Ecological Evaluation of the Abundance and Effects of Elk Herbivory in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 1994-1999
Singer FJ and Zeigenfuss LC. 2002. Ecological Evaluation of the Abundance and Effects of Elk Herbivory in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 1994-1999. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report. 02-208. Fort Collins, Colorado
The goals of the study included determination of whether elk densities had exceeded those expected in a natural system, whether unnatural concentrations of elk were occurring, what the effects of elk herbivory were, and whether the effects of the elk herbivory were acceptable (I' unacceptable. At the onset of the study, it was recognized that a number of human influences had occurred in the system that might confound the interpretation of the effects of elk alone. For example, any climate change or unnatural succession due to fire suppression might have influenced plant communities. A number of meadows in the winter range had been drained for a golfcourse located in the park until the 1960s and a number of other park meadows had been drained for cultivation. Beaver had apparently declined on at least part of the winter range and for unknown reasons. The presence of the rapidly growing town of Estes Park, located within the edge of the winter range, might have altered or abbreviated elk migrations. The major predators of the system, wolves and grizzly bears, had long since been extirpated and considerable debate and speculation surrounded what their effects might have been on possible limitation of elk.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Singer, Francis; Zeigenfuss, Linda
- Date of Issue
- 2002
- Units
- HIST , ROMO
- Keywords
- Abundance, Ecology, Effects, ehistory, Elk, Herbivory, History, Predation, Vegetation