Abstracts Category : Other

Population dynamics of reintroduced elk (Cervus elaphus) in eastern North America

by Jesse N Popp

Studies that focus on identifying factors that influence reintroduction success have often taken anindividual population approach; however, investigating multiple populations can provideadditional insight. The overall objective of this research was to emphasize the value of usingwithin- and among-population approaches to identifying factors that influence the populationdynamics of a reintroduced species. Elk (Cervus elaphus), a species that was extirpated fromeastern North America during the late 1800s, has been reintroduced to portions of its formerrange over the past century through several initiatives. Today, there are several establishedpopulations across eastern regions of the USA and Canada, for which extensive monitoring dataare available, creating an opportunity to investigate reintroduction success. I aimed to use thesedata to identify factors associated with changes in the survival and population growth rates of 10reintroduced elk populations across eastern North America. More specifically, I: (1) performed aliterature review detailing the history of elk reintroduction in eastern North America over thepast century, (2) identified factors associated with the variation in population growth rates(reintroduction success) for 10 reintroduced elk populations using an among-populationapproach, (3) identified and assessed how climate affected the population growth rates of 7reintroduced elk populations, and (4) investigated direct causes of mortality (predation and traincollisions) associated with a single elk population experiencing low population growth.Although the number of successful elk restoration attempts has increased over the past century,there has been substantial variation in population growth rates among reintroductions. Majorivcauses of elk mortality in restored populations differed between the pre- to post-acclimationphases of reintroduction. Population growth rates were negatively related to the percentage ofconiferous forest within elk population range, suggesting that expansive areas of coniferousforests in eastern North America may represent sub-optimal elk habitat.The Burwash elk population in Ontario had low growth rate compared to most other populationsreintroduced into eastern North America. Predation and train collisions were the most importantsource of mortality for this population. The number of annual elk-train collisions, as well as theirlocations, were monitored and recorded over 14 years. Collision locations were highly sitespecificand were positively correlated to the proximity of bends in the railway. By relating thenumber of annual elk-train collisions to various climate factors, I found that collision rates werepositively related to snow depth. By analyzing field camera data, I found that elk used therailway mostly during the fall and spring, when elk commonly travel to and from winteringgrounds. However, by examining VHF telemetry locations, I determined that elk were closer tothe railway in winter than in any other