Habitats selected by grizzly bears in a multiple use landscape

The effects of sex, ageclass, and season on habitats and elevations selecte d by 56 radiocollared grizzly between 1979 and 1995 in the Flathead River d rainage of southeastern British Columbia and the adjacent portion of Montan a were evaluated using compositional analyses. Two habitat selection strate gies were apparent in the population: mountain resident bears selected aval anche chutes at higher elevations during spring, while elevational migratin g bears moved to low elevations and selected riparian habitats. During summ er, both groups of bears showed selection for areas that had been burned by wildfire 50-70 yr previously. In autumn, riparian was the highest ranked h abitat followed by forest and open forest. Regenerating cut-blocks and rock outcrops consistently ranked lowest. Results of this southern grizzly bear study differ from others in that bears were free to select habitats in bot h mountains and the wide valley and they showed strong selection for some l ow elevation habitats.