, regenerating forests adjacent to the park. Radio-collared elk selected valley floors during all seasons except winter, when elk frequently used an adjoining plateau 60 m above the floodplain. In winder, radio-collared elk selected 6-15 year-old clearcuts, which were available on the plateau. Elk selected mature deciduous forests of the valley floor during spring, summer, and autumn, and generally they selected old-age Sitka spruce forests during autumn and winter. Young clearcuts (1-5 years old) and even-aged, regenerating stands (16-150 years old) generally were avoided during all seasons. Management practices that retain preferred habitat of elk, such as deciduous forests, 6-15 yr-old coniferous stands, and old-age coniferous bottomland forests will benefit elk, particularly on elk ranges managed for short-rotation, even-aged stands. Silvicultural alternatives to typical even-aged stand management, such as uneven-aged management and commercial thinning, should also be considered for improving and maintaining interspersion of forage and cover.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Roosevelt elk selection of temperate rain forest seral stages in western Washington |
| Series title | Northwest Science |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 1993 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Northwest Scientific Association |
| Contributing office(s) | Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center |
| Description | 7 p. |
| First page | 23 |
| Last page | 29 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| Other Geospatial | Olympic Peninsula, Queets River Valley |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |