Indigenous‐Led Analysis of Important Subsistence Species Response to Resource Extraction

Considered as absent throughout Scandinavia for >100 years, wolves (Canis lupus) have recently naturally recolonized south-central Sweden. This recolonization has provided an opportunity to study behavioral responses of moose (Alces alces) to wolves. We used satellite telemetry locations from collared moose and wolves to determine whether moose habitat use was affected by predation risk based on wolf use distributions. Moose habitat use was influenced by reproductive status and time of day and showed a different selection pattern between winter and summer, but there was weak evidence that moose habitat use depended on predation risk. The seemingly weak response may have several underlying explanations that are not mutually exclusive from the long term absence of non-human predation pressure: intensive harvest by humans during the last century is more important than wolf predation as an influence on moose behavior; moose have not adapted to recolonizing wolves; and responses may include other behavioral adaptations or occur at finer temporal and spatial levels than investigated.

Habitat use is widely known to be influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, such as climate, population density, foraging opportunity and predation risk. The influence of the life-history state of an individual organism on habitat use is less well understood, especially for terrestrial mammals. There is good reason to expect that life-history state would affect habitat use. For example, organisms exhibiting poor condition associated with senescence have an increased vulnerability to predation and that vulnerability is known to alter habitat use strategies. We assessed the influence of life-history stage on habitat use for 732 moose (Alces alces) killed by wolves (Canis lupus) over a 50-year period in Isle Royale National Park, an island ecosystem in Lake Superior, USA. We developed regression models to assess how location of death was associated with a moose's life-history stage (prime-aged or senescent), presence or absence of senescent-associated pathology (osteoarthritis and jaw necrosis), and annual variation in winter severity, moose density and ratio of moose to wolves, which is an index of predation risk. Compared to senescent moose, prime-aged moose tend to make greater use of habitat farther from the shoreline of Isle Royale. That result is ecologically relevant because shoreline habitat on Isle Royale tends to provide better foraging opportunities for moose but is also associated with increased predation risk. During severe winters prime-aged moose tend to make greater use of habitat that is closer to shore in relation to senescent-aged moose. Furthermore, moose of both age classes were more likely to die in riskier, shoreline habitat during years when predation risk was lower in the preceding year. Our results highlight a complicated connection between life history, age-structured population dynamics and habitat-related behaviour. Our analysis also illustrates why intraspecific competition should not be the presumed mechanism underlying density-dependent habitat use, if predation risk is related to density, as it is expected to be in many systems.

Ecological dimensions of airborne laser scanning — Analyzing the role of forest structure in moose habitat use within a year

Fire severity is an important control over regeneration of deciduous species and can influence the overall quality of habitat for herbivores, such as moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)), but the relationships between availability and duration of biomass production and moose habitat use are largely unknown. We evaluate the relative influence of a regenerating burn, paying particular attention to fire severity, on winter forage production and duration, offtake, nutritional quality, and seasonal moose habitat use. We used data from 14 GPS collared male moose in the 20-year-old Hajdukovich Creek Burn (HCB) in interior Alaska, USA, to generate seasonal dynamic Brownian bridge movement models. Within HCB, moose selected for low-severity sites more than high- and moderate-severity sites during the winter. Over the past decade, willow (species of the genus Salix L.) biomass production in low-severity sites has doubled and is likely influencing winter habitat selection patterns. In summer, moose selected for high-severity sites where there is a more abundant understory layer (e.g., stem densities) providing both forage and cover. The initial pulse of biomass production in high-severity sites, as well as the delay in growth and maturation of vegetation in low-severity sites, indicate that differing distributions of wildfire severity can create a dynamic mosaic of habitat patches that may extend the value of burns over time for moose.

