An Experimental Release of Elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Murrow, Jennifer

B potation, I incothe population modital rate. The projected population tinction in 100 years was minimal (1%, SD = 0.001). However, the annual deaths of only 4 adult females increasedl analysis detected a strong preference for graspotential habitat for elk on a multivariate leven the relationship between elk locations and 7 landscape variablccurred in areas of moderate landscape complexity and edge denis small population density, elk had minimal impact on vegetation likely remain small and vulnerable to extinction for some time due to low growth rates, high environmental stochasticity, and limited habitat. Active managemenrows to more sustainable levels.ASTRACT: I conducted 6 years of field work to evaluate the habitat use and population dynamics of an experimental release of elk (Cervus elaphus) into Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Park). Elk exhibited relatively small home ranges (female: 10.4 km2 and males: 22.4 km2) and movement distances decreased over time. I calculated survival rates (x = 0.73–0.93) and litter production rates (x = 0.73) for the population. To assess theential for a long-term elk populrporated those vital rates into eling software Riskman and tested its sensitivity to any given vgrowth was positive (1.03, SD = 0.001) and the probability of ex model was sensitive to adult female survival, and the simulated the probability of extinction to 45% (SD = 0.021). Compositionasland areas by elk in the Park. I used spatial data to identify l by calculating the Mahalanobis distance (D2) statistic based oes. The D2 model indicated that the best elk habitat primarily oty and gentle slope, and was limited in the Park. At the currentinside the Park and their diet consisted primarily of graminoids. The elk population at Great Smoky Mountains National Park willt (e.g. predator management, prescribed burning, and mowing) will be required to maintain this population until the population g