Moose Population Research Articles

Associate Editors/Corédacteurs

Moose (Alces alces L.) browsing in Gros Morne National Park has damaged its balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)dominated forest. A forest estate model was used to evaluate (i) the impacts of moose browsing and woodcutting on forest succession and (ii) strategies of forest restoration through planting and moose population management. The simulation results show that under current heavy browsing pressure growing stock of balsam fir decreases by 38%, but the area of spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP and P. glauca (Moench) Voss) increases by 32% over a 100-year planning horizon, compared to that under light browsing scenario which is assumed to be similar to the forest outside the Park due to moose population management. Annual allowable cut (AAC) for the Park’s 19 400 ha domestic harvest area is estimated to be around 120 979 m3 in a light browsing scenario, 21% higher than the sustainable harvest level in a heavy browsing scenario. The model forecasts a 97% reforestation of the Park’s 7 194 ha disturbed area by planting in the heavy browsing scenario, leading to an increase in total forest growing stock by 22% and AAC by 12%. Integration of planting with moose population management could be a more efficient way of restoring forest under high browsing pressure in GMNP.

Intensive moose browsing and small-scale domestic woodcutting impacts on forest successional trajectories in Gros Morne National Park, Canada

Moose (Alces alces L.) browsing in Gros Morne National Park has damaged its balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)-dominated forest. A forest estate model was used to evaluate (i) the impacts of moose browsing and woodcutting on forest succession and (ii) strategies of forest restoration through planting and moose population management. The simulation results show that under current heavy browsing pressure growing stock of balsam fir decreases by 38%, but the area of spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP and P. glauca (Moench) Voss) increases by 32% over a 100-year planning horizon, compared to that under light browsing scenario which is assumed to be similar to the forest outside the Park due to moose population management. Annual allowable cut (AAC) for the Park’s 19 400 ha domestic harvest area is estimated to be around 120 979 m3 in a light browsing scenario, 21% higher than the sustainable harvest level in a heavy browsing scenario. The model forecasts a 97% reforestation of the Park’s 7 194 ha disturbed area by planting in the heavy browsing scenario, leading to an increase in total forest growing stock by 22% and AAC by 12%. Integration of planting with moose population management could be a more efficient way of restoring forest under high browsing pressure in GMNP.

Modeling Cumulative Effects of Climate and Development on Moose, Wolf, and Caribou Populations

ABSTRACTWildlife models focused solely on a single strong influence (e.g., habitat components, wildlife harvest) are limited in their ability to detect key mechanisms influencing population change. Instead, we propose integrated modeling in the context of cumulative effects assessment using multispecies population dynamics models linked to landscape‐climate simulation at large spatial and temporal scales. We developed an integrated landscape and population simulation model using ALCES Online as the model‐building platform, and the model accounted for key ecological components and relationships among moose (Alces alces), grey wolves (Canis lupus nubilus), and woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in northern Ontario, Canada. We simulated multiple scenarios over 5 decades (beginning 2020) to explore sensitivity to climate change and land use and assessed effects at multiple scales. The magnitude of effect and the relative importance of key factors (climate change, roads, and habitat) differed depending on the scale of assessment. Across the full extent of the study area (654,311km2[ecozonal scale]), the caribou population declined by 26% largely because of climate change and associated predator‐prey response, which led to caribou range recession in the southern part of the study area. At the caribou range scale (108,378 km2), which focused on 2 herds in the northern part of the study area, climate change led to a 10% decline in the population and development led to an additional 7% decline. At the project scale (8,331 km2), which was focused more narrowly on the landscape surrounding 4 proposed mines, the caribou population declined by 29% largely in response to simulated development. Given that observed caribou population dynamics were sensitive to the cumulative effects of climate change, land use, interspecific interactions, and scale, insights from the analysis might not emerge under a less complex model. Our integrated modeling framework provides valuable support for broader regional assessments, including estimation of risk to caribou and Indigenous food security, and for developing and evaluating potential caribou recovery strategies. © 2021 The Authors.The Journal of Wildlife Managementpublished by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

Reconstructing landscapes of ungulate parturition and predation using vegetation phenology

