Selection by large ungulates is b...

Woodland caribou in British Columbia have been classified into ecotypes based on differences in use of habitat and forage species during winter. Although recovery planning focuses on ecotypes, habitat use and selection may vary within ecotypes. Our objective was to compare habitat use and selection among four woodland caribou herds at the transition zone (central British Columbia) from northern (Moberly, Quintette, and Kennedy herds) to mountain (Parsnip herd) ecotypes. We developed resource selection models for each herd in spring, calving, summer/fall, early and late winter. Because animals in individual herds were quite restrictive in their use of available vegetation types (e.g., spruce-leading, pine-leading, deciduous/shrub and coniferous stands 0-40 yrs), many vegetation types had to be excluded from resource selection models. Using a combination of GPS and VHF radio-collar information we documented spatial overlap among herds during portions of the year, however, use of vegetation types and resource selection (elevation, aspect, vegetation type) differed among herds and within ecotypes in all seasons. Selection and use were most similar between the two northern ecotype herds residing on the eastern side of the Rockie