THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA
Habitat selection is a central component of the ecology of individual animals as it affects body condition, survivorship, and reproductive output. We instrumented male and female moose (Alces alces) in north-central Alaska with GPS radio-collars to assess factors we hypothesized were important to th...
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doaj-44423d13da834270b2e538e9f49e01892020-11-25T02:27:47ZengLakehead UniversityAlces : A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose0835-58510835-58512016-01-0152101115THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKAKyle Joly0 Mathew S. Sorum1Tim Craig2Erin L. Julianus3National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge, 101 12th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701; RetiredBureau of Land Management, Central Yukon Field Office, 1150 University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99709Habitat selection is a central component of the ecology of individual animals as it affects body condition, survivorship, and reproductive output. We instrumented male and female moose (Alces alces) in north-central Alaska with GPS radio-collars to assess factors we hypothesized were important to their habitat selection. Using synoptic modeling techniques, we found that models with more covariates were better predictors of moose habitat selection than more simplistic models. As expected, moose selected for habitats with high canopy cover and/or that typically have abundant forage such as 11-30 year old burned areas. However, we detected differences in habitat selection between sexes, seasons (i.e., winter versus summer), during winters of varying severity, and females with differing maternal status. During winter males moved to lower elevation areas, presumably to avoid greater snow depths, whereas females remained at relatively similar elevations. Females selected burned habitat and areas that received higher amounts of solar radiation. We found that all moose selected for lower elevation habitats closer to rivers during moderate and severe winters, but elevation was not a strong influence during mild winters. We found that females with calves avoided riparian habitats and selected areas with more forested habitat than females without calves during both summer and winter. This suggests a trade-off between maximizing forage intake and reducing predation risk for their offspring. Our and similar data are useful to improve moose management strategies and provide a benchmark against which the impacts of climate change and industrial development are assessed in this rapidly-changing region.https://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/165/246alces alcesarcticbrooks rangematernal statusmoosesynoptic modelingwinter severity |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Kyle Joly Mathew S. Sorum Tim Craig Erin L. Julianus |
spellingShingle |
Kyle Joly Mathew S. Sorum Tim Craig Erin L. Julianus THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA Alces : A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose alces alces arctic brooks range maternal status moose synoptic modeling winter severity |
author_facet |
Kyle Joly Mathew S. Sorum Tim Craig Erin L. Julianus |
author_sort |
Kyle Joly |
title |
THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA |
title_short |
THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA |
title_full |
THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA |
title_fullStr |
THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA |
title_full_unstemmed |
THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TERRAIN, WILDFIRE, WINTER SEVERITY, AND MATERNAL STATUS ON HABITAT SELECTION BY MOOSE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ALASKA |
title_sort |
effects of sex, terrain, wildfire, winter severity, and maternal status on habitat selection by moose in north-central alaska |
publisher |
Lakehead University |
series |
Alces : A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose |
issn |
0835-5851 0835-5851 |
publishDate |
2016-01-01 |
description |
Habitat selection is a central component of the ecology of individual animals as it affects body condition, survivorship, and reproductive output. We instrumented male and female moose (Alces alces) in north-central Alaska with GPS radio-collars to assess factors we hypothesized were important to their habitat selection. Using synoptic modeling techniques, we found that models with more covariates were better predictors of moose habitat selection than more simplistic models. As expected, moose selected for habitats with high canopy cover and/or that typically have abundant forage such as 11-30 year old burned areas. However, we detected differences in habitat selection between sexes, seasons (i.e., winter versus summer), during winters of varying severity, and females with differing maternal status. During winter males moved to lower elevation areas, presumably to avoid greater snow depths, whereas females remained at relatively similar elevations. Females selected burned habitat and areas that received higher amounts of solar radiation. We found that all moose selected for lower elevation habitats closer to rivers during moderate and severe winters, but elevation was not a strong influence during mild winters. We found that females with calves avoided riparian habitats and selected areas with more forested habitat than females without calves during both summer and winter. This suggests a trade-off between maximizing forage intake and reducing predation risk for their offspring. Our and similar data are useful to improve moose management strategies and provide a benchmark against which the impacts of climate change and industrial development are assessed in this rapidly-changing region. |
topic |
alces alces arctic brooks range maternal status moose synoptic modeling winter severity |
url |
https://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/165/246 |
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