Enhanced vegetation index (EVI) data can be used to identify and define the space in which ungulates practice parturition and encounter predation. This study explores the use of EVI data to identify landscapes linked to ungulate parturition and predation events across space, time, and environmental conditions. As a case study, we used the moose population (Alces alces) of northern Minnesota in the USA. Using remotely sensed EVI data rasters and global positioning system collar data, we quantified how vegetation phenology and moose movement shaped the births and predation of 52 moose calves from 2013 to 2020 on or adjacent to the Grand Portage Indian Reservation. The known sources of predation were American black bears (Ursus americanus, n = 22) and gray wolves (Canis lupus, n = 28). Satellite-derived data summarizing seasonal landscape features at the local level revealed that landscape heterogeneity use by moose can help to quantitatively identify landscapes of parturition and predation in space and time across large areas. Vegetation phenology proved to be differentiable between adult moose ranges, sites of cow parturition, and sites of calf predation. Landscape characteristics of each moose group were consistent and tractable based on environment, suggesting that sites of parturition and predation of moose are predictable in space and time. It is possible that moose selected specific landscapes for parturition despite risk of increased predation of their calves, which could be an example of an "ecological trap." This analytical framework can be employed to identify areas for future ungulate research on the impacts of landscape on parturition and predation dynamics.

Macronutrient balancing in free-ranging populations of moose.

At northern latitudes, large spatial and temporal variation in the nutritional composition of available foods poses challenges to wild herbivores trying to satisfy their nutrient requirements. Studies conducted in mostly captive settings have shown that animals from a variety of taxonomic groups deal with this challenge by adjusting the amounts and proportions of available food combinations to achieve a target nutrient balance. In this study, we used proportions‐based nutritional geometry to analyze the nutritional composition of rumen samples collected in winter from 481 moose (Alces alces) in southern Sweden and examine whether free‐ranging moose show comparable patterns of nutrient balancing. Our main hypothesis was that wild moose actively regulate their rumen nutrient composition to offset ecologically imposed variation in the nutritional composition of available foods. To test this, we assessed the macronutritional composition (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) of rumen contents and commonly eaten foods, including supplementary feed, across populations with contrasting winter diets, spanning an area of approximately 10,000 km2. Our results suggest that moose balanced the macronutrient composition of their rumen, with the rumen contents having consistently similar proportional relationship between protein and nonstructural carbohydrates, despite differences in available (and eaten) foods. Furthermore, we found that rumen macronutrient balance was tightly related to ingested levels of dietary fiber (cellulose and hemicellulose), such that the greater the fiber content, the less protein was present in the rumen compared with nonstructural carbohydrates. Our results also suggest that moose benefit from access to a greater variety of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses, which provides them with a larger nutritional space to maneuver within. Our findings provide novel theoretical insights into a model species for ungulate nutritional ecology, while also generating data of direct relevance to wildlife and forest management, such as silvicultural or supplementary feeding practices.

There’s no place like home — site fidelity by female moose (Alces alces) in central Ontario, Canada

Site fidelity is thought to provide increased fitness through familiarity with the distribution of forage, protective cover, breeding and offspring rearing sites, and predators. For moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)), previous research has documented fidelity at varying spatial scales. Our objective was to build on this knowledge and assess fidelity by adult female moose in two areas of central Ontario, Canada (Algonquin Provincial Park (APP) and Wildlife Management Unit 49 (WMU49)). We used global positioning system data to generate mean weekly locations for collared moose, then measured the distance between paired weekly locations among consecutive years to evaluate site fidelity. We tested for effects of study area, biological season, moose age, and reproductive status using generalized linear mixed models. Moose demonstrated stronger site fidelity in WMU49, an area with more anthropogenic disturbance, than the protected area, APP. Fidelity was weakest in the winter, but was similar among other seasons and was independent of maternal age and the presence of a calf. Our study highlights the need to consider the scale of site fidelity relative to habitat management. Actions aimed at supporting moose populations might benefit more by protecting habitat classes selected by moose rather than specific sites used by individuals.

Analysis of moose-vehicle collisions countermeasures in northern climates

Abstract This research investigates the reliability of two measures intended to reduce moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs): continuous lighting and clearing/grubbing of roadway corridors. Individual analyses and a combined regression analysis were conducted to measure the effects of several combinations of variables on MVC rates, including clearing and grubbing, continuous lighting, clearing without grubbing, moose population, precipitation, snowfall, and maximum snow depth. Nine corridor improvement projects were analyzed based on the variables present. In previous studies, it has been hypothesized that MVC rates are influenced by environmental conditions such as snowfall and daylight. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has performed many studies on MVCs along several corridors. Some corridors showed a significant drop in the number of MVCs after the installation of continuous lighting. The results show there is a consistent drop in MVCs after clearing and grubbing, with the exception of one corridor. The combined clearing/grubbing and continuous lighting projects also resulted in a consistent drop in MVCs. The projects with clearing and grubbing as a component had varying trends in MVCs, which may indicate that DOT&PF Maintenance and Operations performed clearing of re-vegetated areas, or that older growth is less of an attractant for moose.

