Food Selection and Competition
Food Selection and Location Humans – love variety Animals - Food preferences do exist But… survival prevails In the wild – balance is key
Food Location Some wildlife travel great distances Balance – energy expenditure and gain Short legs
Birds Flight Takes a lot of energy Is not universal for all birds Short legs – small feeding range
Riparian areas Provide important corridors for movement Lakes Bogs Streams Marshes Human use can impeded wildlife travel for food sources
Safety Trade-off between food and safety “Edge” Transition between ecological areas Provides food and safety
Competition Limited food – leads to competition Competition – affected by season Spring/summer Fall/winter Browsers Grazers Intermediate Feeders
Mule Deer and Cattle Competition – typically not serious Cattle stocking rates – don’t have a great influence on mule deer Summer months – mule deer prefer forage not previously grazed by cattle
Mule Deer & Sheep Antelope Bitterbrush Sheep – ate throughout summer Mule Deer – ate mid- to late-summer Competition existed
Elk and Cattle Summer Substantial overlap in diet Differences in elevation preferences Spring/Fall Habitat and diet overlap Differences in timing of use
Elk and Sheep Diets are similar, but the actual graminoids and shrubs differ Winter months Largest potential for overlap
Bighorn Sheep & Cattle Both consume graminoids But differ in preferences Bighorn sheep – rugged terrain, higher elevation; decreases competition Geographic differences Montana B.C. Colorado
Pronghorn Antelope & Cattle Competition dependent upon Habitat selection Season Drought Forage Availability
Pronghorn Antelope & Sheep Competition dependent upon Geographic location Forb vegetation for that location For example: California Idaho Utah