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Author(s):
June D. Freedman, James R. Habeck
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Fire Effects
Ecological - Second Order
Wildlife
Fire History
Frequency
Fire & Wildlife
Mammals
Ungulates
Fuels
Fuel Treatments & Effects
Mechanical treatments
Ecosystem(s):
Montane wet mixed-conifer forest, Montane dry mixed-conifer forest, Riparian woodland/shrubland, Ponderosa pine woodland/savanna

NRFSN number: 11056
FRAMES RCS number: 12617
Record updated:

The historical importance of fire was investigated on the upper Swan Valley winter white-tailed deer range in northwestern Montana. The relatively recent impacts of logging on winter range quality were also included in these studies. Fire exclusion has led to successional development of once open-canopied mature seral forests, and the original fire-maintained vegetation mosaic became altered. Thirty years of timber harvesting treatments, including the clearcutting of large blocks of the winter range, has effectively interrupted the natural deer use patterns on this winter range.

Citation

Freedman, J. D., Habeck, J. R. 1985. Fire, logging, and white-tailed deer interrelationships in the Swan Valley, northwestern Montana. In: Lotan, James E.; Brown, James K., compilers. Fire's effects on wildlife habitat - symposium proceedings; 1984 March 21; Missoula, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-186. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. p. 23-35