Brown Bear-Yearround
Alaska Gap Analysis
Wildlife Habitat Relationships
Model Name
YMBRBE
Taxa Code (ITIS)
180543
Scientific Name
Ursus arctos
Common Name
Brown Bear
Created By
T. Gotthardt and K. Walton
Last Modified By
T. Gotthardt, K. Walton, M. Spathelf
Date
March 2011
Date
May 2012
Model Description
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
Yearround
Deductive Model
Habitat Description
In Alaska, most common in open arctic, alpine tundra, grassland, and subalpine forests.
Prefer open, shrub communities, alpine and low elevation meadows, riparian areas,
seeps, alpine slabrock areas, and avalanche chutes (Willard and Herman 1977,
Servheen 1983, Zager et al. 1983). In forests, typically occur near mountain meadows
muskegs, sedge flats, and other grasslands (ADF&G 1973, Schoen and Gende 2007,
NatureServe 2007b). Den sites are often on hillsides (MacDonald and Cook 2009).
They typically choose low elevation riparian sites, wet meadows, and alluvial plains
during spring (Willard and Herman 1977, Reichert 1989). During summer and fall grizzly
bear more frequently use high elevation meadows, ridges, and open, grassy timbered
sites (Servheen 1983, Reichert 1989).
Habitat
Description
Changes
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 1 of 7
Habitat
Description
Brown Bear-Yearround
Changes
Relationships
Elevation (m)
n/a - n/a
Associated Edge Type n/a
Ecotone Width (m) n/a
Associated with Forest Interior n/a
Forest Interior Buffer (m) n/a
Associated with Flowing Water
Distance from (m) n/a
Associated with Open/Standing Water
Associated with Wet Vegetation
Type of Salinity
Ecological System
Distance from (m) n/a
Distance from (m) n/a
Distance into (m) n/a
Distance into (m) n/a
Distance into (m) n/a
n/a
CES1.10
Developed-Low Intensity
CES1.11
Developed-Medium Intensity
CES1.12
Developed-Open Space
CES1.9
Developed-High Intensity
CES102.17 Alaska Arctic Tussock Tundra
CES102.18 Alaska Arctic Shrub-Tussock Tundra
CES102.18 Alaska Arctic Tussock-Lichen Tundra
CES102.18 Alaska Arctic Wet Sedge Meadow
CES102.18 Alaska Arctic Mesic Herbaceous Meadow
CES102.18 Alaska Arctic Mesic Sedge-Willow Tundra
CES102.19 Alaska Arctic Mesic Sedge-Dryas Tundra
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Wet Sedge-Sphagnum Peatland
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Dwarf-Shrub-Sphagnum Peatland
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Permafrost Plateau Dwarf-Shrub Lichen Tundra
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Polygonal Ground Wet Sedge Tundra
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Polygonal Ground Tussock Tundra
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Polygonal Ground Shrub-Tussock Tundra
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Polygonal Ground Mesic Shrub Tundra
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Marine Beach and Beach Meadow
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 2 of 7
Brown Bear-Yearround
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Tidal Flat
CES102.20 Alaska Arctic Tidal Marsh
CES102.21 Alaska Arctic Coastal Brackish Meadow
CES102.21 Alaska Arctic Coastal Sedge-Dwarf-Shrubland
CES102.21 Alaska Arctic Active Inland Dune
CES102.21 Alaska Arctic Large River Floodplain
CES102.22 Alaska Arctic Floodplain
CES104.16 Alaska Arctic Mesic Alder Shrubland
CES104.16 Alaska Arctic Mesic-Wet Willow Shrubland
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Scrub Birch-Ericaceous Shrubland
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Acidic Sparse Tundra
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Non-Acidic Sparse Tundra
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Acidic Dryas Dwarf-Shrubland
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Non-Acidic Dryas Dwarf-Shrubland
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Dwarf-Shrubland
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Non-Acidic Dwarf-Shrub Lichen Tundra
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Acidic Dwarf-Shrub Lichen Tundra
CES104.17 Alaska Arctic Lichen Tundra
CES105
Aleutian Floodplain Wetland
CES105.10 Alaska Sub-boreal White-Lutz Spruce Forest and Woodland
CES105.10 Alaska Sub-boreal Mountain Hemlock-White Spruce Forest
CES105.10 Western North American Boreal White Spruce Forest
CES105.10 Western North American Boreal Spruce-Lichen Woodland
CES105.10 Western North American Boreal White Spruce-Hardwood Forest
CES105.10 Western North American Boreal Mesic Birch-Aspen Forest
CES105.10 Western North American Boreal Dry Aspen-Steppe Bluff
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Subalpine Balsam Poplar-Aspen
Woodland
CES105.11 Alaska Sub-boreal Avalanche Slope Shrubland
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 3 of 7
Brown Bear-Yearround
CES105.11 Alaska Sub-boreal Mesic Subalpine Alder Shrubland
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Mesic Scrub Birch-Willow Shrubland
CES105.11 Western North American Sub-boreal Mesic Bluejoint Meadow
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Dry Grassland
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Active Inland Dune
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Lowland Large River Floodplain Forest
and Shrubland
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Shrub and Herbaceous Floodplain
Wetland
CES105.11 Western North American Boreal Herbaceous Fen
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Black Spruce Wet-Mesic Slope Woodland
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Black Spruce-Tamarack Fen
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Deciduous Shrub Swamp
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Wet Meadow
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Low Shrub-Tussock Tundra
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Tussock Tundra
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Wet Black Spruce-Tussock Woodland
CES105.27 Aleutian Tidal Marsh
CES105.28 Aleutian Shrub and Herbaceous Meadow Floodplain
CES105.29 Aleutian Floodplain Forest and Shrubland
