HOME-RANGE AND HABITAT USE OF MALE RUFFED GROUSE IN MANAGED MIXED OAKAND ASPEN FORESTS

Puffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) occupy many areas of the eastern and s outheastern United States where oak (Quercus sp.) is the dominant fore st type. However, most research on grouse habitat requirements and pop ulations has taken place in Lake States aspen (Populus sp.) forests. W e captured and radiotagged male grouse to determine spring and summer home range sizes and habitat use on a 1120 ha experimental forest mana gement area in central Pennsylvania. The dominant forest types were as pen-black cherry and mixed oak. The management area was divided into t wo sections, one which was managed with a short-rotation clearcutting scheme and one that was left unmanaged. Breeding season and summer hom e ranges of male ruffed grouse were similar to those observed in the M idwest (5.0-9.4 ha), and did not appear to differ between managed and unmanaged habitats. However, habitats used differed between the manage d and unmanaged areas. Male grouse on the managed area used aspen-blac k cherry and mixed oak sapling stands more than expected during both t he breeding season and summer. Pole-sized and sawtimber aspen stands i n the unmanaged area were used more than expected during breeding and summer seasons. Male ruffed grouse avoided mixed oak sawtimber stands, which comprised 62% and 47% of the available habitat in the unmanaged area and managed area, respectively. Our results demonstrated that so uthern mixed oak stands can be managed effectively for ruffed grouse w ith small (1 ha) clearcuts. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.