Investigating Calving Areas for Rocky Mountain Elk on the Plumas National Forest: Implications for Land Management By Abigail Marshall A case study submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Natural Resources Presented: March 27, 2020 Commencement: June 13, 2020 Marshall Case Study Abstract Sustainable elk (Cervus canadensis) habitat management on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands involves a complex relationship between management practices and ecological processes. A relatively novel Rocky Mountain elk population (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) on the Plumas National Forest (PNF) in northeastern California became established in the early 2000s, but there is little information on the current number of individuals or the extent of land used by elk on the PNF. Elk populations are highly influenced by cow and calf survival and disturbances during the calving period are associated with reduced calf:cow ratios. Taking advantage of the fact that cows and calves have limited mobility during the first few weeks after birth, I developed a survey method that can be utilized by the PNF to identify and conserve key areas where calving activity occurs. Vegetative conditions and management histories will be documented for positively identified calving areas on two scales to begin gathering data related to site selection. The monitoring program will enhance the USFS’s ability to manage elk habitat, as well as food resources for the threatened gray wolf (Canis lupus), and domestic grazing on the PNF. The information will also benefit collaboration with partners as part of multi-stakeholder adaptive management effort. Acknowledgements Thank you to Brenda McComb (Graduate Advisor, Dean Emeritus OSU), Cristina Eisenberg (Graduate Committee Member, Courtesy Faculty, College of Forestry, Oregon State University), Matthew Jedra (Graduate Committee Member, USFS PNF District Ranger), Rachel Bauer (USFS PNF District Wildlife Biologist), Kelly Mosinski (USFS PNF Wildlife Biologist), and Debbie Bliss (USFS PNF Wildlife Biologist, Retired) for all of your guidance and assistance. Thank you to The Plumas National Forest and Oregon State University. Thank you to my family and friends for supporting me during the development of this Case Study; Jeff Lees, Bob, Besty, Maddie, and Jack Marshall, and Jenn Cossaboon. Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Study Questions .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Significance of study ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Study Site Ecology .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Rocky Mountain Elk Life History ............................................................................................................... 4 Climate ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Topography and Geology ............................................................................................................................. 7 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Fire .................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Historical, Social, and Economic Conditions .............................................................................................. 12 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Elk Efforts in Plumas County ...................................... 12 Traditional Ecological Management .......................................................................................................... 12 Post-Euro-American Settlement Vegetation and Fuels Management ................................................. 13 Livestock Grazing Management ................................................................................................................ 14 Hunting .......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Additional human dimensions and elk management .............................................................................. 15 Temporal and Spatial Considerations ........................................................................................................... 16 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Minimizing Disturbances in Calving Areas .............................................................................................. 18 Identification of Important Calving Areas ............................................................................................... 19 Schedule ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Funding .......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Additional Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 22 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................................... 24 References .......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Appendix A: Calving Area Monitoring Protocols…………………………………………………30 Marshall Case Study List of Figures Figure 1: Map of the case study area within the Plumas National Forest in Northeastern California. Map Credit: Abigail Marshall. ........................................................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: CDFW (2018) graph of elk population growth in California from 1965 to 2017. .................. 5 Figure 3: CDFW (2108) map of elk distribution in California as of 2018. ................................................ 5 Figure 4: NOAA (2019) image demonstrating the difference in snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas in 2011 (on the left) and 2014 (on the right) after three relatively dry years. Trace snow is represented by dark purple and deep snow is light blue or white. ................................................................................... 6 Figure 5: Map of the springs and perennial (p), intermittent (i), and ephemeral (e) streams within the case study area. Map Credit: Abigail Marshall ................................................................................................ 8 Figure 6: Map of vegetation cover types in the case study based on PNF vegetation models. Map credit Abigail Marshall. ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 7: Fire History Map of the case study area from the early 1900s to 2019. All prescribed fires within the case study area took place between 2006-2009. Walker Fire burn severity is indicated on a scale of 0->90% of the loss of total basal area within a pixel. Basal area is the cross-sectional area of all tree stems at breast height. Map Credit: Abigail Marshall. .................................................................... 11 Figure 8: Diagram of Sustainability Issues relating to Elk Habitat Management on the PNF. Site ecology, societal values, economics, policy, and institutions all influence one another. Diagram Credit: Abigail Marshall. .................................................................................................................................. 16 Figure 9: Elk calf nursing at a spring site within the case study area. Elk cows and calves formed a sub-herd after the isolation period. This photograph was captured by Matthew Jedra on a game camera within the case study area. ................................................................................................................. 20 List of Tables Table 1: Miles of each stream type within the case study area. ................................................................... 7 Table 2: Acres of each vegetation cover type within the case study area. ................................................. 9 Table 3: Potential annual cost of implementing the Elk Calving Area Monitoring Program in 2019 USFS GS-5 wages. ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Table 4: Elk management issues and recommended actions to improve elk habitat management and sustainability. ....................................................................................................................................................