Land Cover Changes and Elk Habitat in Western Montana

Abstract

Conifer encroachment in forested and grassland areas is a crucial issue in forest and wildlife management in the Western United States. Factors such as climate change, fire suppression, and changes in logging practices have driven encroachment, resulting in changes in forest structure and wildlife habitat. My study presents a time-series land cover analysis of tree and perennial grass cover changes from 1985 to 2022 in Montana’s hunting districts in Regions 1 and 2. My research aims to identify the changes occurring in forest canopy and perennial grass cover in western Montana and to evaluate whether elk populations are correlated to changes in forest structure. I used data from the Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection, and the Rangeland Analysis Platform. Although analysis of the two datasets yielded different results, similar overall trends were observed. Tree cover has been increasing in Region 1, and perennial grass cover has been decreasing. There were only slight changes in Region 2, but the land covers have remained relatively consistent. A consistent negative correlation was found between tree canopy cover and perennial grass cover, indicating that when tree cover increases, grass cover decreases, lowering habitat diversity. The correlation between land covers and elk population counts was weak, making it difficult to determine their relationship. I emphasize the significance of diverse elk habitats and shed light on the negative impact of conifer encroachment. The results are significant as they address the current forest structure trends in western Montana and highlight the ongoing need to monitor these trends to effectively manage elk populations and their habitats.