EVALUATING THE THRESHOLD DENSITY HYPOTHESIS FOR MOOSE (ALCES ALCES), WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS), AND PARELAPHOSTRONGYLUS TENUIS.

Despite the importance of the Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection for moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) management, only one peer-reviewed study has evaluated the relationship between deer and moose densities and the potential for parasite-mediated competition between the species. Using polynomial-regression modeling, that study identified a deer-density threshold above which moose populations declined; however, the nature of the data and apparent outliers suggests the approach used to develop that threshold may not have been appropriate. We used the data from the original study to test whether alternative models, including linear models and negative binomial models would be less sensitive to outliers and could better explain that relationship. We found no evidence that moose density decreases as deer density increases. We concluded that, although the proposed moose-deer-P. tenuis relationship could be partially density dependent, additional factors, such as frequency dependence of disease transmission, gastropod abundance, and shared use of resources by moose and deer should also be considered.

The return of large carnivores: Using hunter observation data to understand the role of predators on ungulate populations

Large carnivores play a key ecological role in nature, yet quantifying the effects of predation at large spatiotemporal scales remains challenging. Wolves and brown bears have recovered in Sweden, where they share the same staple prey, moose. This ecosystem is representative of the Eurasian boreal realm, and makes an interesting case study for exploring the use of hunter-collected observation data to understand the ecological effects of large carnivore recovery in human-dominated ecosystems. We used over 50 million hours of moose observation data collected by “citizen scientists” (i.e., moose hunters) between 2000 and 2017 to evaluate the role of recovering bear and wolf populations on an important ungulate vital rate, calf/cow ratio (the number of observed calves per female in fall). Calf/cow ratios were negatively correlated with both wolf and bear densities, suggesting that summer calf survival decreased via predation. Calf/cow ratios decreased by 7% and 17% in the northern and southern areas where bears and wolves were allopatric, respectively. Where wolves and bears were sympatric, the effect of predator densities was additive; calf/cow ratios decreased by 18%. However, both calf/cow ratios and moose densities declined over the last ~20 years across Sweden, including areas where wolves and bears were absent. While recolonizing large carnivores affected ungulate vital rates in Sweden’s human-dominated landscape, they were likely not the primary driver of long-term moose population trends. Our results reinforce that citizen-collected data are a useful wildlife monitoring tool that help understand ecological processes, including the effects of recovering carnivores on prey populations.

Exposure to Select Pathogens in an Expanding Moose (Alces alces) Population in North Dakota, USA.

Forty female moose (Alces alces) captured in North Dakota, US, in March 2014 were tested for antibodies to a variety of pathogens. Antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) were detected in 39 (98%) moose following a year with a high number of human cases, suggesting the population accurately reflects WNV activity. Fifteen percent of moose (6/40) had antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, implying expansion of the tick vector into the area. Antibodies to Anaplasma spp. were detected in 55% of moose (22/40), a higher rate than previously detected in cattle from the region. Low titers (100-400) to one or more serovars of Leptospira spp. were detected in 23% of moose (9/40), a common finding in wild ruminants. Exposure to other pathogens was uncommon (<8%; <3/40) or not documented. Survival and recruitment were high during the study period, suggesting a limited population-level impact at current levels of exposure and environmental co-stressors.

Demographic consequences of harvesting: a case study from a small and isolated moose population

Harvesting can have a substantial impact on population dynamics and individual performance in wild populations. While the direct consequences of harvest on individual survival and population growth rate are often apparent, harvesting can also have indirect and more subtle demographic consequences. Disentangling these consequences, however, requires in-depth knowledge of individual life histories of both females and males in the population. Here, we summarise demographic research on a population where such data exist: the Vega moose population in northern Norway. In this population, vital rates vary considerably among both females and males, and harvesting increases this variation by generating positive covariation between reproductive performance and survival. The skewed age and sex structure, which is typical of many harvested populations, also has demographic consequences: it reduces the ratio of effective to total population size and influences variation in vital rates in males and females. The moose harvest at Vega is structured by age- and sex-specific quotas, but it is not intentionally selective regarding size or other phenotypic characteristics. Still, harvest selection for earlier birth rates and larger calves was apparent, likely due to habitat-performance relationships and habitat-specific harvest mortality. Together, the bulk of research on this population shows that harvesting impacts population demography through many different pathways, with some being more subtle than others. These complex pathways influence the demographic variance and affect stochastic processes such as population growth, genetic drift, and rates of evolutionary change, and they must therefore be acknowledged in management plans to achieve sustainable harvesting.

