Pacific Northwest Research Station

Home > Blue Mountains Models

Blue Mountains Elk Nutrition and Habitat Models

Project Update

Blue Mountains cow elk. Photo by Jim Ward.

Recognizing the complex topography, climate, and vegetation communities in eastern Oregon and Washington the modeling team moved from the west side to develop new nutrition and habitat use models for this region (see map). The models were developed and tested with data from August, a period when nutritional conditions can be severely limiting. Scientists presented draft findings at a workshop in April 2012 and have now completed final revisions to the models.

What’s Next?

The modeling team is now beta-testing the Blue Mountains elk models with over 20 biologists and planners from the region, and will showcase some of their example applications at the workshop in April 2013. Ultimately, the objective is for management agencies in the Blue Mountains to formally adopt the models for use later in 2013.

Workshop 2012

Participants of the first Blue Mountains elk workshop, held in April 2012 in Pendleton, Oregon.

An audience of more than 120 people attended the first Blue Mountains elk workshop on April 25, 2012, at the Wildhorse Resort in Pendleton, Oregon, to hear about the initial results of the elk modeling project in this region. The program included presentations by modeling team members (see links at right) of the background and need for the models, methods for collecting and analyzing data, and draft results. The day concluded with a question and answer session led by Dr. Daniel Edge, head of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department at Oregon State University. A brief summary of the workshop is available. A more in-depth summary can be found below.

Summary

Agenda

Blue Mountains. Photo by Miles Hemstrom.