Untangling Rocky Mountain Elk Ecology and Population Dynamics: A Regional Synthesis Across the Northwestern U.S.

Abstract

The Western Elk Research Collaborative (WERC) is a group of state and federal biologists and university faculty that is pooling Rocky Mountain elk data from 7 states to understand factors affecting elk (Cervus elaphus) population dynamics at broad spatial and temporal scales. These “value-added” analyses leverage the considerable investment collaborators made to develop their respective datasets. Our initial efforts pooled data from 12 elk populations to evaluate calf survival and cause-specific mortality (Journal of Animal Ecology 80:1246-1257) and 45 datasets to assess adult female survival and cause-specific mortality (Journal of Applied Ecology in press). We will briefly describe those findings. We also seek to understand how reproductive output varies across space and time as a function of factors such as weather, plant productivity, and predation. Therefore, we are assembling population and reproduction data from our 7 state study area. The spatial and temporal (? 25 years) scales are unique and may provide insight into the effects of climate change on elk population dynamics. As a direct result of the exceptional cooperation and communication among collaborators ... a signature success of WERC ... we are developing an unprecedented Rocky Mountain elk dataset that will provide a fertile arena to investigate relevant management and research questions.