| Resource selection can be viewed as a hierarchical process spanning multiple spatial scales. Using a combination of radio-telemetry, digital mapping, and field observations of microhabitat, the habitat selection of reintroduced cow elk from two release events in central Ontario was investigated in relation to vegetation and deeryard habitat types and also compared to white-tailed deer habitat selection at local spatial scales. In total, this study spanned 7 levels of observation, from individual ranges to diet, and investigated elk selection behaviour at 5 spatial scales.; Selection patterns were found to vary with scale but also between ungulate species and elk release groups. However, with few exceptions, resource selection by elk remained consistent across scales. Elk selection was invariably related to forage availability and strong selection for poplar was exhibited from radio-locations to diet. At fine spatial scales (i.e., trails, feeding stations, and diet), use of winter resources by elk and white-tailed deer was distinct. Elk generally travelled and fed in association with their dominant food source, trembling aspen, while white-tailed deer were positively associated with softwood shelter species and shallow snow cover. Both ungulates selected for greater forage abundance at progressively finer scales, suggesting that food availability was a limiting factor during the winter. An organism-centered multiscale approach to resource selection facilitated cross-species comparisons. |
