Alces (A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose)
Not a member yet
997 research outputs found
Sort by
PARTURITION ACTIVITY OF MOOSE
No full textBehavior of female moose (Alces alces) during parturition was studied in 1977–1990 on the Kostroma experimental moose farm. We found that moose parturition behavior is organized on the systems principle and aimed at the calf’s survival. The corresponding system is formed only at the time of parturition on the basis of inherent elements of behavior. We report the results of our investigation of cardiac and respiratory dynamics (as indicators of emotional states) during parturition
THE IMPORTANCE OF SALT LICKS AND OTHER SOURCES OF SODIUM IN THE ECOLOGY OF THE USSURI MOOSE (ALCES ALCES CAMELOIDES)
No full textThe most important sources of sodium for moose (Alces alces) in Sikhote–Alin are: (1) freshwater aquatic vegetation (river, lake, and bog); (2) marine water and algae; and (3) sodium–saturated ground waters and soils at salt licks. The distribution of local sources of sodium essentially determines the spatial and temporal structure of moose populations. Salt licks play an important role in the ecology of moose as a factor promoting their regular distribution under conditions of the mountain–taiga landscape and also affecting breeding activity; i.e., increasing the probability of encounters of mating partners. The latter is of particular importance where population density is low
STRUCTURE OF THE MOOSE POPULATION AND ITS UTILIZATION IN THE KOMI REPUBLIC
No full textCutover stands comprise a large proportion of the forested area within the Komi Republic. The natural succession of these stands leads to a decrease in productivity of moose populations. We describe characteristics of moose hunting in the Komi Republic and discuss methods for managing harvest by means of age– and sex–specific hunting licenses. Poaching, decreased habitat productivity due to forestry, and predation all impact moose populations adversely and must be addressed by managers to ensure future harvests of moose
MOOSE HUNTING IN RUSSIA
No full textMoose (Alces alces) have become one of the popular big game species in Russia, whereas only decades ago, low moose numbers precluded hunting. The rapid increase in moose numbers is primarily the result of forest harvest practices and intensive moose management policies. At present, according to the Russia Statistical Committee, the moose population is stable at around 700,000 animals. Use of intensive biotechnical moose management measures such as ashtree cutting, feeding of wood waste, and rock salt, combined with large scale protective measures have also favored this population increase. However, data collected by the All–Union Research Institute show that moose density in some regions has exceeded the carrying capacity of game preserves for many years. This is the result of poor moose population estimates and low harvest rates. As a result of low harvest intensity, and in the absence of management actions aimed at increasing the carrying capacity on moose preserves, forest resources and habitat quality have been damaged in some economic regions and severely degraded in areas of the ASSR. The author suggests a winter feeding strategy for moose on hunting preserves that would use wood waste that is left after logging. This strategy would allow a more effective means of supplementing winter forage, but may be difficult to implement
IMPACT OF MOOSE ON AQUATIC VEGETATION IN NORTHERN MAINE
No full textMany ponds in northern Maine have a low abundance of aquatic vegetation. Five exclosures were built in 2 ponds with high moose use but little vegetation. All exclosures sustained ice damage each winter. One was damaged beyond repair after 3 years, 3 were lost during the fifth winter, and 1 lasted for 6 years. The number of plants rooted along a 20 m transect were counted in mid-August in the first, second, fourth, and fifth years of the study. All vegetation rooted in 24 1 m2 plots (3 inside and 3 outside of each of the remaining exclosures) was pulled, dried, and weighed after the third growing season. Ten plots (5 inside and 5 outside) from the 1 remaining exclosure were clipped and weighed after 6 growing seasons. Plant biomass was greater in 3 of 4 protected than in unprotected areas after 3 years (P < 0.05) and in the 1 remaining exclosure after 6 years (P < 0.05). Biomass increased within the exclosures from the third to the sixth year (P < 0.05) but there was no change in the unprotected area
PRELIMINARY HABITAT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR MOOSE IN MAINLAND NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
No full textEcosystem management for biological conservation should include consideration of landscape-scale processes such as the habitat requirements of focal species. Moose (Alces alces americana) have been identified as an appropriate target for focal attention in mainland Nova Scotia. Currently, the population is at risk, and strategies for conservation should include the protection of sufficient habitat to meet the spatial requirements of the population. Delineation of spatial habitat requirements calls for an understanding of species-habitat associations and the distribution of suitable habitat across the landscape. To this end, habitat suitability in Nova Scotia was assessed relative to four criteria: (1) food availability; (2) conifer cover; (3) mixed-wood cover; and, (4) aquatic resources. Model predictions were tested by comparing habitat suitability values to provincial pellet inventory data. Road density was found to be more important than habitat composition in determining moose pellet distribution
APPLICATION OF A MOOSE HABITAT SUITABILITY INDEX MODEL TO VERMONT WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT UNITS
