Elk, Cervus elaphus, foraging related to forest management and succession in Idaho.

Abstract

Elk diets were correlated with availability of forage, ie elk were not selective of individual plant species. In spring, elk preferred grasses and sedges in seral brushfields, forbs in clearcuts, and evergreen shrubs in timber stands. In summer, they preferred shrubs in seral brushfields and in timber stands, but fed more often in clear-cuts on forbs. In fall, elk fed upon low-growing, evergreen shrubs in dense timber stands. In winter, they preferred shrubs in seral brushfields. Early successional stages provide large amounts of forage and were preferred feeding areas in fall seasons except fall and early winter. Elk are generalist feeders which maximize energy intake through mechanisms of habitat selection rather than food selection.-Authors