Preliminary Findings of an Elk Brucellosis Surveillance and Epidemiology Project in Southwestern Montana

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that causes abortions in cattle, bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus). Transmission of the disease from wildlife to cattle has serious financial implications to producers and the livestock industry in Montana. Brucellosis in elk populations of southwestern Montana results in reduced tolerance for elk on private property and can influence management of elk populations. In the winter of 2010/2011, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks initiated a five-year project with the goals of delineating the geographical distribution of brucellosis in elk populations, enhancing our understanding of how brucellosis functions in elk populations, and evaluating factors that may influence the spread and prevalence of brucellosis in elk. One-hundred adult female elk were captured in hunting districts (HD) 324 and 326 in the winter of 2010/2011 with eight testing positive on blood tests(seropositive) in the field for exposure to Brucella. Ninety-three adult female elk were captured in HD 325 in the winter of 2011/2012, five of which were seropositive. Elk testing positive in the field were fitted with a GPS collar and, if pregnant, implanted with a vaginal implant transmitter (VIT). Seropositive pregnant elk were tracked from the ground and air 2-3 times/week in order to locate birth or abortion sites. B. abortus was not cultured from VITs or samples collected at birth sites in the first year of the project. B. abortus was cultured from tissues or VITs associated with two aborted calves in 2012. The known distribution of brucellosis in elk has expanded based on information obtained in this study

Harvest dynamics and winter habitat use of the pine marten in southwest Montana /

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HABITAT-BASED ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AT MOUNT HAGGIN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The 22,743-hectare Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area was purchased in 1976, in part for moose (Alces alces) winter range. Observed moose populations climbed from a low of 7 in 1976 to a high of 56 in 2000. A 4-step management program was initiated in 2000 consisting of definition of management objective, monitoring to determien if the objective was attained, developing a management strategy, and implementing the strategy. The management objective for browse was defined to be: browsing will not prevent young plants from attaining their potential stature, their growth being primarily limited by local environmental conditions. A survey of Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana) in critical moose habitat indicated that browse plants were 100% intensely browsed, suggesting that browsing could prevent willow height growth. Beginning in 2000, willow trend was monitored annually at 4 sites using an index based on the height of the tallest live stem and the height of the tallest, dead intensely browsed stem (LD Index). Low LD Index values indicated that browsing did prevent height growth. In 2000 moose harvest quotas were increased by 40%; in 2002 harvest quotas were increased an additional 7%. From 2000 to 2002, willow growth increased at all 4 locations. From 2002 to 2004, growth indicators changed relatively little at Sullivan Creek, Deep Creek, and French Creek; at these sites willow condition in 2004 had improved compared to willow condition in 2000. From 2002 to 2004, growth indicators declined markedly at American Creek; in 2004, growth indicators at American Creek were lower compared to measurements made in 2000. The improvement of willow condition at 3 sites was likely due to a combination of reduced moose numbers (due to an increase in harvest) and increased dispersal (due to low snow cover conditions). Over the study period, the sporting public complained of reduced moose sightability; harvest quotas were lowered substantially in 2003

A method for determining the onset year of intense browsing

A survey based on browsing related architectures indicated that browsing level had increased at the Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area. We describe a technique for determining the year in which the increase in browsing level occurred. The technique is based on the analysis of stems old enough to have experienced the early period of light browsing; the onset year of intense browsing was determined by using dendrochronology to date the formation of twig clusters produced by intense browsing. Stems from 20 Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana Anderss.) plants were analyzed from each of 6 study sites. Mean onset years at the 6 sites ranged from 1983.1 to 1988.4; the mean onset year for all 6 sites was 1985.4 +/- 0.5 SE (N = 120). The reconstructed history was used to evaluate the relationship between moose (Alces alces) number and browse trend. From 1976 to 2000, the winter trend census of moose increased from 7 to 56. The onset of intense browsing in 1985 occurred when 23 moose were counted.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Assessing Browse Trend At The Landscape Level: Part 1: Preliminary Steps and Field Survey

The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 202

Assessing Browse Trend At The Landscape Level: Part 2: Monitoring

The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 202