Alces (A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose)
Not a member yet
997 research outputs found
Sort by
FOREST OWNERS AS MOOSE HUNTERS IN FINLAND
No full textA survey was sent to 2,154 Finnish hunters in 1997 to compare the opinions of forest owners and other moose hunters, as well as to examine a number of features connected with moose hunting activities. Forest owners comprised 46% of moose hunters in southern and central Finland. Non-material values, such as spirit of adventure, comradeship, and a feeling of excitement motivated most moose hunters. Their willingness to pay for hunting was more than triple the actual moose hunting costs. Forest owners and other moose hunters both considered the size of the moose population to be reasonable in relation to the amount of moose-related damage, and about one-third would have liked to increase moose numbers. Although forest owners were more aware and concerned about the effects of browsing, only 15% of the forest owners wanted to reduce to moose population. Moose hunting was considered to be so important that is restricted other hunting activities. Moose hunters wanted to reduce the number of large predators due to their influence on moose. The results indicate that local game management should be employed optimize the costs and benefits of moose hunting
THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF MOOSE IN NORWAY - A REVIEW
No full textIn Norway, the landowners' income from forestry and farming has decreased, mainly due to changes in international trade and trade conventions, and they are looking for new sources of income. In Norway, as opposed to Canada and USA, the landowner holds the right to hunt on their own land, and the meat from the hunt is sold on the free market. Still, a large, but unknown portion of the hunting permits are used in a closed market of landowners, their friends and local people wherein the only economic value of hunting is free or cheap meat to hunter and landowner. With increasing moose populations and increasing potential income for the landowner, more hunting permits are sold on the open market, where the hunters pay for the meat and/or the hunting experience. The main economic costs are moose browsing on pine plantations and moose-vehicle collisions. Crop damage is an additional small cost. The socioeconomic estimates of benefits and costs vary considerably depending on the methods used. The two main estimation problems are the closed hunting marked and damage to plantations, which first show economical losses after about 100 years. The estimates of total annual revenue range from US 23 to 80 M. When setting the economic carrying capacity for moose, the increased costs of forest damage and traffic accidents, and mitigating countermeasures, should be compared to the increase in income associated with one more moose added to the population. In Norway, the regional management units set regional goals, whereas the duty of national wildlife authorities is to ensure that national and international goals are met. To succeed in managing the moose population to an optimal economic carrying capacity, a broad cooperation between interest groups that detailed spatial economic and ecological knowledge will be needed. We predict that increased economic revenue will become an important objective for many moose regions
INCISOR ARCADES OF ALASKAN MOOSE: IS DIMORPHISM RELATED TO SEXUAL SEGREGATION?
No full textWe tested whether incisor arcades of Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas) differed between males and females of known age to examine how allometric differences in jaw architecture might relate to sexual segregation. Lower jaws were collected from moose killed by hunters, and from moose that died of either natural causes of collisions with vehicles. We measured the breadth (width) and the depth (protrusion) of the incisor arcade of moose; age was determined by counting cementum annuli of incisors. Arcade breadth of moose followed von Bertalanffy models of growth, with an asymptote at about 4 years of age for both sexes. Regression models differed for males and female moose; arcade breath for males was significantly larger than for females. Data from the literature indicated body mass of females also reaches an asymptote at 4 years old. Males, however, do not attain an asymptote in body mass until 8-10 years of age. When incisor breadth was considered relative asymptotic body mass, incisor breadth of males was less than that of females. Coefficients of incisor breadth relative to body mass, however, scaled similarly for male (0.249) and female (0.260) moose. Incisor depth did not differ between the sexes when depth was corrected for age. Our data indicate that incisor breadth, but not depth, scaled with body mass. Thus, muzzle morphology may exhibit more plasticity than previously thought. We hypothesize that muzzle architecture of moose, as reflected in incisor breadth and depth, relates to the diets of the sexes when they are spatially segregated. Whether incisor dimensions are a cause or consequence of sexual segregation, however, is uncertain
VISIBILITY BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGHTABILITY MODEL FOR TULE ELK
No full textTule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes) are endemic to California, USA, and occupy habitats that differ greatly from those inhabited by many other elk populations. Because of the importance of demographic data to the conservation of this unique ungulate, we used telemetered animals to investigate factors influencing sightability of elk during aerial surveys. We determined if groups of elk known to be present in sampling blocks were observed or missed during survey flights. Stepwise logistic regression indicated that sightability was significantly affected by animal activity, habitat type, and group size. We developed a model to predict the likelihood of observing a group of elk, and provide recommendations for the use of correction factors for sightability during future surveys
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIALITY IN MULE DEER