CES105.30 Aleutian Sparse Heath and Fell-Field
CES204.83 North Pacific Maritime Mesic Subalpine Parkland
CES204.84 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Western Hemlock Forest
CES204.84 North Pacific Hypermaritime Western Red-cedar-Western Hemlock Forest
CES204.84 North Pacific Mesic Western Hemlock-Yellow-cedar Forest
CES105.12 Western North American Boreal Alpine Dwarf-Shrub Summit
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Alpine Talus and Bedrock
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Alpine Mesic Herbaceous Meadow
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Alpine Dryas Dwarf-Shrubland
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Alpine Ericaceous Dwarf-Shrubland
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 4 of 7
Brown Bear-Yearround
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Alpine Dwarf-Shrub-Lichen Shrubland
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Alpine Floodplain
CES105.13 Alaska Sub-boreal White Spruce-Hardwood Forest
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Treeline White Spruce Woodland
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Sedge-Dwarf-Shrub Bog
CES105.13 Western North American Boreal Black Spruce Dwarf-Tree Peatland
CES105.14 Western North American Boreal Low Shrub Peatland
CES105.14 Western North American Boreal Montane Floodplain Forest and Shrubland
CES105.14 Western North American Boreal Riparian Stringer Forest and Shrubland
CES105.14 Aleutian Kenai Birch-Cottonwood-Poplar Forest
CES105.14 Aleutian Mesic Alder-Salmonberry Shrubland
CES105.14 Aleutian Mesic-Wet Willow Shrubland
CES105.23 Aleutian Crowberry-Herbaceous Heath
CES105.23 Aleutian Mixed Dwarf-Shrub-Herbaceous Shrubland
CES105.23 Aleutian Mesic Herbaceous Meadow
CES105.23 Aleutian American Dunegrass Grassland
CES105.23 Aleutian Wet Meadow and Herbaceous Peatland
CES105.23 Aleutian Shrub-Sedge Peatland
CES105.23 Aleutian Marine Beach and Beach Meadow
CES2.13
Recently Burned Forest and Woodland - Low Severity
CES200.09 Temperate Pacific Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh
CES204.14 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Mountain Hemlock Forest
CES204.14 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Subalpine Mountain Hemlock Woodland
CES204.14 Alaska Sub-boreal and Maritime Alpine Mesic Herbaceous Meadow
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Sitka Spruce Forest
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Subalpine Alder-Salmonberry Shrubland
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Sitka Spruce Beach Ridge
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Floodplain Forest and Shrubland
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Shrub and Herbaceous Floodplain Wetland
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 5 of 7
Brown Bear-Yearround
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Mountain Hemlock Peatland
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Wet Low Shrubland
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Fen and Wet Meadow
CES204.15 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Coastal Meadow and Slough-Levee
CES204.16 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Alpine Wet Meadow
CES204.16 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Alpine Floodplain
CES204.16 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Avalanche Slope Shrubland
CES204.16 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Mesic Herbaceous Meadow
CES204.16 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Shore Pine Peatland
CES204.16 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Dwarf-shrub-Sphagnum Peatland
CES204.16 Alaska Pacific Maritime Rocky Coastline
CES204.31 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Alpine Dwarf-Shrubland
CES204.31 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Periglacial Woodland and Shrubland
CES204.31 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Poorly Drained Conifer Woodland
CES204.31 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Subalpine Copperbush Shrubland
CES204.31 Alaskan Pacific Maritime Alpine Sparse Shrub and Fell-field
CES204.85 North Pacific Alpine and Subalpine Bedrock and Scree
CES204.86 North Pacific Shrub Swamp
CES204.87 Temperate Pacific Intertidal Flat
Citations
ADF&G. 1973. Alaska's wildlife and habitat. Anchorage, Alaska. 144 pp. + maps.
MacDonald, S. O. and J. A. Cook. 2009. Recent Mammals of Alaska. University of Alaska
Press, Fairbanks, AK.
NatureServe. 2007b. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web
application]. Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer.
Reichert, C. 1989. Silviculture in grizzly bear habitat. In: Silviculture for all resources:
Proceedings of the national silviculture workshop; 1987 May 11-14; Sacramento, CA.
Washington, DC: USDA, USFS: 48-60.
Schoen, J. W. and S. Gende. 2007. Brown bear (Ursus arctos). In the coastal forests and
mountains ecoregion of southeastern Alaska and the Tongass National Forest: A
conservation assessment and resource synthesis (J. W. Schoen and E. Dovichin, eds.).
Audubon Alaska and The Nature Conservancy, Anchorage, Alaska.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 6 of 7
Brown Bear-Yearround
Servheen, C. 1983. Grizzly bear food habits, movements, and habitat selection in the
Mission Mountains, Montana. Journal of Wildlife Management 47(4): 1026-1035.
Willard, E. E. and M. Herman. 1977. Grizzly bear and its habitat. Final Report,
Cooperative Agreement between USDA, USFS, Region 1 and University of Montana,
Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station. 28 p.
Zager, P., C. Jonkel, and J. Habeck. 1983. Logging and wildfire influence on grizzly bear
habitat in northwestern Montana. In: E. C. Meslow, ed. 5th International conference
on bear research and management; [Date of conference unknown]; Madison, WI.
[Place of publication unknown]. International Association for Bear Research and
Management: 124-132.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Page 7 of 7