Patterns of Fire Severity and Ungulate Use on the Rocky Mountain Front, Montana

Working with wildlife biologists, the NCLFA is utilizing satellite images and historical geospatial data to develop an experimental framework for the analysis of fire impacts on wildlife populations on the Rocky Mountain Front. Through the investigation of fire occurrence, climate analysis, and wildlife surveys the Center will examine how fire has impacted habitat use and migration patterns of Elk on the Rocky Mountain Front. With the increase in burned area in the Northern Rockies, it is increasingly important to develop monitoring tools for assessing fire effects on changing landscapes and how that relates to habitat utilization. This project aims to build a 100-year GIS covering animal usage, migration, fire occurrence, and general landscape changes in the area.

Principal Investigator: Jim Riddering
Project Staff: Craig Comstock
Project Partners: Sawtooth Consulting, Lewis and Clark National Forest