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Home Ranges and Movements of Black Bears in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest in Arkansas

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Between July 1979 and May 1982 movements of 23 radio-tagged black bears (Ursus americanus) were studied in a remnant bottomland hardwood forest in eastern Arkansas. Estimates of annual and seasonal home range varied substantially within age-sex groups. Mean annual home ranges of males were significantly larger than those of females in adult and subadult age classes. Within sex classes, mean annual home ranges of adult and subadults were similar. The size of annual home range was inversely related to habitat diversity and, in adult males, to weight. Typically, bears used significantly larger ranges in summer, when their diets were complex and breeding occurred, than in spring or fall-winter, when their diets were simple. Home ranges of 4 neighboring males overlapped considerably. Among 2 groups of females, home range overlap varied and may have been related to reproductive condition or kinship. Radio-tagged bears did not disperse from the study area nor far from their natal ranges, indicating that this remnant population is closed.

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