The habitat selection criteria of mooseAlces alcesat several scales are the basic sets of information needed in moose management planning. We studied moose habitat use in central Finland during 1993–1996 using data from radio collared moose, satellite image based forest and land cover data, and applied the principles of compositional analysis. The habitat compositions of 54 home ranges (10 males during summer, six males during winter, 23 females during summer and 15 females during winter) were first compared with the overall landscape. The habitat compositions around moose locations within their home ranges were then compared with the habitat composition of the home range. Seasons and sexes were compared at both scales. In summer, there was only a slight difference between moose home ranges and the overall landscape. Based on tree species composition, home ranges are located in slightly more fertile areas than the overall landscape. Within their home ranges, moose favoured non‐pine dominated habitats and mature forests, and avoided human settlements. In winter, the moose home ranges included significantly more pine‐dominated plantations and other young successional stages than the overall landscape. The role of pine‐dominated peatland forests/ shrub land was especially pronounced in winter. Winter home ranges included less agricultural land and human settlements than the overall landscape, probably due to the more distant location of important winter habitats from man‐made landscapes. Within the home ranges, both sexes used non‐pine dominated habitats more, and mature forests and human settlements less than expected. At the home range scale, there were no statistical differences between the sexes with respect to habitat use in either season. Within their home ranges, males and females used slightly different habitats during both seasons, suggesting spatially segregated habitat use by the individual sexes. The difference is more clear in winter when males tend to use more pine‐dominated, young successional habitats than females. Compared to the situation in the summer, winter ranges are located in slightly more pine‐dominated habitats with fewer settlements and agricultural fields. The shift in habitat use between the two seasons is more pronounced with respect to habitat use within the home range. Our results indicate that moose habitat selection criteria vary among different hierarchical levels of selection. We stress the importance of multi‐scale assessment of the habitat and other resource selection of animals.

Landscape of fear refers to the spatial variation in prey perception of predation risk, that under certain conditions, may lead to changes in their behavior. Behavioral responses of prey in relation to large carnivore predation risk have mainly been conducted in areas with low anthropogenic impact. We used long-term data on the distribution of moose in different habitat types in a system characterized by intensive management of all three trophic levels (silviculture, harvest of wolves and moose) to study effects on moose habitat selection resulting from the return of an apex predator, the wolf. We assumed that coursing predators such as wolves will cause an increased risk for moose in some habitat types and tested the hypotheses that moose will avoid open or young forest habitats following wolf establishment. After wolf recolonization, moose reduced their use of one type of open habitat (bog) but there was neither change in the use of the other open habitat type (clear-cut), nor in their use of young forest. Wolf establishment did not influence the use of habitat close to dense habitat when being in open habitats. Thus, the effect of wolves varied among habitat types and there was no unidirectional support for a behavioral effect of wolves’ establishment on moose habitat use. Human-driven habitat heterogeneity, concentration of moose forage to certain habitat types, and the effects of a multiple predator guild on moose may all contribute to the results found. We conclude that the landscape of fear is likely to have weak ecological effects on moose in this system.

12 Alces alces shirasi ont ete equipes d'emetteurs radio et suivis entre jan 1979 et avr 1982. Ils choississent les types de vegetation abondants en toutes saisons. L'habitat est choisi en fonction des saisons

Range expansion in unfavorable environments through behavioral responses to microclimatic conditions: Moose (Alces americanus) as the model

ABSTRACTRoad networks and the disturbance associated with vehicle traffic alter animal behavior, movements, and habitat selection. The response of moose (Alces americanus) to roads has been documented in relatively rural areas, but less is known about moose response to roads in more highly roaded landscapes. We examined road‐crossing frequencies and habitat use of global positioning system (GPS)‐collared moose in Massachusetts, USA, where moose home ranges have road densities approximately twice that of previous studies. We compared seasonal road‐crossing frequencies of moose with a null movement model. We estimated moose travel speeds during road‐crossing events and compared them with speeds during other home range movements. To estimate the extent of the road effect zone and determine how roads influenced moose habitat use, we fit a third‐order resource selection function. With the exception of the lowest use road class (<10 vehicles/day), we found moose crossed roads less than expected based on the null movement model and frequency decreased with increasing road size and traffic. Moose crossed roads faster than they traveled during other times. This effect increased with increasing road use intensity. Overall, roads were a major factor determining what portions of Massachusetts moose used and how they moved among habitat patches. Our results suggest that moose in Massachusetts can adapt to a high‐density road network, but the road effect is still strongly negative and, in some cases, is more pronounced than in study areas with lower road densities. Future road construction and the expansion of road networks may have a large effect on moose and other wildlife. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Winter browsing in absence of an apical predator: Do high moose densities compromise tree regeneration?

