Big Game Habitat Utilization in Noncommercially Thinned Ponderosa Pine in Custer State Park

During the 1980’s , noncommercial thinning of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) was used to improve big game habitat in Custer State Park, South Dakota. Thinning densely stocked ponderosa pine created more diverse and productive foraging areas for big game species. This study evaluated utilization of forages in thinned pine stands by elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus yirginianus). The study was conducted in the northwest corner of the park during June, July, and August of 1991 and 1992. The study area included approximately one-third thinned pine, one-third unthinned pine, and one-third recently logged pine. Our treatments consisted of moderately thinned, heavily thinned, and unthinned pine stands. Over 200 plots were clipped in each treatment to measure standing crop each year. Approximately 7,000 individual plants were marked along permanent transects each year and percent utilization by weight was ocularly estimated. Two methods were used to determine utilization. First, the average percent-weight-removed from all marked plants was used, and second, the percent-of-plants grazed was used. Road surveys and pellet group counts were used to determined summer habitat us patterns. Standing crop in thinned pine stands was five times greater in graminoids, three times greater in shrubs, and nine times greater in forbs than standing crop in unthinned pine stands. Utilization of graminoids averaged less than 1% and was not different across treatments. Shrub utilization was higher in thinned stands than unthinned stands when measured as percent-of-plants grazed (2%) (P<0.05). Forbs received higher levels of use in unthinned stands than thinned stands when measured as both percent-weight-removed (8%, 4%, respectively) (P<0.008) and percent-of-plants grazed (18%, 14%, respectively) (P<0.05). Pellet group density was highest in meadows for both elk (600 groups/ha) and deer (275 groups/ha). There was no difference between density of pellet groups in unthinned compared to thinned treatments for either elk or deer. The big game species in this region of the park did not seem to utilize the increased standing crop produced in thinned pine stands.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - University Access Only

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

Year

1993

Author dc:creator

• Gibbs, Mary C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jonathan A. Jenks
• Charles G. Scalet

• big game
• habitat
• ponderosa pine
• custer state park
• south dakota
• thinning
• Natural Resources and Conservation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 1993 Mary C. Gibbs. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/434

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1434