Alces (A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose)
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ABUNDANCE OF WINTER TICKS (DERMACENTOR ALBIPICTUS) IN TWO REGENERATING FOREST HABITATS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA
No full textRecent decline in New Hampshire’s moose (Alces alces) population is attributed to sustained parasitism by winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) causing high calf mortality and reduced productivity. Location of larval winter ticks that infest moose is dictated by where adult female ticks drop from moose in April when moose preferentially forage in early regenerating forest in the northeastern United States. The primary objectives of this study were to: 1) measure and compare larval abundance in 2 types of regenerating forest (clear-cuts and partial harvest cuts), 2) measure and compare larval abundance on 2 transect types (random and high-use) within clear-cuts and partial harvests, and 3) identify the date and environmental characteristics associated with termination of larval questing. Larvae were collected on 50.5% of 589 transects; 57.5% of transects in clear-cuts and 44.3% in partial cuts. The average abundance ranged from 0.11–0.36 ticks/m2 with abundance highest (P < 0.05) in partial cuts and on high-use transects in both cut types over a 9-week period; abundance was ~2 × higher during the principal 6-week questing period prior to the first snowfall. Abundance (collection rate) was stable until the onset of < 0°C and initial snow cover (~15 cm) in late October, after which collection rose temporarily on high-use transects in partial harvests during a brief warm-up. The higher abundance of winter ticks on high-use transects indicates that random sampling underestimates tick abundance and relative risk of infestation of moose. Calculating an annual index of infestation of winter ticks on moose is theoretically possible by integrating 3 factors: the infestation of harvested moose in October, the length of the questing period, and assuming a stable collection rate during the questing period
ESTIMATION OF MOOSE PARTURITION DATES IN COLORADO: INCORPORATING IMPERFECT DETECTIONS
No full textResearchers and managers use productivity surveys to evaluate moose populations for harvest and population management purposes, yet such surveys are prone to bias. We incorporated detection probability estimates (p) into spring and summer ground surveys to reduce the influence of observer bias on the estimation of moose parturition dates in Colorado. In our study, the cumulative parturition probability for moose was 0.50 by May 19, and the probability of parturition exceeded 0.9 by May 27. Timing of moose calf parturition in Colorado appears synchronous with parturition in more northern latitudes. Our results can be used to plan ground surveys in a manner that will reduce bias stemming from unobservable and yet-born calves
THE SEASONALITY OF A MIGRATORY MOOSE POPULATION IN NORTHERN YUKON
No full textAt the northern edge of their North American range, moose (Alces alces) occupy treeline and shrub tundra environments characterized by extreme seasonality. Here we describe aspects of the seasonal ecology of a northern Yukon moose population that summers in Old Crow Flats, a thermokarst wetland complex, and winters in surrounding alpine habitat. We collared 19 moose (10 adult males and 9 adult females) fitted with GPS radio-collars in Old Crow Flats during summer, and monitored their year-round habitat use, associated environmental conditions, and movements for 2 years. Seventeen of 19 moose were classified as migratory, leaving Old Crow Flats between August and November and returning in April to July, and spent winter in alpine habitats either northwest (n = 8), west (n = 4), or southeast (n = 5) of Old Crow Flats. The straight-line migration distance between summer and winter ranges ranged from 59 to 144 km, averaging 27 km further for bulls than cows. In summer, 18 of 19 moose situated their home ranges in and around drained lake basins and shallow lake habitats within Old Crow Flats. In winter, moose at elevations < 400 m selected for river, shrub, or drained lake habitats, whereas those at elevations >600 m selected for shrubby valley bottoms near lakes and rivers within home ranges dominated by alpine tundra. Moose at high elevations marginally reduced their exposure to cold extremes due to the prevalence of thermal inversions, but cold avoidance was not a strong driver of habitat selection, including for moose at low elevations. Stable isotope signatures of moose hair, aquatic plants, and terrestrial plants were consistent with a year-round, shrub-dominated diet characterized by slight habitat- and season-associated dietary differences. Local knowledge of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation predicted several of our major results, including 1) summer home range fidelity, 2) selection of lakeshore habitats, 3) use of drained lake basins, 4) dietary reliance on shrubs and emergent vegetation, and 5) responses to contemporary environmental changes. Although the core habitat of this moose population, including the winter ranges of its 3 subpopulations, is well protected by a variety of special management units, parks, and protected areas in Yukon and Alaska, pronounced climate warming is dramatically impacting this thermokarst wetland. Coordinated monitoring, management, and conservation of this unique landscape, moose population, and socio-ecological system is warranted
