Reactions of Grizzly Bears, Ursus arctos horribilis, to wildfire in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Abstract

Twenty-one radio-monitored Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) within the Yellowstone ecosystem had annual ranges encompassing all or portions of the 1988 wildfires. The most important immediate effect of the fires on Grizzly Bears was the increased availability of ungulate carcasses during a fall otherwise offering few foraging opportunities. The fires had no apparent effects on overall choice of den sites, annual range sizes, or mean rates of movement.