Title
Energetic production by soft and hard mast foods of American black bears in the Smoky Mountains
Author(s)
Inman, RM; Pelton, MR
Published
2002
Publisher
Ursus
Abstract
We measured caloric production by 19 species of vegetation used as food by American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park todetermine the, significance of production by mast type, season, and species. Mean annual production by all species was 351,209 cal/ha. Hard mast produced 74.5% (16.0 billion cal) of total calories available on the study area; soft mast produced 25.5% (5.5 billion cal). Gross energetic content of soft and hard mast did not differ (P = 0.488, n = 19). Mid-summer was the lowest period of production. Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) produced 65.7% of calories; squawroot (Conopholis americana) produced 15.8%, and huckleberries (Gaylussacia spp.) produced 5.1 %. A white oak (Q. alba and Q. prinus) mast failure occurred, and white oaks produced only 5. 1 % of calories. Oaks are likely the single most influential genera affecting bear ecology in the southern Appalachians. However, availability of soft mast likely has a substantial impact on bear populations because of the timing of production, nutrients available, and its function as a surrogate during hard mast failure. Further study is needed to determine the effects of soft mast abundance on age of primiparity, litter interval, recruitment, and density. Once the roles of major foods are well understood, appropriate habitat compositions and silvicultural prescriptions may be defined.
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PUB10969