Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity

Snobl, Lauren A.; Proffitt, Kelly M.; Millspaugh, Joshua J.

doi:10.1002/ecs2.4178

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 64 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…During the prehunt and archery-only periods, female elk may have been attracted to all burned areas because of the increase in foraging efficiency (Canon et al 1987) that would support their nutritional demands for pregnancy, lactation, and overwinter survival (Cook et al 2004). Overall, wildfire improved the forage quality in conifer forests in our study area, and there were not large differences in forage quality between low-and high-severity burned forests (Snobl et al 2022). This result was likely due to the overall high proportion of burned sites that contained fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), an important forage species with high forage quality that rapidly establishes and spreads postfire in both low-and high-severity burns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…Although elk demonstrated substantial variability in selection, there was strong evidence that elk selected for low‐ and high‐severity burned conifer forests in years 2 and 3 postfire during prehunt, archery, and backcountry rifle hunt periods. Selection for all fire severities during these periods was likely due to the high forage quality in burned areas (Snobl et al 2022); however, elk habitat and resource selection may differ in the future in our study area as low‐ and high‐severity burned forests move through successional stages at varying paces (Proffitt et al 2019). Elk became more predictable during the rifle period, primarily moving out of burned forests to areas with less snowpack and hunter pressure; thereby, resulting in lower elk prevalence across the autumn range.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…We evaluated 10 covariates to describe the influences of nutritional, landscape, hunting, and environmental variables on elk resource selection during the 4 autumn periods for the BC elk population. For nutritional resources, we evaluated forage quality (digestible energy/g of forage; kcal/g) that we extracted from landscape models developed from elk diet and vegetation sampling conducted during the late summer and autumn (Snobl et al 2022; S2, available in Supporting Information).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For elk ( Cervus canadensis ), wildfire may positively affect nutritional resources. Wildfires move forests to early successional stages, frequently increasing the quality and quantity of forage available to ungulates shortly after a fire (Merrill et al 1980, Cook et al 1994, Tracy and McNaughton 1997, Proffitt et al 2019, Snobl et al 2022). In turn, elk typically select recently burned forests to increase foraging efficiency (Spitz et al 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within forested ecosystems, mixed‐severity fires create a heterogenous landscape where some areas remain unburned (no recent fire history), are burned at a low or moderate severity (fire removes understory vegetation; some trees experience mortality, but many mature trees survive), or are burned at a high severity (fire removes understory vegetation and kills most trees; Ryan 2002, Keeley 2009). Although there may be limited differences in nutritional resources between fire severity classes in the years shortly after fire (Snobl et al 2022), the differences in postfire forest structure between fire severity classes may create stark differences in security resources. Forests burned at a high severity experience the greatest amount of vegetation removal (Heinselman 1981, Turner et al 1997), and therefore have less vertical vegetative structure for elk to use as security or thermal cover (Long et al 2014, Lone et al 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Autumn resource selection by female elk in a recently burned landscape in western Montana

Snobl,

Proffitt,

Hansen

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

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Wildfire activity across the western United States has increased in recent decades, with wildfires burning at a higher severity and larger scale. The effect of wildfires on forest structure and wildlife habitat is largely influenced by wildfire severity; however, few studies have evaluated the effects of wildfire severity on resource selection of ungulates, particularly during hunting seasons, when knowledge of resource selection is essential for making informed management decisions. To fill this knowledge gap, we fit resource selection probability functions for female elk (Cervus canadensis) in years 2 and 3 post‐wildfire to evaluate the effects of wildfire severity and other environmental and anthropogenic factors on elk resource selection during 4 autumn periods with varying levels of hunter pressure (prehunt, archery‐only, backcountry rifle, and rifle). The probability of female elk selecting low‐severity burned forests during the prehunt, archery‐only, backcountry rifle, and rifle periods was 0.99 (95% credible interval [CrI] = 0.98–1.00), 0.99 (CrI = 0.97–1.00), 0.99 (CrI = 0.99–1.00), and 0.0010 (CrI = 0.00067–0.0015]), respectively, and did not strongly differ from the probability of selecting high‐severity burned forests. During the prehunt period, elk also selected areas with greater forage quality and areas farther from open roads. Elk selected similar resources during the archery period, and selected areas with higher hunter pressure. Elk started leaving hunting districts that had higher snowpack (i.e., snow water equivalent; β = −0.84, CrI = −0.96–−0.72) and allowed rifle hunting (β = −5.39, CrI = −5.80–−4.97) but still selected areas with higher hunter pressure (β = 0.92, CrI = 0.78–1.07) during the backcountry rifle period. During the rifle period, elk continued avoiding areas with high snowpack (β = −3.96, CrI = −4.22–−3.71) and started selecting areas with lower hunter pressure (β = −1.71, CrI = −1.79–−1.64) and lower canopy cover. Overall, wildfire affected elk distributions in early autumn 2 and 3 years after fire in our study area, with limited differences in resource selection between wildfire severity categories. By late autumn, hunter pressure and snowpack were the primary factors influencing elk distribution, and wildfire had little influence on selection. When estimating wildfire effects on elk movements during autumn and establishing appropriate hunting regulations, managers should consider the hunting season, hunter pressure, timing and amount of snowpack, location of traditional winter range, and the seasonal elk range burned, as all these factors may contribute to how elk use the landscape in autumn.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Autumn resource selection by female elk in a recently burned landscape in western Montana

