Moose Research Paper Example

📌Category: Animals, Environment
📌Words: 1041
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 12 March 2022

Introduction

Moose (Alces alces) are the largest member of the deer family (Geist, 2021). The moose of Michigan and the other Great Lake States, belong to the recognized subspecies: the northwester moose (A. alces andersoni) (Geist, 2021). The diet of a moose often consists of conifers in the winter, such as fir, and large amounts of aquatic vegetation in the summer (Geist, 2021). They also visit areas with high availability of mineral licks (Geist, 2021). The study was conducted in order to observe if moose exhibit habitat selection. The study was conducted in March 2020 (winter). The null hypothesis for this study is that the moose will use each habitat type available in proportion to its size. 

Study Area

The study area was Isle Royale National Park, Keweenaw County, MI. Isle Royale’s climate is characterized by warm summers and cold, snowy winters (Parikh et al., 2017). The island is home to a moose population subjected to predation, climate, and forage quantity (Parikh et al, 2017). This moose population is primarily concentrated on the eastern and western sides of the island. Since the vegetation of the island has variation on the two ends, the populations have been examined based on their regions and as a whole. The populations are located in these areas in part due to a severe fire that burned across the island in 1936 (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2021).

Methods

Data was collected through the use of radio collars attached to the two main groups of moose on Isle Royale. In thirty-minute intervals, data was recorded from the collars locking in and recording the geospatial position of the individual. From geospatial databases, the total square kilometers for each habitat was calculated for Isle Royale in ArcGIS. The statistical count data and correlated habitat were then exported into Excel. The confidence level for this study is 95% (α = 0.05) across all study designs. A chi-squared test was performed to examine if there was any correlation between the habitat and moose location. This test was used across three study designs. The first design focused on how both groups of moose used the habitats as a whole. Next, the second design examined habitat selection within each region (east and west) individually. Finally, the last design looked at the specific habitat use of one individual (moose 32878) within their home range.

Results

The moose favored Boreal Hardwood and Northern Spruce forests the most (Table 1). Overall, the Northern Hardwoods and Marshes were avoided by the moose. (Table 1). In the east, moose tended to avoid Northern Conifer and Hardwood Forest and Shrub Swamps, Northern Hardwood Forests and Woodlands, Rock Barrens, and Wet Meadows/Marshes (Table 1). On the other hand, the west Boreal Hardwood Forests and Woodlands, Northern Hardwood Forests and Woodlands, and Wet Meadows/Marshes (Table 1). The lake shore habitats were used close to proportions, as they were not selected for or against in any study (Table 1). It should also be noted that there was no shoreline available in the home range of Moose 32878 (Figure 1).

Discussion

The moose overall are showing habitat selection (p = 9.50075E-13). The moose tend to select areas that provide their desired winter foods, such as conifers (Greist, 2021). It can also be theorized that the moose in the However, these habitat selections may not be entirely accurate as two of their nutritious sites are not in use (Northern Hardwoods and Marshes. This is likely due to the seasonality of this study. If it was summer and these food areas were available it is highly likely the moose would be choosing them over the conifers. This is particularly true for the marshland as aquatic grasses are a preferred food for moose in the summer (Greist, 2021).

Moose 32878 was observed to be primarily using the Northern Spruce and Rock Barren habitats, while avoiding the Boreal Hardwoods and Marshes (Figure 1). The northern spruce served as the main source of winter habitat for this specimen. The forest would provide a variety of advantages for Moose 32878. Firstly, the spruce provided food for her in the winter months. Secondly, the conifers are often used by moose when protecting themselves from wolf pack attacks by backing into them to “protect their vulnerable inguinal region and lower haunches…” (Geist, 2021). The frequent visits to the rock barrens was due to the ability to use them as a place to obtain minerals from licking the bare rock. Avoidance of the Boreal Hardwoods is rationalized by the season (winter), as with the lack of leaves there would be little sustenance found there. The avoidance of the marshes was due to the seasonality of the study. In winter, these areas are frozen which can cause errors in their analysis, as the food in these areas was not available.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study rejects the null hypothesis as it is observed in all three study designs that habitat selection is occurring (Table 1). The primary caution with using this information for future management practices is it only reflects the habitat selection habits of moose in the winter. For more conclusive information the study should be repeated in the summer months when deciduous foliage and aquatic grasses are available to the moose.

Management Implications

The moose in this study are located within the National Park of Isle Royale. This can cause a few issues with management due to the goal of the parks being the conservation of “unimpaired” natural resources (U.S. Department of Interior, 2017). Although the National Park Service (NPS) will alter the parks, it is typically only when restoring the park to being “…a vignette of primitive America.” (Leopold et al, 1963). Furthermore, the NPS attempts to manage areas with only native species (Leopold et al., 1963). As these are the goals of the NPS, the best course of action in regards to climate change would be examining how the forest systems of the Keweenaw are predicted to change. The species predicted to do well and are advantageous for the native populations should be encouraged within the park. These can include species such as 

Sources

Geist, V. (2021, February 26). moose. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/moose-mammal

Leopold, A. S., Cain, S. A., Cottam, C. M., Gabrielson, I. N., & Kimball, T. L. (1969). Wildlife Management in the National Parks. Washington D.C.; U.S. Government Printing Office. 

Parikh, G. L., Forbey, J. S., Robb, B., Peterson, R. O., Vucetich, L. M., & Vucetich, J. A. (2016). The influence of plant defensive chemicals, diet composition, and winter severity on the nutritional condition of a free-ranging, generalist herbivore. Oikos, 126(2), 196–203. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.03359 

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2021, March). History of wildland fire on isle royale (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/history-wildland-fire-isle-royalee.htm. 

U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). (2017, March). Our mission, role and purpose. National Parks Service. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1955/our-mission-and-role.htm.

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