 |
Potential Prey Base for Wolves in Olympic National Park
|
 |
Dr. Kurt J. Jenkins, USGS, FRESC, OFS; Dr. Patricia Happe, ONP and Dr. John Fieberg, North Carolina State University
The gray wolf (Canis lupus), a state and federally listed endangered species, occurred historically on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. The wolf was hunted and trapped to extinction by the 1930s. In 1997, the Defenders of Wildlife promoted the idea of reintroducing gray wolves into Olympic National Park and surrounding lands on the Olympic Peninsula. In 1998, Congress appropriated funds for an economic, social, and biological assessment of the feasibility and acceptability of wolf reintroduction on the Olympic Peninsula. As part of that overall project, The USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center conducted a one-year study to evaluate the prey base available to support a potential reintroduction of wolves in Olympic National Park. It was not possible to estimate deer and elk populations throughout Olympic National Park in a short-term study. Therefore, the purpose of the prey base studies was to: 
- provide current information on the status and trends of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) in representative west-side drainages of the park,
- estimate distribution and density of Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) in a representative winter range, and
- evaluate field methods of estimating and monitoring black-tailed deer populations.
We estimated density of Roosevelt elk in three key wintering areas of Olympic National Park for comparison to similar surveys conducted during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. Further, we described winter distribution patterns of Columbian black-tailed deer in the Elwha Valley by radio-instrumenting a sample of deer, and estimated density using four independent estimation methods. We provided data from each of these studies to independent researchers for their use in assessing the biological feasibility of wolf reintroduction in Olympic National Park. Comparison of methods used to estimate deer abundance in the Elwha Valley provided insights on designing more comprehensive surveys of black-tailed deer abundance, which provided the foundation for extended studies into monitoring deer and elk in Olympic National Park. Click here to read about a related study. Additionally, we initiated a companion study examining the ecological uncertainties inherent in predicting the potential effects on elk populations from reintroducing wolves to Olympic National Park. That project was conducted by an independent graduate student collaborating with USGS researchers.
This research is complete, the final report is referenced below. There is no active proposal to reintroduce wolves to the Park.
 K. Jenkins, P. Happe, R. Hoffman, K. Beirne, and J. Fieberg. 1998. Wolf prey base studies in Olympic National Park, Washington: Final Report. USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center.
K. Jenkins, and C. Donnellan. 2001. Chemical immobilization of Columbian black-tailed deer in Olympic National Park. USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Administrative Report FRESC-OFS-01-01.
J. Fieberg and K. Jenkins. In Prep. An assessment of uncertainty related to elk population dynamics following simulated wolf reintroduction.
Metadata:
Wolf Prey Base Studies in Olympic National Park, Washington: Columbian Black-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) and Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) Incidental Observations Data Set: 1998
Wolf Prey Base Studies in Olympic National Park, Washington: Columbian Black-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) Pellet Group Survey Data Set: 1998
Wolf Prey Base Studies in Olympic National Park, Washington: Columbian Black-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) Radio Telemetry Data Set: 1998
Wolf Prey Base Studies in Olympic National Park, Washington: Final Report Columbian Black-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) and Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) Line Transect Data Set: 1998
Olympic National Park
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
North Carolina State Univ. Dept. of Biomathematics
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This study was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through an Interagency Agreement to the U.S. Geological Survey. Olympic National Park contributed radio-collars, equipment, personnel, training and GIS support to make the study possible. We are particularly indebted to Roger Hoffman and Katherine Beirne, GIS specialists at Olympic National Park, for their help in study design, geographic information management, and data management. We would like to thank Dave Manson, our lead technician, as well as the following individuals for assisting with data collection and management: Elissa Arnheim, Laurie Axelsen, Katherine Beirne, Beth Bierman, Chris Cantway, Cody Cole, Alan Comulada, Lynn Dwan, Carrie Donnellan, Keith Flanery, Scott Gremel, Martha Hutchinson, George Leite, Jenn McElligott, Dennis Morris, John Southard, Adam Messer, Rich Olson, Mark O’Neil, Susan Roberts, Kim Sager, Brent Trim, Liz Tuttle and Justin Yeager. Thanks to Carrie Donnellan for preparing metadata summaries for this study.
Kurt Jenkins
Phone: 360-565-3041
E-mail: kurt_jenkins@usgs.gov
|
