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133 results for “Moose”

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Data from: Variation in prevalence and intensity of macroparasites in moose and their interactions with winter tick load in eastern Canada

Wild animals are infected with a large diversity and abundance of parasites that can affect their behavior, growth, body condition, and ultimately their survival. Although the adverse effects of parasites and the mechanisms involved in the interactions between a host and its parasites are generally well studied, much less is known about the additive or synergistic effects of multiple parasite species on a host. Moose populations in eastern Canada are infected by several species of endoparasites. In the last decades, the intensity of infestations by winter ticks, an ectoparasite, on moose have increased as a result of increased moose densities and favorable weather conditions that benefit winter tick survival. We aimed to document the diversity, intensity, prevalence, and distribution of different parasite species of moose in southern Quebec, Canada. We then evaluated the potential interaction between winter tick and endoparasites of moose, and we evaluated the effect of the simultaneous presence of ticks and endoparasites on moose body condition. To do so, we collected organs to identify and count endoparasite species, estimate winter tick abundance, and measure subcutaneous fat thickness from 174 hunted moose in fall 2019 in 8 regions of Quebec. Our results showed that the prevalence and intensity of winter tick and gastrointestinal parasites differed among regions, as well as the prevalence of the heart parasite Taenia krabbei and the intensity of lung parasite Echinoccocus granulosus. Moose body condition, however, was not influenced by the simultaneous presence of winter tick and endoparasites. The documentation of the interactive effects of multiple parasite species on a host is fundamental given that future environmental conditions in temperate climate will favor the reproduction, development, and survival of several parasite species, which could affect parasite diversity and abundance in the environment and modify host-parasite dynamics.

opencc-zeroMar 2024View details →

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Moose selection for resource stoichiometry

<ol> <li>Herbivores consider the variation of forage qualities (nutritional content and digestibility) as well as quantities (biomass) when foraging. Such selection patterns may change based on the scale of foraging, particularly in the case of ungulates that forage at many scales.</li> <li>To test selection for quality and quantity in free-ranging herbivores across scales, however, we must first develop landscape-wide quantitative estimates of both forage quantity and quality. Stoichiometric distribution models (StDMs) bring opportunity to address this because they predict the elemental measures and stoichiometry of resources at landscape extents.</li> <li>Here, we use StDMs to predict elemental measures of understory white birch quality (% nitrogen) and quantity (g carbon/m2) across two boreal landscapes. We analyzed GPS collared moose (n = 14) selection for forage quantity and quality at the landscape, home range, and patch extents using both individual and pooled resource selection analyses. We predicted that as the scale of resource selection decreased from the landscape to the patch, selection for white birch quantity would decrease and selection for quality would increase.</li> <li>Counter to our prediction, pooled-models showed selection for our estimates of quantity and quality to be neutral with low explanatory power and no scalar trends. At the individual-level, however, we found evidence for quality and quantity trade-offs, most notably at the home range scale where resource selection models explain the largest amount of variation in selection. Furthermore, individuals did not follow the same trade-off tactic, with some preferring forage quantity over quality and vice-versa.</li> <li>Such individual trade-offs show that moose may be flexible in attaining a limiting nutrient. Our findings suggest that herbivores may respond to forage elemental compositions and quantities, giving tools like StDMs merit towards animal ecology applications. The integration of StDMs and animal movement data represents a promising avenue for progress in the field of zoogeochemistry.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroOct 2021View details →

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Locations of GPS-collared moose and geographic correlates, as well as for random points within study area

Moose are among the many species that are vulnerable to both direcdt and indirect effects of climate change. Habitat selection is one framework to assist investigators in disentangling the various factors (including weather) that ultimately dictate how animals respond to their environment. We investigated patterns of winter habitat selecdtion by adult female moose in southerwestern MOntana, USA, during 2007-2010, and how that selection was affected by snow (quantified by snow water equivalent) and winter temperatures. We used data from GPS colalrs and a suite of environmental covariates to quantify winter habitat selection at both study area (2nd order) and home range (3rd order) spatial scales using resource selection functions. Moose strongly select for the willow (Salix spp.) cover type, and against grassland cover. Moose use of conifer cover at the home range scale increased when either amount of snow or ambient temperature was higher, altough the latter only during periods of the day when conifer pathces were likely to have been cooler than cover types lacking a canopy. Wildlife conservatoin and management naturally focuses on preferred habitats, particularly those that fulfill essentially all forgaing requirements. However, habitats used preferentially under stresful weather conditions, even if used rarely overall, can also form a critical part of a species' overall needs.,

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

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Camera trap data used for assessment of movement patterns by injured moose

