UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff MMoonnttaannaa SScchhoollaarrWWoorrkkss aatt UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff MMoonnttaannaa Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Graduate School Professional Papers 1955 EEccoollooggyy ooff tthhee mmaarrtteenn iinn GGllaacciieerr NNaattiioonnaall PPaarrkk Vernon Duane Hawley The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits you. RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn Hawley, Vernon Duane, "Ecology of the marten in Glacier National Park" (1955). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 6451. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6451 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ECOLOGY OF THE MARTEN IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK by VERNON D. HAWLEY B# S# Montana State Iftiiversity, 1953 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Wildlife Technology MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 1955 Approved by; yOhainman. Board af E%ü&niners y pean, Gradüate School ./ / f T j T Date UMI Number: EP37252 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. U M T Oiasartadikm FNjUishing UMI EP37252 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright In the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Pro uesf ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 -1346 TABLE OF CONTmTS Page LIST OP TABLES......................................... T LIST OF FIGURES...........................................vi ACKN0WLEDGEî®îT3...........................................vil INTRODUCTION............................................ 1 THE STUDY AREA.......................................... 3 Geographical Description # . # . . . . . * # 3 Topographical Description . .................. . . 3 Climatic Description . . . . . . 5 Vegetation Description.............................. 5 Birds and Mammals S VEGETATION ANALYSIS....................... 12 Forest Types ......... 12 Methods 12 Results 16 BIRD AND MATiMAL CENSUS ......... 13 Bird Counts 13 Small Mammal Indices ......... 13 Squirrel and Chipmunk Counts . . . .. . . . . . . 23 LIVE-TEAFPINa METHODS..................................... 25 Trap Line and Trap Site Location . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Trap Setting Methods 26 Marking Trap Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Traps Used 23 B a i t ................................................ 29 • i ü — Pago Scent 29 Checking of Traps.............................. * 30 Handling Method • • • • • • • • • • • • • « « • • • • • 30 Marking Method 32 Data Recorded ........... 34 Sexing . # # .................. 36 Aging......... 36 TRAPPING SUCCESS........................... 42 General 42 Trap Distiirbance . 46 Trap Mortality 45 Discussion of the Success of the Methods Used • • • • • 46 LIFE HISTORT AND HABITS OP THE MARTE2Ï...................... 49 Behavior in the Trap 49 Behavior on Release ......... 51 Arboreal Tendencies 54 Activity Pattern ......... 55 Sociability 56 Trails...............................................57 Attitude Toward Man 5^ Predation . ......... 59 Food Habits ......... 59 Breeding Season 61 Minimum Breeding Age .........« 62 Date of Birth 63 Iv Page Number of Young * • • • ....... * • • • • • • • • • • • 63 Development of the Young ......... 64 Care of the Young ............. 63 POPULATION PHENOMENA......... 70 Population Composition 70 Population Density .............. 76 Weights ........................* # . # # 73 Foraging Areas........... 33 Habitat Use « ..................................... 102 POPULATION DYNAMICS....................................... 107 MANAGEMENT ASPECTS...................................... 115 Census Methods 115 Environmental Needs . . ........... 116 Movements 113 Refuges • • « • • • • 119 Seasons and Harvest Quotas 121 Habitat Improvement......... 124 S m C O R Y .................. 125 LITERATURE CITED...........................................123 LIST OP TABLES TABLE TITLE PAGE 1# Summary of Climate and Weather . . . . . . . . . 6 2# Major Plant Species Present ............ 9 3* Mansnals Noted with Abundance Rating 11 4# Birds Noted with Abundance Rating • • • • • • • • • • • 10 5* Vegetation Survey Results ........ 17 6. Birds, Red Squirrels and Chipmunksp er 1000 feet by Habitat . . 19 7. Results of Small Mammal Trapping. Plot # 1 . . . . , « . 21 8. Results of Small Mammal Trapping. Plot # 2 ...... 22 9. Summary of Trapping Results . .. . . . . . . . 43 10. Sex Ratio Comparisons • • • • • 4B 11. Residential Status of the Marten . . . . . . . . . 71 12. Number of Marten Last Captured in Each Quarterly Period. 75 13# Marten Densities on the Study Area .. . . . . . . . . 7B 14# Mean Weights of Non-juvenile Marten . . .. ... 79 15* Foraging Area Sizes of Male and Female Marten . • . • • 87 16. Seasonal Foraging Area Size Comparisons . . . . . . . . 93 17. Successive Capture Distances of an Adult Male Marten . # 94 18# Percent Success by Habitat T y p e ................. 103 19. Marten Density Index by Habitat Type . . . . . . . . . 104 20. Trap Success by Primary Species ........ 106 21. Trap Success by Size Class . . . . . . . . .. 106 -V - LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE TITLE PAGE 1. Study Area.......... 4 2# Vegetation Map . .............. . # 7 3# Trap Check Form 31 4. Capture Form............. • • » . . ................ 35 5. Juvenile Captures " 1953 6$ 6* Juvenile Captures ^ 1954 . 66 7* Population Composition 72 S# Juvenile Male Marten Weights . . .. . . . . . . SO 9# Monthly Mean Marten Weights . . . . . . . ... SI 10. Weights of an Adult Male Marten « .............. S2 11. Minimum Foraging Areas, Non-juvenile Marten, 1953-1954. S5 12. Minimum Foraging Areas. Juvenile Tlarten, 1953-1954 * . S6 13. Minizmm Foraging Areas. Non-Juvenile Marten, Summer, 1953 . . 8S 14. Minimum Foraging Areas. Non-juvenile Marten, Winter, 1954 . . S9 15. Minimum Foraging Areas. Non-juvenile Marten, Summer, 1954 . . 90 16. Minimum Foraging Areas. Mon-juvenile Jîarten, Fall, 1954 91 17. Foraging Area Use. Adult Male #2. . . . . . . . . 96 IS. Foraging Area Use. Adult Male #6 and Adult Female #10 • 97 19. Foraging Area Use. Adult Male #7 and Adult Female #4. . 9S LIST OF PLATES PLATE I Trap set in stump with marten held captive . . . . 27 PLATE II Method of weighing marten in handling cone • • . • 33 -vi- ACKTÎOlVLEDGKOTrrS The help contributed by laany individuals and cooperating agencies is most sincerely appreciated* A special word of thanks goes to Mr* Fletcher E* Newby for assistance and guidance in field techniques, information on preliminary studies, and the interest he has shown during this investigation ; and Dr* Philip L* Wright for the invaluable guidance and assistance he has given throughout the period of the study* To Dr* Ludvig Browman and Dr. John Craighead, appreciation is extended for their interest and advice during the investigation. I wish to thank the Glacier National Park Service personnel for their help and hospitality while I was residing in the Park. I am also indebted tot Dr. Joseph Kramer for the help given on some of the vegeta- tional aspects of the problem. Charles Crunden for his help on some of the surveys and for information obtained from trapping on the area near the study location and preliminary investigations on the area. Ken Greer for giving transportation when travel conditions were difficult. The individual members of the Wildlife Research Unit; Zoology, Botany and Forestry staff for advice and assistance* The National Park Service for the use of housing and communications facilities. The Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit and Pittman— Robertson Project W-49-R provided financial aid and equipment. The -vii- -viii- study was conducted in Glacier National Park with the permission of the National Park Service through the collaboratorship of Dr. Philip L. Wight# Mr. Beatty, Park Naturalist, helped to coordinate activities with the Park Service and for this help I wish to express my appreciation.