Gastrointestinal Helminths of a European Moose Population in Poland.

Parasitic infections have a negative impact on the fecundity and survival of wild ruminants, particularly moose; however, despite being more susceptible to parasitic diseases than other wild cervids, they remain poorly examined in this regard. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify gastrointestinal and liver helminth species of the moose population in central Europe, assess the factors contributing to infection intensities and examine their impact on moose health. Abomasum, small intestine, caecum and liver samples were collected from 46 moose in Poland and evaluated for helminth parasite fauna and histopathological changes. Additionally, 289 moose fecal samples were analyzed for the presence of eggs, oocysts and larvae of parasites. In total, 19 parasite taxa were identified. The most prevalent were Mazamastrongylus dagestanica and Ostertagia antipini, which are typical nematodes of moose, together with Spiculopteragia boehmi and O. leptospicularis, characteristic also of other cervids. Parasite species diversity and abomasal parasitic infection intensity were higher in adult moose than in yearlings and calves. The numbers of histopathological lesions depended on the intensity of parasitic infections, and were most severe in the livers of moose infected with Parafasciolopsis fasciolaemorpha. The analysis of fecal samples revealed several regional differences in the levels of parasite eggs, oocysts and larvae shedding. Our findings indicate an accumulation of parasite infections over time in moose, which may be related to high environmental parasite pressure, possibly connected with high moose density and the presence of wetlands; they also serve as the most comprehensive study of moose parasites in central Europe to date.

The declining occurrence of moose (Alces alces) at the southernmost edge of its range raise conservation concerns.

The border region between Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany harbors the most south‐western occurrence of moose in continental Europe. The population originated in Poland, where moose survived, immigrated from former Soviet Union or were reintroduced after the Second World War expanded west‐ and southwards. In recent years, the distribution of the nonetheless small Central European population seems to have declined, necessitating an evaluation of its current status. In this study, existing datasets of moose observations from 1958 to 2019 collected in the three countries were combined to create a database totaling 771 records (observations and deaths). The database was then used to analyze the following: (a) changes in moose distribution, (b) the most important mortality factors, and (c) the availability of suitable habitat as determined using a maximum entropy approach. The results showed a progressive increase in the number of moose observations after 1958, with peaks in the 1990s and around 2010, followed by a relatively steep drop after 2013. Mortality within the moose population was mostly due to human interactions, including 13 deadly wildlife‐vehicle collisions, particularly on minor roads, and four animals that were either legally culled or poached. Our habitat model suggested that higher altitudes (ca. 700–1,000 m a.s.l.), especially those offering wetlands, broad‐leaved forests and natural grasslands, are the preferred habitats of moose whereas steep slopes and areas of human activity are avoided. The habitat model also revealed the availability of large core areas of suitable habitat beyond the current distribution, suggesting that habitat was not the limiting factor explaining the moose distribution in the study area. Our findings call for immediate transboundary conservation measures to sustain the moose population, such as those aimed at preventing wildlife‐vehicle collisions and illegal killings. Infrastructure planning and development activities must take into account the habitat requirements of moose.

Life-history theory provides a framework for detecting resource limitation: a test of the Nutritional Buffer Hypothesis.

For ungulates and other long-lived species, life-history theory predicts that nutritional reserves are allocated to reproduction in a state-dependent manner because survival is highly conserved. Further, as per capita food abundance and nutritional reserves decline (i.e., density dependence intensifies), reproduction and recruitment become increasingly sensitive to weather. Thus, the degree to which weather influences vital rates should be associated with proximity to nutritional carrying capacity-a notion that we refer to as the Nutritional Buffer Hypothesis. We tested the Nutritional Buffer Hypothesis using six moose (Alces alces) populations that varied in calf recruitment (33-69 calves/100 cows). We predicted that populations with high calf recruitment were nutritionally buffered against the effects of unfavorable weather, and thus were below nutritional carrying capacity. We applied a suite of tools to quantify habitat and nutritional condition of each population and found that increased browse condition, forage quality, and body fat were associated with increased pregnancy and calf recruitment, thereby providing multiple lines of evidence that declines in calf recruitment were underpinned by resource limitation. From 2001 to 2015, recruitment was more sensitive to interannual variation in weather (e.g., winter severity, drought) and plant phenology (e.g., duration of spring) for populations with reduced browse condition, forage quality, and body fat, suggesting these populations lacked the nutritional reserves necessary to buffer demographic performance against the effects of unfavorable weather. Further, average within-population calf recruitment was determined by regional climatic variation, suggesting that the pattern of reduced recruitment near the southern range boundary of moose stems from an interaction between climate and resource limitation. When coupled with information on habitat, nutrition, weather, and climate, life-history theory provides a framework to estimate nutritional limitation, proximity to nutritional carrying capacity, and impacts of climate change for ungulates.