The data were collected from camera trap recordings of animals on a remote trail in northern British Columbia, Canada, from 2017-2020. The data were used for an assessment of the general fauna composition of the area; and also for assessing movement patterns of moose - especially those with obvious leg injuries. The data set includes 4562 observations - that is, instances of an animal recorded on a given video. For further description see the paper "Performance of Wild Animals with "Broken" Traits: Movement Patterns in Nature of Moose That Have Leg Injuries" published in Ecology and Evolution.

opencc-zeroJul 2022View details →

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Monitoring GPS-collared moose by ground versus drone approaches: efficiency and disturbance effects

Efficient wildlife management requires precise monitoring methods, e.g., to estimate population density, reproductive success, and survival. Here, we compared the efficiency of the drone (equipped with an RGB camera) and ground approaches to detect and observe GPS-collared female moose (Alces alces) and their calves. Moreover, we quantified how drone (n = 42) and ground (n = 41) approaches affected moose behavior and space use (n = 24 individuals). The average time used for drone approaches was 17 minutes compared to 97 minutes for ground approaches, with drone detection probability being higher (95% of adult female moose and 88% of moose calves) compared to ground approaches (78% of adult females and 82% of calves). Drone detection success increased at lower drone altitudes (50-70 m). Adult female moose left the site in 35% of drone approaches (with > 40% of those moose becoming disturbed once the drone hovered < 50 m above ground) compared to 56% of ground approaches. We failed to find short-term effects (3-h after approaches) of drone approaches on moose space use, but moose moved > 4-fold greater distances and used larger areas after ground approaches (compared to before the approaches had started). Similarly, longer-term (24-h before and after approaches) space use did not differ between drone approaches compared to days without known disturbance, but moose moved comparatively greater distances during days of ground approaches. In conclusion, we could show that drone approaches were highly efficient in detecting adult moose and their calves in the boreal forest, being faster and less disturbing than ground approaches, making them a useful tool to monitor and study wildlife.

opencc-zeroApr 2024View details →

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Data from: Increased intake of tree forage by moose is associated with intake of crops rich in non-structural carbohydrates

Animals representing a wide range of taxonomic groups are known to select specific food combinations to achieve a nutritionally balanced diet. The nutrient balancing hypothesis suggests that, when given the opportunity, animals select foods to achieve a particular target nutrient balance, and that balancing occurs between meals and between days. For wild ruminants who inhabit landscapes dominated by human land use, nutritionally imbalanced diets can result from ingesting agricultural crops rich in starch and sugar (non-structural carbohydrates, NC), which can be provided to them by people as supplementary feeds. Here, we test the nutrient balancing hypothesis by assessing potential effects that the ingestion of such crops by Alces alces (moose) may have on forage intake. We predicted that moose compensate for an imbalanced intake of excess NC by selecting tree forage with macro-nutritional content better suited for their rumen microbiome during wintertime. We applied DNA metabarcoding to identify plants in faecal and rumen content from the same moose during winter in Sweden. We found that the concentration of NC-rich crops in faeces predicted the presence of Picea abies (Norway spruce) in rumen samples. The finding is consistent with the prediction that moose use tree forage as a nutritionally complementary resource to balance their intake of NC-rich foods, and that they ingested P. abies in particular (normally a forage rarely eaten by moose) because it was the most readily available tree. Our finding sheds new light on the foraging behaviour of a model species in herbivore ecology, and on how habitat alterations by humans may change the behaviour of wildlife.

opencc-zeroMay 2024View details →

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Data from: The role of predation, forestry and productivity in moose harvest at different spatial levels of management units

Management of ungulate populations to the desired density and/or demographic composition are challenged by contrasting aims of different stakeholders. For example, hunters may want to maximize hunting opportunities whereas commercial forest owners may want to minimize moose densities to mitigate browsing damage. In addition, the return of large predators such as wolves (Canis lupus) affects the possible harvest yield of ungulates and influences the population composition through their selection of specific age classes. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of factors related to the variation in moose (Alces alces) harvest. We used moose harvest statistics from the period 2012-2020, wolf annual monitoring data, annual brown bear (Ursus arctos) density, proportion of young forest per management unit, and proportion of agricultural land per management unit (index for productivity and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) density) to explain variation in moose harvest across different management units at two spatial levels in two bordering countries, Sweden and Norway. The results showed variable responses in total harvest to changes in wolf territory density both at the regional and local management level. The proportion of young forest was correlated with both increased total harvest and proportion of calves. Increased proportion of agricultural land was linked to both increased total harvest and proportion of calves, likely due to that increased roe deer densities re-directed wolf predation from moose to roe deer, and an inverse relationship with brown bear density. Differences between countries may be due to differences in the management regime of moose, both in an historical and present perspective. Improved monitoring for individual hunting areas over time will be important for both the understanding of how different ungulate populations are affected by various factors and for the desired management of wildlife populations shared across borders.

