24 Mountain Lions of the Black Hills
abundant; those features provide stalking and concealment cover for the species, in-
creasing the chances that mountain lions can make successful kills (Seidensticker
et al. 1973). Certain species of vegetation were not included in this mapping because
they were considered impor tant to mountain lions only in that they attract prey, pre-
dominantly deer and deer- sized ungulates; but vegetation that provides food and
figure 2.9. Classification of mountain lion habitat found in the Black Hills National
Forest. Habitat was classed based on prey availability (white- tailed deer), slope, and
terrain. Darker habitats have lower suitability for mountain lions. Fecske 2003.