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Wildlife-Livestock Interaction Studies
Wild Ungulate/Livestock Behavioral Relationships
Livestock-Wild Ungulate Nutritional Interactions and Effects on Livestock Production
Wild Ungulate/Livestock Behavioral Relationships
Investigators: Dr. Terry Messmer, Jessica Pettee
Objectives:
1) To determine whether competition for space or forage exists between elk and mule deer on high-elevation summer grazing lands.
2) To determine elk and mule deer habitat use patterns in the presence of livestock on aspen rangeland ecosystems, and to ascertain whether these patterns are driven by competition for space or the potentially positive effects livestock may have on forage quality and availability.
3) To determine if livestock grazing in aspen rangelands can be used to enhance quantity and/or quality of seasonal forage used by elk and mule deer.
4) To determine the impacts of early-season wildlife grazing on livestock forage quality and availability.
Study Site:
The wildlife-livestock component utilizes fourteen pastures (200 acres each); six pastures are grazed by sheep and six are grazed by cattle under a deferred rotation grazing system, two pastures remain ungrazed for the duration of the study.
Methodology:
In September 1999, five cow elk and five doe mule deer were captured on the study site as part of a pilot study. These animals were fitted with non-differential GPS/VHF radio-telemetry collars (Lotek GPS2000). The collars record animal location every six hours. All study animals are recaptured every year (usually in late August) to retrieve the data and replace collar batteries. During the summer of 2000 and 2001 this capturing effort was continued. We now have data on seven mule deer and six elk. Summer 2002 will be the final field season for this initial research and we currently have five deer and eight elk collared for the next season.
The GPS data will allow us to determine individual home range size and configuration, and social interaction among domestic and wild species. Elk and mule deer responses to movements of domestic livestock will be monitored, changes in individual home ranges will be documented, and the relationship to past and current season livestock use determined. Temporal and spatial changes of individual animal habitat use patterns related to livestock positions will also be measured.
While part of our study measures direct interactions between livestock and wildlife, we also intend to look at indirect interactions. Specifically, we hope to determine whether different livestock species grazed at moderate stocking rates have measurable impacts on vegetation quality and/or quantity. Satellite imagery will be used to measure vegetational changes between sheep, cattle, and ungrazed pastures. If vegetational changes are detected, their relationship to wildlife pasture use will be determined. Finally, we are in the process of creating a GIS map of the study area. This database will include the following data layers: major vegetation types, roads, wildlife GPS locations, fence lines, salt supplements and water sources.
Livestock-Wild Ungulate Nutritional Interactions and Effects on Livestock Production
Investigators: Dr. Ken C. Olson, Nancy Taylor
Introduction
The overall objective of the nutritional research on the Cedar Mountain Initiative is to document social and spatial interactions among cattle, elk, sheep, and mule deer and to evaluate the influence of these interactions on use of specific vegetation types (i.e. aspen, oak, grass, etc.) and subsequent nutrient intake of these four ruminant species. From this information, we want to develop prediction models about diet selection and nutrient intake by each animal species. To make these predictions possible, we are also developing a technique using tame elk and deer to predict forage intake based on the crude protein in a single fecal and blood sample that is collected during our annual wildlife captures from each GPS-collared animal. This technique will provide information about how much forage wild ungulates are consuming and which habitat types are most valuable for wildlife nutrition. Our ultimate goal is to provide new information that will aid in decisions about future grazing practices to meet goals for both livestock performance and wildlife management specific to this area in the Western US.
Study Site
The site is divided into 18 pastures of about 185 ac (75 ha) each. Fourteen of the 18 pastures are used for this study. There are 3 herds of cattle and 3 flocks of sheep. Twelve pastures are used to create six replicates of two-pasture deferred rotation grazing systems, with three each being grazed by cow-calf pairs or ewes with lambs. All pastures are stocked at an equal rate based on 5 ewes substituting for each cow. Stocking rate is adjusted annually based on preceding winter precipitation. The remaining two pastures are permanently ungrazed to allow wildlife the opportunity to avoid livestock. Each pasture in the rotation is grazed for approximately 60 days and then livestock are moved to the other pasture for the remaining 60 days of the grazing season. No pasture is grazed more than once per season, and only cattle or only sheep will graze a particular pasture in a grazing season, which begins in mid-June and ends in mid-October. All cows, calves, ewes, and lambs will be individually weighed at initiation of each grazing season, at midseason when livestock are rotated among pastures, and at termination of the grazing season (approximately every 6-7 weeks).
