Roosevelt elk utilization of redwood forest cutovers in relation to regrowth and forest management

INTRODUCTION: A cooperative elk study program was initiated in 1956 to obtain information needed for effective management of Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti, Merriam) in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park region of northern California. Harn (1958), Bentley (1959), Harper (1961), and Stevens (1965) accumulated preliminary knowledge of the history, food habits, condition, movements, and abundance of Roosevelt elk in four Master's theses presented to Humboldt State College. With exception of the work by Stevens (1965), the above theses were later summarized in monograph form (Harper et al. , 1967). Additional elk movement and range condition information was gathered by Logsdon (1965) and Franklin (1968), also presented in Master's theses to Humboldt State College. The present study is part of a cooperative program involving the Division of Natural Resources, Humboldt State College, Arcata, California; California Division of Beaches and Parks; Arcata Redwood Company; and the California Department of Fish and Game. Financing of the present study was made possible by the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Project. The present study was initiated to provide a better understanding of elk-forest management relationships in and adjacent to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Utilization of forage on these areas and the value of different ages of regrowth to Roosevelt elk were analyzed from June 1967 to June 1968. The major objectives of the study were: (1) To determine if the Kirsch area of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park supported a vegetative complex and an elk population satisfactory for visitor observation. (2) To determine the forage present in different ages of re-growth following clear cutting of redwood forest areas. (3) To determine the impact of elk on forest regeneration of recent cutovers. A secondary objective was to determine the relationship of the surrounding cutover lands to the activities of the Boyes Prairie herd within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Two different-aged redwood forest cutovers were chosen which had undergone extremely different management practices. One area was within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and had undergone secondary succession for 13 to 15 years without human interference. The second area was owned by Arcata Redwood Company and had undergone strict forest management practices for five to seven years.