Snobl,

Proffitt,

Hansen

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

Self Cite

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Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity

2022

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Large‐scale, high‐severity wildfires are increasingly frequent across the western United States. Fire severity affects the amount of vegetation removed and helps dictate what, where, and how many plants regenerate postfire, potentially altering the available habitat and nutritional landscape for wildlife. To evaluate the effects of fire severity on summer nutritional resources for elk (Cervus canadensis), we collected field data and remotely sensed information in Years 2 and 3 after a large‐scale wildfire to compare forage quality and quantity across forest types and fire severities within the summer range of one elk population in west‐central Montana. To understand the landscape‐level effects of fire severity on nutritional resources, we developed predictive forage quality and quantity models. We used these models to predict nutritional resources across the landscape for four landscape scenarios representing different fire severity patterns (i.e., an unburned landscape, a landscape burned only at low severity, a landscape burned only at high severity, and the observed landscape burned at mixed severity). Shortly after the wildfire, summer forage quality and herbaceous forage quantity increased in both burned mesic and dry mixed‐conifer forests regardless of fire severity. Summer shrub forage quantity was greater in unburned mesic and dry forests, and there was no difference between fire severities in dry forests. Low‐severity burned mesic forests had significantly greater shrub forage quantity compared with high‐severity burned mesic forests. The three predicted burned landscape scenarios had the highest percentage of the summer range with adequate forage quality, which increased throughout the summer. By contrast, the predicted unburned landscape had the lowest percentage of summer range with adequate forage quality, which decreased throughout the summer. Wildfire extended the duration in which elk can access high‐quality forage in the summer in Years 2 and 3 postfire. Therefore, shortly after a large‐scale wildfire, elk may be better able to meet their nutritional requirements, which may positively impact elk body condition, reproductive performance, and survival.

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Forest disturbance shapes habitat selection but not migratory tendency for partially migratory ungulates

Hayes,

Peterson,

DeCesare

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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In forest management settings, disturbance resets forests to earlier successional stages, typically improving forage conditions for mule deer. Examining how forest disturbance influences mule deer behavior is important for guiding forest and wildlife management. We used GPS collar data collected between 2017 and 2019 from 136 adult female mule deer in three populations throughout western Montana, United States, to investigate how disturbance from burns (wildfire and prescribed fire) and timber harvest influenced three aspects of space‐use behaviors: (1) probability of migration from winter range to summer range, (2) home range (second‐order) selection by migrants on summer range, and (3) within‐home range (third‐order) selection. We hypothesized that deer would maximize use of disturbances during summer for nutritional benefits, predicting that deer with higher proportionate disturbance in their winter home range would be less likely to migrate away from those disturbances during summer. We predicted that migrants would select disturbances at the second and third orders. We found that proportionate disturbance in winter home ranges had no effect on the probability of migration. Among migrants, deer generally selected burns, timber harvests, and open‐canopy habitat at the second order in all study areas, with particularly strong selection for 6‐ to 15‐year‐old disturbances. At population levels, selection for disturbances ceased at the third order. At individual levels, however, third‐order selection for burns increased with availability, whereas selection for harvests decreased, suggesting burns may satisfy more resource needs than harvests. Our results emphasize how space‐use fidelity constrains mule deer habitat selection. During summer, adherence to migratory strategies constrains the habitat available for second‐order selection, preventing deer from exploiting disturbances that would otherwise be available had they remained resident in wintering areas. Second‐order selection then determines disturbance availability within home ranges, affecting third‐order behaviors. Although variance in selection behaviors among individuals was high, population‐level patterns were remarkably similar among study areas, suggesting these responses may be generalizable to mule deer throughout the northern Rocky Mountains. Forest management practices like timber harvest, prescribed burns, and wildfire management within higher elevation areas of summer range used by migrants could yield the greatest nutritional benefits for mule deer.

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Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity

Cited by 4 publications

References 64 publications

Autumn resource selection by female elk in a recently burned landscape in western Montana

Autumn resource selection by female elk in a recently burned landscape in western Montana

Wildfire extends the shelf life of elk nutritional resources regardless of fire severity

Forest disturbance shapes habitat selection but not migratory tendency for partially migratory ungulates

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