Elk (Cervus elaphus) in the western United States are an economically and socially valuable wildlife species. They have featured species status for federal land management planning; hence, considerable modeling focused on habitat evaluation and land management planning has been undertaken for elk. The extent to which these and other habitat models for large ungulates account for influences of nutritional resources varies greatly, probably because of varying recognition of the importance of nutrition and uncertainty about how to measure and model nutrition. Our primary goals were to 1) develop greater understanding of how habitat conditions influence foraging dynamics and nutrition of elk in summer and autumn; and 2) illustrate an ecological framework for evaluating and predicting nutritional resources so that nutritional needs of elk can be integrated within landscape‐scale plans, population models, and habitat evaluation models. We evaluated foraging responses of elk to clearcut logging and commercial thinning, forest succession, and season across ecological site potentials. We also identified the extent to which plant communities satisfied nutritional requirements of lactating female elk and their calves. Our study was conducted in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest on industrial and public timberlands.

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西北太平洋夏季和秋季的麋鹿营养生态

麋鹿（马鹿）在美国西部是一种具有经济和社会价值的野生物种。在联邦土地管理规划中，它们具有特定的物种地位；因此，对麋鹿进行了大量针对栖息地评估和土地管理规划的建模。这些和其他有蹄类动物的栖息地模型在多大程度上解释了营养资源的影响，这可能是由于人们对营养重要性的认识不同以及有关如何测量和建模营养的不确定性所致。我们的主要目标是：1）进一步了解生境条件如何在夏季和秋季影响麋鹿的觅食动态和营养；和2）说明了用于评估和预测营养资源的生态框架，以便可以将麋鹿的营养需求纳入景观尺度计划，人口模型和栖息地评估模型中。我们评估了麋鹿对伐木和商业间伐，森林演替以及整个生态场所潜力季节的觅食响应。我们还确定了植物群落满足泌乳雌性麋鹿及其犊牛营养需求的程度。我们的研究是在西北太平洋温带雨林中的工业和公共林地上进行的。我们还确定了植物群落满足泌乳雌性麋鹿及其犊牛营养需求的程度。我们的研究是在西北太平洋温带雨林中的工业和公共林地上进行的。我们还确定了植物群落满足泌乳雌性麋鹿及其犊牛营养需求的程度。我们的研究是在西北太平洋温带雨林中的工业和公共林地上进行的。