Habitat Use By Female Black Bears In Western Maryland

Since receiving legal protection in 1972, Maryland's black bear (Ursus americanus Pallas) population has grown, and increased numbers of bear-human conflicts created a need for information on bears for management. Thus, we determined habitat use of female black bears in western Maryland by incorporating locations (n = 641) of 5 adult radio-collared bears into a geographical information system (GIS) to enable analyses of macro-habitat characteristics. Overall, bears selected mixed forest and wetlands, and habitat with high stream densities. Bears selected conifer stands throughout the year and residential areas during the spring-summer season. Variation in use of residential areas and habitat near streams appeared to be related to the availability of wetlands to individual bears. Bears avoided primary highways, but not other road classes, although females traveling with cubs selected habitat at lower road densities. To manage habitat for female black bears, we suggest maintaining wetlands and mixed forest habitats, enhancing understory cover in maturing deciduous forest, increasing conifer stands in areas where management for mature forest is unrealistic, and constructing wildlife underpasses on high-speed highways.