Pacific Northwest Research Station

RESEARCH AREAS

The Effects of Ungulates on Ecosystems team is an interdisciplinary team comprised of scientists and professionals with diverse skills and expertise. These skills are directed in these primary emphasis areas:

-Investigate the spatial and temporal variations in ungulate herbivory effects on ecosystem dynamics and disturbance regimes.

- Describe how ungulate herbivory interacts with other disturbance factors such as insect outbreaks, disease, and fire.

- Examine the effects of forest management (fuels reduction, prescribed fire) on the distribution of mule deer, elk, and cattle.

- Determine the effects of human activities of off-road vehicle, horse, and walking traffic on elk, deer, and other wildlife species.

- Investigate the spatial distribution and dietary overlap of elk, mule deer, and cattle, and formulate animal-unit equivalents that can be used to allocate forage in the intermountain West.

- Investigate spatial distribution and dietary preference and overlap of elk, mule deer, and cattle, and develop models that can be used to predict herbivory influences on plant succession. Incorporate those models into the interior Northwest landscape analysis system (INLAS), thereby providing tools to resource managers.

Starkey tagged female elk.

This cow is tagged and will be part of research on the dietary overlap of elk, deer, and cattle.

Research Programs
Detailed information about our research programs.