opencc-zeroJun 2024View details →

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Observations of moose behaviour and foraging choices in summer

Understanding how the nutritional properties of food resources drive foraging choices is important for the management and conservation of wildlife populations. For moose (Alces alces), recent experimental and observational studies during the winter have shown macronutrient balancing between available protein (AP) and highly metabolizable macronutrients (total non-structural carbohydrates [TNC] and lipids). Here, we combined the use of continuous-recording camera collars with plant nutrient analyses and forage availability measurements to obtain a detailed insight into the food and nutritional choices of three wild moose in Norway over a five-day period in summer. We found that moose derived their macronutrient energy primarily from carbohydrates (74.2%), followed by protein (13.1%), and lipids (12.7%). Diets were dominated by deciduous tree browse (71%). Willows (Salix spp.) were selected for and constituted 51% of the average diet. Moose consumed 25 different food items during the study period of which nine comprised 95% of the diet. Moose tightly regulated their intake of protein to highly metabolizable macronutrients (AP:TNC+lipids). They did this by feeding on foods that most closely matched the target macronutrient ratio such as Salix spp., or by combining nutritionally imbalanced foods (complementary feeding) in a non-random manner that minimized deviations from the intake target. The observed patterns of macronutrient balancing aligned well with the findings of winter studies. Differential feeding on nutritionally balanced downy birch (Betula pubescens) leaves versus imbalanced twigs+leaves across moose individuals indicated that macronutrient balancing may occur on as fine a scale as foraging bites on a single plant species. Utilized forages generally met the suggested requirement thresholds for the minerals calcium, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, and magnesium but tended to be low in sodium. Our findings offer new insights into the foraging behavior of a model species in ungulate nutritional ecology and contribute to informed decision-making in wildlife and forest management.

opencc-zeroJun 2024View details →

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Coprophagy in moose

Coprophagy, the eating of feces, has been documented in a wide range of species but appears to be rare or difficult to detect in deer (Cervidae). Here, we report the first observation of coprophagy in moose Alces alces, which was recorded using camera collars on free-ranging moose in Norway. The footage shows an instance of allocoprophagy by an adult female moose in spring (May). We summarize the current knowledge about coprophagy in deer and briefly discuss potential drivers and possible implications for disease transmission. Further research is needed to determine if coprophagy occurs frequently in moose and whether this behavior is positive (e.g., increased intake of nutrients) or negative (increased infection by parasites or pathogens).

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

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Diet composition of moose (Alces alces) in winter, Sweden

1. Differences in botanical diet compositions among a large number of moose fecal samples collected during winter correlated with the nutritional differences identified in the same samples (Mantel-r = 0.89, p = 0.001), but the nutritional differences were significantly smaller (p < 0.001). 2. Nutritional geometry revealed that moose mixed Scots pine Pinus sylvestris and Vaccinium spp. as nutritionally complementary foods to reach a nutritional target resembling Salix spp. twigs, and selected for Salix spp. browse (Jacob's D > 0). 3. Available protein (AP) and total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) were significantly correlated in observed diets but not in hypothetical diets based on food availability. 4. The level of Acetoacetate in moose serum (i.e., 'starvation') was weakly negatively associated with digestibility of diets (p = 0.08) and unrelated to increasing AP:TNC and AP:NDF ratios in diets (p > 0.1). 5. Our study is the first to demonstrate complementary feeding in free-ranging moose to attain a nutritional target that has previously been suggested in a feeding trial with captive moose. Our results add support to the hypothesis of nutritional balancing as a driver in the nutritional strategy of moose with implications for both the management of moose and food resources.

opencc-zeroFeb 2023View details →

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Monitoring moose in Montana using hunter observations to count moose by district

During 2012–2016, we queried hunters of deer and elk for observations of groups of a non-target species, moose, across their statewide distribution in Montana. We used buffer analyses to filter data according to independent observations in space and time and then tallied observations of groups by hunting district. We then analyzed data in an abundance-detection framework with n-mixture models and evaluated the effects of covariates such as hunter effort, survey response totals, weekly session, and forest cover on detection probability before using models to predict moose abundance. Lastly, we converted model predictions of group abundnace to total abundance by multiplying number of groups by average group size per administrative region.

opencc-zeroJul 2023View details →

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