Problems of ante mortem diagnostics of prion diseases

The review presents the state-of-the-art on the problem of diagnosis of prion diseases (PD) in humans and animals with a brief description of their etiology and pathogenesis. We pointed out that understanding the nature of the etio logical agent of PD determined their zoonotic potential and led to the development of highly specific immunological diagnostic methods aimed at identifying the infectious isoform of prion protein (PrPd) as the only marker of the disease. In this regard, we briefly summarize the results of studies, including our own, concerning the conversion of normal prion protein molecules (PrPc) to PrPd, the production of monoclonal antibodies and their application as immunodiagnostic reagents for the post-mortem detection of PrPd in various formats of immunoassay. We also emphasize the issues related to the development of methods for ante mortem diagnostics of PD. In this regard, a method for amplifying amino acid sequences using quacking-induced conversion of PrPc to PrPd in real time (RTQuIC) described in details. The results of recent studies on the assessment of the sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of this method, carried out in various laboratories around the world, are presented. The data obtained indicate that RT-QuIC is currently the most promising laboratory assay for detecting PrPd in biological material at the preclinical stage of the disease. The significant contribution of US scientists to the introduction of this method into clinical practice on the model of diagnosis of chronic wasting disease of wild Cervidae (CWD) is noted. The possible further spread of CWD in the population of moose and deer in the territories bordering with Russia, as well as the established fact of alimentary transmission of CWD to macaques, indicate the threat of the appearance of PD in our country. In conclusion, the importance of developing new hypersensitive and/or selective components of known methods for PrPd identification from the point of view of assessing the risks of creating artificial infectious prion proteins in vivo or in vitro, primarily new pathogenic isoforms ("strains") and synthetic prions, was outlined.

Conservation and Indigenous Subsistence Hunting in the Peace River Region of Canada

A factor that has long complicated the enactment of conservation policies in Canada is that First Nations harvesting data are often missing or incomplete. Consequently conservation policies are based on population estimates that First Nations often regard as excessively precautionary and economically, politically, and racially motivated. We present the results of a regional study documenting the extent to which First Nations households from 13 First Nations communities in the Peace River region of British Columbia and Alberta participate in subsistence moose (Alces alces) hunting. Since the 1990s, the moose population in the Peace River region has exhibited episodic decline. This is a particular concern to First Nations who depend on moose as their primary source of wild food and a critical component of their culture and identity. First Nations leaders are now calling upon provincial governments to engage with them directly in a form of collaborative conservation that can build trust, cross-cultural competencies, and the co-production of new knowledge that can inform conservation policies that protect rather than restrict First Nation subsistence rights.

NEONATE HEALTH AND CALF MORTALITY IN A DECLINING POPULATION OF NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE (ALCES ALCES AMERICANUS).

Moose (Alces alces americanus) populations in many areas along the southern extent of the North American moose range, including Minnesota, have experienced decline. Ascertaining neonate health and cause-specific mortality is critical where calf survival is low and understanding underlying causes of population dynamics is important. To investigate moose neonate health and causes of mortality, we studied 43 calves shortly after parturition during 2013-15 and 2018. The observed natural calf mortality rate was 84% by the following January of each calving season. Most natural calf mortalities were caused by black bear (Ursus americanus) or wolf (Canis lupus) predation or associated injuries (71%) but also included stillbirth (16%), orphaning (7%), generalized bacterial infection (3%), and hunter harvest (3%). Neonate health was evaluated in 27 calves by hematology, serum biochemistry profile, and maternally derived immunoglobulin. General health parameters were mostly within an expected range for normal health and adequate maternal immunoglobulin transfer. Importantly, these data contribute to a growing body of literature on moose neonate health and is the first report, to our knowledge, of maternally derived immunity in moose neonates.

