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Abstract
Elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) differ in nutritional and structural habitat needs; consequently, management of pinyon-juniper (Pinus spp.-Juniperus spp.) woodlands to provide optimal habitat differs for these herbivores. Diet quality requirements are higher for deer, and are highest for both species during late gestation, lactation, and antler growth. Properly timed treatments, especially prescribed burning, can enhance forage quality and alter forage species composition, providing dietary benefits during these times. Late-winter burns provide a nutrient flush during these critical periods, and burn intervals can be manipulated to selectively benefit deer or elk by favoring browse or herbaceous species in the understory. Burning at other times can increase forage biomass, but has fewer beneficial effects on forage quality. Overstory thinning can also increase forage biomass given proper slash treatment, but excessive thinning can degrade cover attributes. For example, deer prefer higher levels of security cover, and most movements are near denser woodland patches, which ideally compose approximately 25 percent of each home range on the landscape mosaic. Elk seek thermal cover when average daily temperatures exceed their thermal neutral zone, but this can be provided by single trees or clumps. Other treatments, such as chipping or shredding, may decrease forage and reduce habitat quality if residual biomass is not treated properly.
Parent Publication
Citation
Bender, Louis C. 2020. Elk, deer, and pinyon-juniper in New Mexico: Needs, what works, and what doesn’t. In: Malcolm, Karl; Dykstra, Brian; Johnson, Kristine; Lightfoot, David; Muldavin, Esteban; Ramsey, Marikay. Symposium Proceedings on Pinon-Juniper Habitats: Status and Management for Wildlife - 2016. Proceedings RMRS-P-77. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 34-58.
