Range monitoring - Caribou: Mentasta caribou herd exclosure study, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Reid M, Martin P, Jenkins KJ, Jenkins K, Wright C, Pfeninger S, Mcnay M, Mcguinness S, Fulmer C, Cook MB, Happe PJ, Christensen LC. Range monitoring - Caribou: Mentasta caribou herd exclosure study, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve. 1982
The purpose of this study was to determine range conditions and trends of the Mentasta caribou herd and compare it with conditions and trends on the Nelchina caribou range over a 25-40 year period. Six 20 ft by 20 ft exclosures were built in 1982, designed to exclude large ungulates and patterned after 39 exclosures built in the 1950's and 1960’s on the adjoining Nelchina caribou range (Martin 1983). Plant cover and height was estimated by the point intercept method for six exclosures and biomass by clipped weight for four exclosures. In 1993 modifications were made to the 1982-83 study design in order to overcome limitations in sampling methods and design (Jenkins et. al. 1997). Cover and height of vegetation inside and outside the exclosures was compared to evaluate range conditions and trends following 11 years of ungulate exclusion. Percentage of bare ground as well as total plant cover and mean height of vegetation were compared for species of shrubs, dwarf shrubs, graminoids, lichens, forbs, mosses, and lower vascular plants within 28 20x50-cm quadrats placed systematically along three transects inside and outside the five exclosures.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Reid, Mason; Martin, Patricia; Jenkins, Kurt; Jenkins, Kurt; Wright, Clifford; Pfeninger, Scott; Mcnay, Mark; Mcguinness, Sean; Fulmer, Charles; Cook, Mary; Happe, Patti; Christensen, Lindsey
- Date of Issue
- 1983
- Units
- CAKN , WRST
- Keywords
- Caribou, DatasetCatalog, Exclosures, Mentasta herd, Range Condition, Ungulates, vegetation trends, Wildlife, Wildlife Management, Wrangell - St Elias National Park, WRST