I examined the influence of human disturbance on Coues white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi) by subjecting deer within separate but similar areas to different levels of disturbance during breeding seasons, 1990-91 and 1991-92. Marked does (n=7) were seldom found outside their harmonic mean core areas (χ² = 7.140, 6 df), or harmonic mean home ranges (χ² = 1.030, 6 df). In summer 1992, I collected reproductive information from 10 adult females within each area. Fetal rates within the control and treatment areas were 1.3 fetuses/female and 1.1 fetuses/female, respectively. The corpora albicantia counts, reflecting the 1991 fetal rate, were 0.9 for the control, and 1.1 for the treatment areas. Calculated conception dates within both areas showed a peak in early January and their distributions were not significantly different (P=0.32). There was no difference in reproduction or movement in response to increased disturbance of 60 hunter-days/15km².

Little dietary information exists for northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) in the southwestern United States. I conducted 1,539 hours of direct observation at 20 active goshawk nests in ponderosa pine forests on the North Kaibab Ranger District, Arizona, 1990-1992. I recorded 385 prey deliveries at a mean delivery rate of 0.25/hr. I identified 63 deliveries to class, and 307 to genus or species. Golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) and cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) were the most common mammalian prey species (41%). Stellar's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) were the most common avian prey species (16%). Mammals and birds accounted for 76 and 24% of the prey observed, and mammals accounted for 94% of the biomass used by northern goshawks. I compared the characterization of diet of northern goshawks based on direct observation to the characterization of diet based on prey remains. Diet based on prey remains differed from diet based on direct observation for individual prey species and the proportion of mammals and birds. Goshawk diet information based on prey remains should be interpreted cautiously. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Leisure opportunities seem necessary for individual well-being, as they provide satisfaction to many levels and types of needs and wants. This research deals with identifying and assessing the beneficial outcomes of those leisure opportunities acquired from various recreational experiences. The study used Brown, Miller, and Carr Canyon in Eastern Huachuca Mountains of the Coronado National Forest in Southern Arizona as study sites for assessing the relationship between experiences and benefits. The findings suggest that there was a 100% congruence between the recreational experiences sought and the ability of these sites to provide them. The correlation between perceived beneficial outcomes of recreational experiences and the visitors' abilities to acquire such outcomes in these settings were significantly positive. The most significant benefit documented in this study was to improve one's physical fitness. It seemed to be positively correlated with each of the four experiences stated in this study, i.e., to learn more about nature, to get away from the usual demands of life, of being in the wilderness area and experiencing a sense of adventure, and spend time with family and/or friends.

I present model for incorporating public attitudes in wildlife management involving desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Pusch Ridge Wilderness (PRW), Arizona. I conducted a mail survey on 4 user-groups including. The Access Fund (TAF), La Reserve Homeowners Association (LRH), Southern Arizona Hiking Club (SAHC), and white-tailed deer hunters (WTH). Support for translocating sheep into PRW ranged from 59%-80%. Support for banning dogs from PRW to reduce stress to bighorn sheep ranged from 49%-79%. A majority (53%-66%) of each user-group, except WTH supported seasonal closures during lambing season to reduce stress to bighorn sheep. A majority of each user-group (60%-74%) supported using prescribed fires to reduce wildfire hazards and improve habitat for sheep. This information will help agencies develop goals and objectives for bighorn sheep and recreation management in PRW.

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Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae, MPB) is a forest pest endemic to the Rocky Mountain West. Since the late 1990s, millions of hectares of lodgepole pine forest have experienced extensive tree mortality due to MPB disturbance and this may have significant implications for forested mountain water supplies. MPB disturbance may affect the amount of moisture that enters and leaves the forest hydrologic system, through changes in snowpack accumulation, snowmelt timing, transpiration and subsequently soil water content. The cumulative effect of these changes is that soil moisture is expected to be higher in disturbed forests as the hydrologic system responds to increased inputs and the cessation of canopy transpiration that accompanies tree mortality. This research examined how MPB-disturbance affects the forest water balance in three plots in western Montana using direct observation and modeling methods. Peak SWE, snowmelt and post-snowmelt water balance parameters were measured in three study plots: a non-disturbed lodgepole pine plot, a plot consisting of lodgepole pine trees in the advanced stage of MPB disturbance, and a nearby clear cut. No significant differences in peak SWE and snowmelt timing were measured between the MPB-disturbed and non-disturbed due to the higher stand density and basal area. However, post-snowmelt measurements of soil moisture, rainfall, understory evapotranspiration and canopy transpiration indicated higher net precipitation and understory evapotranspiration in the MPB-disturbed plot. Additionally, soil moisture was higher in the MPB-disturbed plot, which was likely explained by the absence of canopy transpiration fluxes. Additionally, beyond the factors quantified in this initial study, it is likely that topography and variability in stand characteristics played an important role for observed differences in soil water content. This study provides first steps towards assessing the implications of MPB for changes in mountain water supplies in forested catchments. Future work should seek to use additional study plots with more similar stand characteristics and local topography.