Home range and habitat use of male ruffed grouse in managed mixed oak and aspen forests

• Published in: Forest ecology and management Vol. 109; no. 1; pp. 271 - 278
• Main Authors: McDonald, John E., Storm, Gerald L., Palmer, William L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 16.09.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: AMENAGEMENT FORESTIER; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aspen; Biological and medical sciences; Bonasa umbellus; Clearcutting; Drumming; ECOLOGIA; ECOLOGIE; ECOLOGY; FAUNE ET FLORE SAUVAGES; FOREST MANAGEMENT; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GROUSE; Oak; ORDENACION FORESTAL; PENNSYLVANIA; PENNSYLVANIE; Populus; POPULUS TREMULOIDES; PRUNUS SEROTINA; QUERCUS; Ruffed grouse; Synecology; TELEMETRIA; TELEMETRIE; TELEMETRY; Terrestrial ecosystems; TETRAS; UROGALLO; VIDA SILVESTRE; WILDLIFE; United States; North America; America; Pennsylvania; Clearcutting; Quercus; Ruffed grouse; Wildlife; Bonasa umbellus; Oak; Drumming; Populus; Telemetry; Aspen; Pennsylvania; Breeding season; Forest stand; Silviculture; Forest management; Woody plant; Fagaceae; Salicaceae; Vertebrata; Animal plant relation; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Tree; Spermatophyta; Population dynamics; Habitat; Aves
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00251-5

Ruffed grouse ( Bonasa umbellus) occupy many areas of the eastern and southeastern United States where oak ( Quercus sp.) is the dominant forest type. However, most research on grouse habitat requirements and populations has taken place in Lake States aspen ( Populus sp.) forests. We captured and radiotagged male grouse to determine spring and summer home range sizes and habitat use on a 1120 ha experimental forest management area in central Pennsylvania. The dominant forest types were aspen-black cherry and mixed oak. The management area was divided into two sections, one which was managed with a short-rotation clearcutting scheme and one that was left unmanaged. Breeding season and summer home ranges of male ruffed grouse were similar to those observed in the Midwest (5.0–9.4 ha), and did not appear to differ between managed and unmanaged habitats. However, habitats used differed between the managed and unmanaged areas. Male grouse on the managed area used aspen-black cherry and mixed oak sapling stands more than expected during both the breeding season and summer. Pole-sized and sawtimber aspen stands in the unmanaged area were used more than expected during breeding and summer seasons. Male ruffed grouse avoided mixed oak sawtimber stands, which comprised 62% and 47% of the available habitat in the unmanaged area and managed area, respectively. Our results demonstrated that southern mixed oak stands can be managed effectively for ruffed grouse with small (1 ha) clearcuts.