Timing and Synchrony of Parturition in Alaskan Moose: Long-Term Versus Proximal Effects of Climate

Abstract

We studied timing and synchrony of parturition in Alaskan moose ( Alces alces ) in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, from 1990 to 1994. Mean date of birth was 25 May ( SD = 5.7 days) and did not differ significantly among years. Although moose did not congregate to give birth, parturition was highly synchronized (95% of births occurred in 16 days) with no significant differences among years. Most young moose were killed by predators, especially grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos ), but timing of reproduction had no effect on survivorship of young, which was low (ca. 0.2 by 16 June). We reject the hypothesis that moose timed births to avoid predation. We also measured depth of snow in winter, and precipitation, cloud cover, and temperature in spring; none of these variables was related to timing or synchrony of births. Likewise, quality of willow ( Salix pulchra ) in 3 springs in which percent nitrogen and in vitro dry-matter digestibility of this important forage varied markedly was unrelated to timing of births. We reject the hypothesis that moose timed parturition in response to proximal changes in their environment. We hypothesize that both timing and synchrony of parturition in moose are adaptations to long-term patterns of climate that provide the most hospitable conditions to bear and rear young. Consequently, moose may be more susceptible to climatic change than other ungulates that are more adapted to climatic variability.