Microhabitat Characteristics of American Black Bear Nest Dens

We investigated denning ecology of 31 American black bears (Ursus americanus) on the Neuse-Pamlico Peninsula (NPP) in eastern North Carolina, 1994-96. Twenty bears used nest dens, 2 used excavated ground dens, 1 used a tree den, and 8 were undetermined. We measured 6 microhabitat characteristics aro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ursus (International Association for Bear Research and Management) 2003-01, Vol.14 (1), p.21-26
Main Authors: Martorello, Donald A., Pelton, Michael R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal nesting
Bears
Black bears
Coastal ecology
Ecology and Behavior
Forest ecology
Microhabitats
Nesting sites
Shrubs
Wildlife ecology
Wildlife management
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Summary:We investigated denning ecology of 31 American black bears (Ursus americanus) on the Neuse-Pamlico Peninsula (NPP) in eastern North Carolina, 1994-96. Twenty bears used nest dens, 2 used excavated ground dens, 1 used a tree den, and 8 were undetermined. We measured 6 microhabitat characteristics around nest dens and random sites and compared them to determine if bears selected specific microhabitat characteristics for nest den sites. Characteristics of nest and random sites differed significantly. Shrub height was greater at nest sites than random sites. Similarly, stem density was greater at nest sites than random sites, and cover density was greater at nest sites compared with random sites. Thick understory cover may be a prerequisite for nest dens on the NPP. If management goals include maintaining suitable nest den habitat, areas with thick understory habitat should be retained.
ISSN:1537-6176
1938-5439