Juvenile moose stress and nutrition dynamics related to winter ticks, landscape characteristics, climate-mediated factors and survival.

Moose populations in the northeastern United States have declined over the past 15years, primarily due to the impacts of winter ticks. Research efforts have focused on the effects of winter tick infestation on moose survival and reproduction, but stress and nutritional responses to ticks and other stressors remain understudied. We examined the influence of several environmental factors on moose calf stress hormone metabolite concentrations and nutritional restriction in Vermont, USA. We collected 407 fecal and 461 snow urine samples from 84 radio-collared moose calves in the winters of 2017-2019 (January-April) to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) concentrations and urea nitrogen:creatinine (UN:C) ratios. We used generalized mixed-effects models to evaluate the influence of individual condition, winter ticks, habitat, climate and human development on stress and nutrition in calf moose. We then used these physiological data to build generalized linear models to predict calf winter survival. Calf fGCM concentrations increased with nutritional restriction and snow depth during adult winter tick engorgement. Calf UN:C ratios increased in calves with lighter weights and higher tick loads in early winter. Calf UN:C ratios also increased in individuals with home ranges composed of little deciduous forests during adult winter tick engorgement. Our predictive models estimated that winter survival was negatively related to UN:C ratios and positively related to fGCM concentrations, particularly in early winter. By late March, as winter ticks are having their greatest toll and endogenous resources become depleted, we estimated a curvilinear relationship between fGCM concentrations and survival. Our results provide novel evidence linking moose calf stress and nutrition, a problematic parasite and challenging environment and winter survival. Our findings provide a baseline to support the development of non-invasive physiological monitoring for assessing environmental impacts on moose populations.

Impact of a recolonizing, cross-border carnivore population on ungulate harvest in Scandinavia

Predation from large carnivores and human harvest are the two main mortality factors affecting the dynamics of many ungulate populations. We examined long-term moose (Alces alces) harvest data from two countries that share cross-border populations of wolves (Canis lupus) and their main prey moose. We tested how a spatial gradient of increasing wolf territory density affected moose harvest density and age and sex composition of the harvested animals (n = 549,310), along a latitudinal gradient during 1995–2017. In areas containing average-sized wolf territories, harvest density was on average 37% (Norway) and 51% (Sweden) lower than in areas without wolves. In Sweden, calves made up a higher proportion of the moose harvest than in Norway, and this proportion was reduced with increased wolf territory density, while it increased in Norway. The proportion of females in the adult harvest was more strongly reduced in Sweden than in Norway as a response to increased wolf territory density. Moose management in both countries performed actions aimed to increase productivity in the moose population, in order to compensate for the increased mortality caused by wolves. These management actions are empirical examples of an adaptive management in response to the return of large carnivores.

First report of a newly-described lungworm, Dictyocaulus cervi (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea), in moose (Alces alces) in central Europe.

Lungworms from the genus Dictyocaulus are the causative agents of verminous pneumonia in domestic and wild ungulates. Recently, in 2017, a new species was isolated from red deer and described as Dictyocaulus cervi; however, little is known about its epidemiology and pathogenicity in other cervids. The aim of our study was to determine the extent of infection with Dictyocaulus nematodes in the moose population in Poland.Parasitological necropsies were performed in 18 moose and 249 faecal samples were analysed. A combination of multiplex PCR and analysis of the partial SSU, cox1 and cyt B regions revealed the presence of D. cervi infection in two of the necropsied moose. Histopathological examinations revealed changes, including multiple cross sections of larvae of nematodes in alveoli, massive pulmonary fibrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration and diffuse alveolar damage in the lungs of four animals. The lesions were more pronounced when adult Dictyocaulus nematodes were present in the bronchi and bronchioles. Some of the observed pathological changes could be attributed to co-infection by nematodes of the Protostrongylidae, whose larvae were found in all four animals with lung pathologies. In the faeces, Dictyocaulus sp. larvae only occurred together with Protostrongylidae larvae; in addition, higher numbers of Protostrongylidae larvae were excreted in the faeces of animals with dictyocaulosis.The present study is the first report of the presence of D. cervi in moose, and demonstrates the value of multiplex PCR in the identification of Dictyocaulus nematodes. Our findings indicate that co-infections with multiple species of lung nematodes in moose may be commonplace, and this should be considered as a factor aggravating the course of parasitosis.