No full textHabitat Suitability Index (HSI) models translate existing knowledge of a species’ habitat requirements into quantitative measures of habitat quality. The HSI is a numerical index that represents the ability of a given habitat to provide life requisites for a species on a scale from 0 (unsuitable habitat) to 1 (optimal habitat). Habitat Suitability Index models are useful in natural resource planning for predicting the impacts of resource management practices on wildlife habitat. Many moose (Alces alces) HSI models require the labor intensive collection of ground-level browse density data, which limits their applications for analyzing large landscapes required by moose. Some, however, have been developed utilizing remotely sensed data to analyze large study areas. I tested the usefulness of one of these models, created for the Lake Superior region, to 2 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in Vermont. Areas of study WMUs, “E1” and “I”, were 680 km2 and 729 km2, respectively. The model quantified 4 landscape-scale habitat variables representing annual cover types required by moose: percent area of regenerating forest, non-forested wetland, spruce/fir forest, and deciduous/mixed forest. Model analyses were performed using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The model was useful in estimating relative habitat suitability of both WMUs, identifying within-WMU habitat variation, quantifying change in habitat suitability following a natural habitat-altering event, and predicting temporal change in moose habitat due to changes in forest management practices. The model revealed significant differences in habitat suitability of 0.64 for WMU E1 and 0.34 for WMU I. To determine within-WMU habitat variation, both WMUs were divided into 25-km2 evaluation units, which approximated the annual home range of moose in New England, and a HSI was calculated for each unit. Habitat suitability of 81 km2 of WMU I increased from 0.30 to 0.53 due to an increase in regenerating forest following heavy canopy damage from an ice storm in January 1998. A reduction in habitat suitability from 0.81 to 0.35 of Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge lands within WMU E1 was observed following a simulation in which all timber harvesting as a forest management practice was eliminated. Initial validation of this model for analyzing moose habitat at the WMU scale is supported by correlation of HSI output to moose harvest data for WMU E1 25-km2 evaluation units and by comparison of HSI to estimated moose densities for both WMUs
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION IN ANTLER MORPHOLOGY OF ALASKAN MOOSE: PUTATIVE EFFECTS OF HABITAT AND GENETICS
No full textWe assessed antler size of Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) with respect to the geographic region and dominant vegetation community (taiga or tundra) from which they were harvested from 1968 to 1983. Our retrospective analysis indicated that moose from the Copper River Delta and Alaska Peninsula possessed the largest antlers, whereas those from southeast Alaska, USA, had the smallest antlers. Delta flood plains of the Copper River offer a rich food supply for moose, and browse on the Alaska Peninsula also is plentiful; both areas have mild maritime climates and longer growing seasons than tundra and taiga habitats in interior Alaska—large antlers in those moose populations likely were the result of superior nutrition. After controlling for age, antlers of moose from tundra communities were significantly larger than those inhabiting taiga. Willows (Salix spp.), which are an important food for moose, dominate braided rivers and associated riparian areas in tundra habitat, and provide a high-quality and stable food supply over time. Fire and subsequent successional changes dominate taiga landscapes, which results in a variable food supply that is sometimes low in quality and quantity. Again, forage abundance and quality likely play important roles in determining antler size for populations of Alaskan moose inhabiting those plant communities. Nonetheless, antlers of A. a. gigas from taiga regions in Alaska, USA, were larger than those of A. a. andersoni from similar habitat in northeastern Minnesota, USA, and Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition, moose from tundra habitat on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, which have colonized that area within the last ~30 years from the boreal forest, possessed antlers intermediate in size between moose inhabiting taiga and tundra. Moreover, moose from forested areas of southeast Alaska, which have a unique mitochrondial DNA haplotype from other subspecies of moose, also had comparatively smaller antlers than other moose in Alaska. Those outcomes indicated that differences in antler size likely have a genetic in addition to a nutritional basis. We hypothesize that differences in antler size of Alaskan moose in relation to habitat may have genetic as well as nutritional underpinnings related to openness of habitat, but more research is needed. Finally, our results on antler morphology, in concert with information on pelage coloration and recent data on genetics, do not support hypotheses concerning a double migration, or eastern and western races of moose, forwarded to explain morphological variation in moose inhabiting the New World. Likewise, we reject the hypothesis that ecotypical differences are primarily responsible for morphological variation in subspecies of moose inhabiting North America
FACTORS DETERMINING MOOSE POPULATION DYNAMICS IN THE CENTRAL FOREST RESERVE
No full textWe determined the main factors that led to a decrease in the moose population of the Central Biosphere Reserve. The role and importance of the factors in this process were defined. The key role of predation by wolf in the moose population decline is emphasized. The predominant factor leading to the decrease in the moose population was wolf predation, which exerted a pronounced effect on the moose population number and on its age and sex composition
SEASONAL FEATURES OF NUTRITION AND NITROGEN METABOLISM IN MOOSE
No full textThe seasonal concentration of nitrogen (N) and nitrogen metabolism in rumen digesta and blood serum were measured in two rumen fistulated moose. Concentration of N and nitrogen metabolism in the rumen and blood varied seasonally. Concentration of protein N and metabolic processes in rumen digesta were highest in spring through summer and lower in autumn; the converse was true in blood serum. These seasonal differences were related to the variation in nutritional content of seasonal forage