Moose browsing on tree saplings in young forests was examined in relation to the surrounding landscape at three spatial scales: stand (mean±SE 8.6±0.8 ha), winter home range of moose (10 km2) and annual home range of moose (25 km2). Landscape patterns at winter and annual home range scales were similar, but annual home range scale was the most important in relation to browsing on birch, aspen and rowan. Browsing on birch was positively related to pine volume and mean patch size of young forest, whereas browsing on aspen was negatively related to the same variables. Browsing on rowan was highest where the volume of deciduous food and overall young forest area were low. In contrast to other studies, no difference in browsing intensity on Scots pine was found among study plots. The results from this study imply that landscape patterns at broad spatial scales can be informative for predicting browsing at smaller scales, and emphasize the need to incorporate landscape characteristics into studies of moose habitat use and in moose and forest management.

High densities of ungulates can increase human-wildlife conflicts. Where forestry is an important economy, intensive browsing can lead to browsing damage, resulting in volume losses, poor stand regeneration, and reduced timber quality. The forestry industry thus looks for practical, long-term measures to mitigate browsing damage. We tested the effect of two mitigation measures on moose (Alces alces) browsing behaviour and damage to Scots pine (Pinus sylvetris): (1) ungulate-adapted slash piles (i.e., palatable species only) created during felling to increase short-term food availability and (2) intensified soil scarification to increase long-term food availability (collectively, ‘ungulate-adapted forestry’). Our study occurred in southern Norway where we established fixed vegetation and moose faecal pellet plots at varying distances from conventional and ungulate-adapted slash piles and scarified stands. We evaluated the effects of ungulate-adapted slash piles and intensified scarification on the density of undamaged Scots pine, moose bite diameters, browsing pressure, and moose faecal pellet density. To assess the effect of spatial scale, we created 250 m, 500 m, and 1000-m radius buffers centered on each plot. We found that ungulate-adapted logging near our plots increased the density of undamaged pines, as compared to no and conventional logging. We found that logging in general led to smaller bite diameters. We also found that plots near conventional logging had higher browsing pressure, whereas browsing pressure near ungulate-adapted logging was similar to unlogged stands. For scarification, density of undamaged pine increased when the ungulate-adapted stand aged whereas undamaged pine decreased as conventional scarification stands aged. Browsing pressure showed a response at the smallest spatial scale only for ungulate-adapted scarification. Peak moose habitat use near conventional and ungulate-adapted scarified stands differed by stand age and distance from scarification. The overall effects of ungulate-adapted forestry were most pronounced at the smallest spatial scale (250 m). Our results support ‘ungulate-adapted’ forestry as a practical solution to mitigate browsing damage but uncertainty in some of our estimates suggest further research on the area treated is needed.