DEMOGRAPHIC STATUS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS IN THE BOREAL PLAIN ECOZONE OF CANADA
No full textBroad scale analyses of winter population survey data collected between 1985 and 2015 were conducted to provide a synthesis of the current status and historical performance of 14 moose (Alces alces) populations residing in the Boreal Plain Ecozone of Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. Population time series models indicated a broad scale decline averaging 30% in moose populations across the Boreal Plain Ecozone since 2000 relative to the long-term (1985 to 2015) cumulative mean population size. Demographic patterns and rates of population change were variable among and within populations across years. We found an inverse relationship between adult sex ratio (bull:cow) and population density (R² = 0.48, P < 0.001), which suggests negative population growth (λ < 1.0) when the adult sex ratio falls below a density-dependent threshold for population growth. Winter calf recruitment (calves/cow) was positively correlated (R² = 0.12, P = 0.027) with adult sex ratio. Stable or increasing populations (λ ≥ 1.0) tended to have lower adult sex ratios relative to winter calf recruitment ratios than declining populations. Population state and vital rate relationships are useful to assess population performance and guide science-based moose management strategies in a Management-by-Objective decision-analytic framework
ASSESSING MOOSE HUNTER DISTRIBUTION TO EXPLORE HUNTER COMPETITION
No full textTraditional values, motivations, and expectations of seclusion by moose (Alces alces) hunters, more specifically their distributional overlap and encounters in the field, may exacerbate perceptions of competition among hunters. However, few studies have quantitatively addressed overlap in hunting activity where hunters express concern about competition. To assess spatial and temporal characteristics of competition, our objectives were to: 1) quantify temporal harvest patterns in regions with low (roadless rural) and high (roaded urban) accessibility, and 2) quantify overlap in harvest patterns of two hunter groups (local, non-local) in rural regions. We used moose harvest data (2000–2016) in Alaska to quantify and compare hunting patterns across time and space between the two hunter groups in different moose management areas. We created a relative hunter overlap index that accounted for the extent of overlap between local and non-local harvest. The timing of peak harvest was different (P < 0.01) in urban and rural regions, occurring in the beginning and middle of the hunting season, respectively. In the rural region, hunter overlap scores revealed a concentration in 20% of the area on 16–20 September, with 50% of local harvest on 33% of the area and 54% of non-local harvest on 18% of the area. We recommend specific management strategies, such as lifting the air transportation ban into inaccessible areas, to redistribute hunters and reduce overlap and concerns of competition in high-use areas. We also encourage dissemination of information about known hotspots of hunter overlap to modify hunter expectations and subsequent behavior. Our hunter overlap index should prove useful in regions where similar concerns about hunter competition, hunter satisfaction, and related management dilemmas occur
AVAILABILITY AND USE OF MOOSE BROWSE IN RESPONSE TO POST-FIRE SUCCESSION ON KANUTI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALASKA
No full textWildfire is a prominent landscape-level disturbance in interior Alaska and associated vegetation changes affect quantity and quality of moose (Alces alces) habitat. These changes are important to land and wildlife managers responsible for managing habitat and ensuring sustained yield of game species such as moose. Considering the changing fire regime related to climate change, we explored post-fire dynamics of moose habitat to broaden understanding of local habitat characteristics associated with wildfire on the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge in interior Alaska. We studied 34 sites in different aged stands (2005 burn, 1990 burn, 1972 burn, and unburned in the last 80 years) in August 2012 and 2013 to estimate summer browse density, biomass production, and browse use, and revisited each site the following March to estimate winter browse availability and offtake. We also used location data from 51 radio-collared moose to quantify use of burns on the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. We found that summer density and biomass of preferred browse was highest at sites in the 1990 burn, although use of burns varied seasonally. Despite high biomass in the most recent 2005 burn, radio-collared moose avoided burns <11 years old in summer and had preference for older stands (>30 years old). Winter browse offtake was highest in the 1990 and 1972 burns despite relatively high biomass available in the 2005 burn. The disparate use of burns, particularly low use of the 2005 burn, likely reflected a combination of influences including species composition and preference, predator avoidance strategies, a low density moose population, and historic moose distribution patterns
53RD NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP
No full text53RD NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE CONFERENCE AND WORKSHO
