Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1986

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

Major Professor

Michael R. Pelton

Committee Members

John Rennie, Boyd Dearden, Edward Clebsch

Abstract

Twenty black bears (Ursus americanus) were captured 22 times in Harmon Den Study Area, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, during 1984 and 1985. A total of 1735 radio locations was obtained on these animals. However, only 1312 (76%) of these were used in habitat analysis. Other locations did not meet predetermined selec-tion criteria. Male home ranges averaged 15 km2 during summer and 36 km2 during fall. Female home ranges averaged 10 km2 during summer and 11 km2 during fall. Male home ranges were significantly larger (P<0.05) than female ranges during summer, fall, and annually. The method of harmonic means was used to calculate centers of activity. Activity centers did not vary significantly between seasons or on a yearly basis. All mortality was human caused; 7 of 18 (39%) study animals were legally harvested (6) or poached (1) during the study. Annual mortality was 54% in 1984 and 8% in 1985. Habitat use was determined using U.S. Forest Service Continuous Inventory of Stand Condition (CISC) maps and animal relocations from ground and aerial locations and transmitter drops. Chi-square analysis using ground radio-tracking data indicated that bears preferred pine stands and avoided yellow poplar stands during summer and selected for yellow poplar-white oak-northern red oak stands in fall. Stands with site indices of less than 40 (forest openings) were preferred during summer and fall. Stands with site indices of greater than 81 were selected for during the fall. Bears preferred stands aged between 30 and 49 years and those older than 90 years during summer. They avoided stands aged 50 to 69 years during summer. During fall, females were indifferent to all stand ages and males avoided stands between 10 and 29 years old and those 70 to 89 years old. Habitat use determined from transmitter drops was a more accu-rate method than ground or aerial tracking. Using this method bears were found to avoid nonforest, pine, mixed pine/hardwood, and yellow poplar stands and to select for yellow poplar-white oak-northern red oak stands. Preferences for the yellow poplar-oak cover type likely reflect the productive nature of these stands; most had site indices of greater than 80. Forest cover types determined from ground sampling were dif-ferent (P<0.001) from those available from CISC cover type maps. Perceived differences were likely a function of stand classification methods. The reactions of bears to roads were examined by relating the number of road crosses by a bear to the road density in its home range, and to the traffic volume associated with these roads. Bear movements were not restricted by roads with traffic volumes of less than 100 vehicles per day regardless of road density. However, they seldom crossed (n=12) Interstate 40, the western boundary of the study area. Harmon Den appears to be serving its purpose as a bear sanctuary; however, illegal hunting within its perimeters is still common. The current timber harvest rotation should continue to provide bears with adequate mast producing stands. However, caution must be observed to ensure proper oak regeneration, especially in the yellow poplar-oak stands. Clear-cutting timber in these stands will not regenerate an oak component equal to that which was present before timber harvest. Mistakes made in stand manipulation may take centuries to reverse.

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