Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) were successfully reintroduced to southeastern Kentucky
beginning in 1997. Since then, elk have exhibited a decade-long irruptive growth pattern in
the absence of mortality factors that commonly limit its abundance in more western portions
of North America. By many measures, the reintroduction has been a profound success –
recreational opportunities and ecological restoration of an important megaherbivore have been
accomplished. Researchers at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Department of Fish
and Wildlife Resources have studied the habitat use, space use and movement patterns, and
demographics of reintroduced elk in Kentucky for over two decades. However, demographic
data important for accurate population modeling, such as reproductive rates, calf survival and
recruitment are 10-20 years old and were obtained using older wildlife tracking technologies that
can produce biased data sets. Furthermore, we know very little about the reproductive capacity
of yearling cow elk, a demographic group that can have profound impacts on population growth.
In this study, we propose to equip adult and yearling females with GPS satellite transmitters
and use vaginal implant transmitters to estimate natality of reproductive female, and estimate
survival, recruitment, and determine cause-specific mortality of newborn calves. These data
will be critical for creating updated population models necessary to establish harvest rates and
satisfy management objectives that respect ecological and sociological carrying capacities. In
partnership with KDFWR personnel, fieldwork will be conducted by two Department of Forestry
and Natural Resources master’s level graduate students at the University of Kentucky. GPS
collar-equipped elk will be monitored for at least 2-3 years for data collection.
Objective for this analysis are: (1) Estimate adult and yearling cow natality (reproduction); and
(2) Estimate calf survival, cause-specific mortality, and recruitment rates.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 8/1/22 → 6/30/23 |
Funding
- KY Department of Fish and Wildlife: $50,000.00
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