Administration - Conference & other proceedings

Pedersen, R. J. (1978). Management and impacts of roads in relation to elk populations. Paper presented at the Conference Proceedings: Recreational Impact on Wildlands, Seattle, WA.

Abstract

Wildlife managers need to understand the effects of harassment on survival, growth, wildlife behavior, and reproductive success of wild animals. Harassment may be defined as any activity which increases the physiological cost of survival or decreases reproduction. Roads have become a subject of controversy with respect to many aspects of land management. Roads affect elk by directly removing habitat from production and indirectly producing vehicle disturbance. A single land road 6.7 m wide removes 1.1 ha per mile from elk production. A double lane road 10.36 m wide removes 1.7 ha per mile from elk production. Elk were documented to move 250 m to 4 km from logging and road construction. Elk use out to 804.6 m declined 154 percent for main roads, 108 percent for secondary roads, and 33 percent for primitive roads. Using 250 m as the zone adjacent to roads avoided by elk, 80.6 ha of habitat is removed from elk production. There is a need to create an awareness in relation to environmental effects and an urgent need to consider roads in terms of long range productivity.

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