No full textWe tested hypotheses concerning evolution of sociality in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) by examining effects of resources and risk of predation on group size of these large herbivores. Groups of deer were largest during rut and smallest at parturition. Likewise, habitat has a profound effect on group size with groups being largest in open meadows and smallest in densely vegetated chaparral. Parch size of habitats, however, was unrelated to group size. Availability of preferred forage correlated with number of deer but not their group size. Limited and concentrated sources of free water affected distribution but not group size of deer. Group size increased, however, with distance from concealment cover. Steepness of ruggedness of terrain was not correlated with mean size of deer groups, but maximum group size was related inversely to both variables. With increasing group size, deer increased percentage of time spent feeding and decreased alert and alarm behaviors. Feeding and alert-alarm behaviors of deer also were affected by the likelihood of encountering a predator. Feeding was reduced and alert- alarm postures increased near concealment cover, where deer would encounter stalking predators such as bobcats (Lynx rufus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor), and also far from cover, where coursing predators such a coyotes (Canis latrans) were more effective hunters. Overall rate of aggressive interactions increased with group size, but per capita rate for deer declined as groups increased in size. That outcome ostensibly was a result of larger groups of deer spacing themselves further apart, perhaps because individuals in larger groups were less vulnerable to predators than deer in smaller groups. Resources likely constrained the upper limits to group size by regulating the number of deer available to form groups. Deer balanced the need to acquire food against risk of predation and altered feeding and alert-alarm behaviors accordingly. Groups of deer formed as an adaptation against predation while trying to acquire necessary resources: the evolution of sociality in mule deer is best explained as a tradeoff between those life-history strategies
FRIGHT AND FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF REINDEER
No full textVigilance and avoidance behaviors of 8 reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) populations from difference geographical areas were examined by measuring distances of detection and flight from a human approaching on foot. Differences in behavior among populations were mainly explained by differences in hunting pressure, genetic origin (wild, feral, and tame ancestors), and predation pressure. Populations subjected to intensive hunting were more vigilant than populations that experienced no hunting. A significant but less clear pattern occurred for predation. Domestic reindeer in large groups demonstrated the lowest levels of fright and flight behavior
EFFECTS OF SIMULATED ELK GRAZING AND TRAMPLING (II): FREQUENCY
No full textThe increase in western North American elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) populations is a concern to resource managers. In summer 1998, Bandelier National Monument erected a series of ungulate exclosures and paired reference areas to evaluate elk impacts on the vegetative community in piñon-juniper (Pinus edulis - Juniperus spp.), ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa) grassland (PG), and mixed-conifer (MC) habitat types. We assessed changes in density, percent foliar/litter cover, basal area, species richness, and composition resulting from the application of different frequencies of simulated grazing and trampling within elk exclosures from January through May of 1999 and 2000. Frequent clipping resulted in increased grass densities in PG sites and decreased total standing crops in MC sites after only 1 year. There were clipping X trampling interaction effects. Recurrent impacts from elk grazing and concomitant trampling may accelerate the rate at which plant communities reach thresholds of vulnerability. More years of treatments may detect further vegetative responses to different grazing pressure in this ecosystems, which has a history of elk grazing pressure
GENETIC VARIATION OF MICROSATELLITE DNA IN MOOSE IN QUÉBEC
No full textWe assessed genetic variation at 5 microsatellite DNA loci in 57 moose (Alces alces) from 3 populations in Québec. The 5 loci are linked to functional genes (opiod binding and cell adhesion molecule, corticotrophin releasing factor, interphotoreceptor retinal binding protein, kappa-casein, insulin-like growth factor-1) in cattle. The mean number of alleles per locus varied from 2.0 to 2.2 and the mean observed heterozygosity varied from 0.343 to 0.363 among the 3 Québec populations. Variation at these 5 microsatellite loci in moose is relatively low, but within the range observed for these loci and other microsatellites in cervids and bovids. Little genetic differentiation in the numbers of alleles or the levels of heterozygosity among the 3 Québec populations, 1 of which has been heavily hunted by humans, 1 exposed to light hunting, and 1 not hunted
MERCURY IN HAIR OF LARGE ALASKAN HERBIVORES: ROUTES OF EXPOSURE
No full textAtmospheric-soil cycling of mercury is a process ultimately affecting mercury distribution to upper trophic levels in terrestrial ecosystems. In the Arctic and sub-Arctic, there is a paucity of information on processes and pathways related to mercury accumulation in terrestrial environments. We reviewed data on mercury levels in resident species of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and muskox (Ovibos moschatus). Comparison of the inhaled and ingested contribution of mercury from the environment in those species, as well as concentration factors, show accumulation of total mercury (THg) at higher trophic levels in the terrestrial food webs in Alaska, USA. Higher THg concentrations in free-ranging caribou support the hypothesis that caribou, with a major component of lichen in their diet, have higher levels of Hg. Captive muskox showed little biomagnification with a concentration ratio close to 1, whereas caribou had a concentration ratio of 12
ACCURACY IN MOODE MANDIBLE SIZE VERSUS TOOTH WEAR ASSESSMENTS
No full textAccuracy checks of tooth wear assessments and size measurements were undertaken for mandibles submitted by moose hunters in Newfoundland. Tooth wear class, a subjective assessment often used in age interpretation, was inconsistent in repeat measurements by the same technician in 23% of cases, and, in comparison between 2 technicians, in 53% of cases. There was confusion particularly between Classes II and III, and consistent bias in the interpretation of higher classes. Size measurement was much more consistent, with 1-2% relative error in repeat measurements of a sample size of n ≥ 77. Smaller sample sizes may result in larger relative measurement error because individual repeat measurements differed by as much as 17 mm