. The Canadian field-naturalist. Winter Habitat Use by Wapiti, Cervus elaphus, in Ontario Woodlands W. B. Ranta*, H. G. Merriam and J. F. Wegner Carleton University, Department of Biology, Ottawa, Ontario KIS 5B6 ?Present address: Ministry of Natural Resources, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X9 Ranta, , Merriam and Wegner. 1982. Winter habitat use by Wapiti, Cervus elaphus, in Ontario woodlands. Canadian Field-Naturalist 96(4): 421 ^30. Habitat use by Wapiti (Cervus elaphus) surviving from western stock introduced in 1932 and 1933 was studied in the Burwash-French River area of Ontario. Th
. The Canadian field-naturalist. Winter Habitat Use by Wapiti, Cervus elaphus, in Ontario Woodlands W. B. Ranta*, H. G. Merriam and J. F. Wegner Carleton University, Department of Biology, Ottawa, Ontario KIS 5B6 ?Present address: Ministry of Natural Resources, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X9 Ranta, , Merriam and Wegner. 1982. Winter habitat use by Wapiti, Cervus elaphus, in Ontario woodlands. Canadian Field-Naturalist 96(4): 421 ^30. Habitat use by Wapiti (Cervus elaphus) surviving from western stock introduced in 1932 and 1933 was studied in the Burwash-French River area of Ontario. The Wapiti range was divided into four habitat zones that differed in physical features and amounts and distribution of ten habitat types. Wapiti occurred in three ofthe four zones and used all major habitat types in winter. Moose (Alces alces) used almost the same set of habitat types in winter although to different degrees and, it is hypothesized, in a more sedentary pattern compared to regular movement among several habitat types by Wapiti. Key Words: Wapiti, Cervus elaphus, winter habitat, woodlands, Ontario. Wapiti, or American Elk, {Cervus elaphus) are today confined mainly to western North America although in the recent past they ranged widely into eastern regions (Figure 1). Most reintroductions to eastern regions (where they disappeared between 1850 and 1900) have failed. In Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, small reintroduced populations occur sympatrically with high densities of White-tailed Deer {Odocoileus virginianus) but, in the Burwash-French River area of north-central Ontario, a small intro- duced Wapiti herd exists on a range that supports. Figure 1. Release points and records of Wapiti in Ontario in 1950. Shaded area is the historic distribution of native Wapiti (Peterson 1966). Block shows location of study area. mainly Moose (Alces alces). Deer were abundant after widespread logging and wildfires at the turn of the century but have recently declined, pos
Size: 1526px × 1638px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorottawafieldnaturalistsclub, bookcentury1900, bookcolle