We estimated home range size and habitat use of adult female moose (Alces alces) in Grims6, southcentral Sweden. Fourteen adult moose (3-8 yr old) were radiomarked and located from February 1982 through November 1985. Seasonal and annual home range sizes and habitat preferences were determined. Seasonal home range size varied. Summer home ranges were almost 2x larger than winter ranges (9.1 vs. 4.9 km2). Summer ranges constituted >70% of the annual home range. Home ranges overlapped a mean of >10% between all seasons. Annual home range averaged 12.6 km2 and contained ?2 core areas. Core areas represented a mean of 85% of all locations but only 50% of the total area. All annual home ranges overlapped with >-1 home range of other females. Females preferred clearcuts and young and medium-aged forests. Mature stands and bogs were avoided by female moose. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 52(2):336-343 The increase in the moose population in Fennoscandia during the late 1970's and early 1980's has been related to an increase in the amount and distribution of food resources caused by changes in forest management and controlled, selective hunting (Cederlund and Markgren 1986, Haagenrud et al. 1986, Stilfelt 1986). The moose population varies in density between regions and local areas. Experiences from hunters and aerial surveys have indicated that many local areas contain few moose ( 1.0/km2) (T. Thirnhuvud, Flyginventering i Vaisternorrlands iin.-Analyser och firslag till prognosf6rbaittrande Atgiirder, Grims6 Rep. 48 pp., 1983). Managers consider local moose densities to be related to hunting pressure and food distribution (Cederlund and Markgren 1986). Proper management of moose can be facilitated with a better understanding of moose distribution and home ranges. Females are the basic unit for moose management; their density and age distribution determines overall production of calves (Markgren 1969, Saether and Haagenrud 1983). Females also contribute to habitat use of offspring (Sigman 1977), determine movements to seasonal ranges (Mytton and Keith 1981, Sandegren et al. 1983), and establish home ranges of their calves (Gasaway et al. 1980, Cederlund et al. 1987). Our objectives were to (1) estimate female moose expansion of, and fidelity to, individual home ranges during different seasons and years in a high density moose population; (2) determine female moose selection of forest habitats during different seasons; and (3) provide recommendations for management unit size and forestry practices. We are grateful to P. Y. Sweanor for comments and stylistic correction of the manuscript. We thank the staff at Grims6 for radiotracking. We thank P. G. Ahlqvist for marking moose. This study was supported by the Swedish Environment Protection Board.

In Finland, monitoring of the mooseAlces alcespopulation has been based on moose sighting cards and on aerial or ground censuses. However, considerable criticism has been levelled at these techniques, and there is an increasing need for alternative census methods in monitoring and managing moose populations. In this study, pellet group counts were carried out to determine the density and habitat use of moose in a wintering area in central Finland. Pellet group counts were made using both strip and plot sampling procedures. Estimates of moose density depended significantly on the sampling procedures and on the parameters used. Moose density estimates based on plots were twice those based on strips. Different plot intervals in plot sampling gave similar results. Both sampling procedures gave similar results concerning the habitat use of moose. The highest pellet group densities were observed in young Scots pinePinus sylvestrisdominated thinning stands where winter food availability is considerably high. Because food is a limiting factor in winter, pellet group numbers should obviously well reflect moose habitat affinity, which can be classified in terms of forest stand characteristics. Pellet group counts could possibly be used to estimate population densities for moose management. However, it would appear that the plot method, which up to now is the widely used method, overestimates moose densities. Because of the great variation in the results, other possible sources of error in the parameters used should also be taken into account in order to improve the accuracy of the method to be applied.

To explore the influence of habitat fragmentation on the ecology of the Francois's langur (Trachypithecus francoisi), data on habitat use were collected from a group of Francois's langurs living in an isolated hill in the Fusui Rare Animal Nature Reserve, Guangxi Province, from March to December 2001. To identify the effect of human activities on vegetation, 10 vegetation quadrats were sampled in the habitat, including 5 on the slopes with more human disturbance, and 5 on the hill-tops with less human disturbance. Because of human destruction, not only the number of plant species, diversity and density, but also the densities of preferred foods for Francois's langurs were less on the slope than those on the hill-top. Analyses of habitat use indicated that the langurs showed preference for the hill-top with abundant food resources and less human disturbance, and avoided to use the slope with more human disturbance. In the rainy seasons, langurs spent significantly more time on the hill-top rather than on the cliff. Therefore, habitat selection and use of the species may be resulted from the balance of feeding benefit and human disturbance. Francois's langurs used the platforms and caves on the cliffs as sleeping sites. They reused some sleeping sites, and tend to use the same caves on consecutive nights.