A spatial snow model for predator/prey interactions
Ringleb RV, Martinka CJ, Fagre DB, Liston GE, Potts D, Willard EE, Reinhardt E. 1993. A spatial snow model for predator/prey interactions. Pages 350-359. In Author unknown: Proceedings for PECORA 12 symposium, land information from space-based systems. Water Lakes, Alberta. September 26-28, 1996
"Winter snow influences movement, distribution and population dynamics of many large mammals in Glacier National Park, Montana. The 38,000 acre Red Bench Fire of 1988 provides an opportunity to study wolf predation on wintering elk, white-tailed deer and moose as influenced by an array of forest canopy and snow characteristics. Research at the University of Montana and Glacier National Park in ecosystem modeling, climate simulation, fire effects and predator/prey relationships provides support for development of a spatial snow model. This model will allow us to examine interactions between snow and the wolf/prey relationships. A spatial snow model is under development which utilizes and expands existing models, including a micro-climate simulator, a snow-melt model, and an ecosystem model. Landsat Thematic Mapper, SPOT panchromatic, and NASAs NS-001 airborne thematic mapper simulator data for the study area are used to define the vegetation attributes used in the model. The model simulates the seasonal evolution of snow depths, densities and hardness by snowfall, and uses these data to index snow trafficability and describe predation susceptibility of wintering elk, white-tailed deer, and moose by wolves."
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Ringleb, Richard; Martinka, Clifford; Fagre, Daniel; Liston, Glen; Potts, D; Willard, Earl; Reinhardt, Elizabeth
- Units
- GLAC
- Keywords
- Canopy, Ecology, Elk (Cervus elaphus), Fire Ecology, Glacier National Park MT, Gray Wolf (Canis lupus), Modeling, Moose (Alces alces), Physical Sciences, Predation, Predator-Prey Relationships, Snow, White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)