Methods
Several elk cows and mule deer does have been fitted with GPS/VHF radio-telemetry collars to fulfill the wildlife research objectives. In June 2002, cows and sheep will be fitted with GPS collars to monitor movement in the pastures and to record animal location in relation to available habitats and the locations of the collared elk and deer. Relationships among habitat availability, wildlife locations, and livestock use patterns will be determined using GIS technology. The vegetation map that has already been created will be used to predict diet selection of the GPS-collared elk and deer relative to data points collected from collared cattle and sheep. Predictions regarding diet selection of elk and mule deer will be made based on locations of GPS collared animals within vegetation communities. Habitat selection is directly related to diet selection of grazing animals because location of the animal dictates the type and quality of forage that is available. These locations will be layered over the vegetation maps discussed above, which contain site-specific data on climate, vegetation, and improvements such as fences, water sources, and roads throughout the study site.
Nutrient intakes of all 4 ungulate species will be estimated based on the fecal and blood sample technique. Samples will be obtained from mature females of all species at the Cedar Mountain study site to estimate forage intake, which will be integrated with the habitat and diet selection data. Five beef cows and five ewes will be selected in each replicate group (total of 15 cows and 15 ewes) for sample collection at four strategic times during each grazing season. These will be 14 to 20 days after initiation of grazing, immediately before pasture rotation, 14 to 20 days after pasture rotation, and at the end of the grazing season. Blood and fecal samples are collected annually from the elk cows and mule deer does that have GPS collars when they are captured to download data and replace collar batteries. Multivariate statistical techniques will be utilized to evaluate relationships between habitat availability, habitat utilization patterns, and intake responses.
Future Research
The next step will be to use the information gained from the habitat and diet selection data to develop methods of vegetation manipulation (ex. using controlled livestock grazing) for site-specific management of elk and mule deer populations based on goals for livestock production and wildlife management.
MONITORING SONGBIRDS ON UTAH’S PRIVATE LANDS
Investigators: Dr. Terry Messmer, Todd A. Black
Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of this study is to collect bird population trend data on Cedar Mountain (CM). Data will be collected following methodologies employed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) and other federal bird monitoring programs. Data will assist wildlife managers with improved estimates of trends, abundance, and diversity on CM., and overall statewide population database on birds. It also will provide information as to the role private land serves in conserving songbird populations.
Work Completed to Date 2001:
1) Monitored Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) routes on CM
2) Monitored Partners in Flight (PIF) point count stations on CM.
3) Updated "bird species list"
Work to be Completed 2002:
1) Plan for year 2002 surveys and equipment needs
2) Conduct Surveys in 2002
3) Establish new PIF stations on one additional CWMU in Northern Utah
4) Input PIF data in to Microsoft Access database as provided by UDWR
6) Analysis of data
7) Update the ArcView GIS Project and photo points.
6) Submit final report to partners.
Discussion:
A BBS survey route(s) were conducted on CM on the 26th of June. Survey dates for the ten Partners In Flight (PIF) counts were conducted at similar dates and times as previous surveys (1999/2000). Data collected at these stations were recorded on data sheets provided by the UDWR and later entered electronically into a Microsoft Access database as provided by UDWR. A species list was kept for all birds observed on the ranch (Appendix 2) as part off the study.
Over 80 man-hours were logged during 2001 phase of this project. This included; pre-project implementation, fieldwork, data entry, and summary report. It is anticipated that equivalent hours will be spent in subsequent years 2002.
Future Plans:
Monitoring will continue in the spring/summer of 2002 following prescribed methodologies.
Partners:
Utah State University (USU), Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), Utah Farm Bureau Federation (UFB), Utah State Department of Agriculture and Food UDAF), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service