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Felton AM, Spitzer R, Raubenheimer D, Hedwall PO, Felton A, Nichols RV, O'Connell BL, Malmsten J, Löfmarck E, Wam HK. Increased intake of tree forage by moose is associated with intake of crops rich in nonstructural carbohydrates. Ecology 2024:e4377. [PMID: 39046431 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
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 (nonstructural carbohydrates [NCs]), 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 fecal and rumen content from the same moose during winter in Sweden. We found that the concentration of NC-rich crops in feces 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 behavior of a model species in herbivore ecology, and on how habitat alterations by humans may change the behavior of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Robert Spitzer
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Per-Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Adam Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Ruth V Nichols
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Brendan L O'Connell
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Jonas Malmsten
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erik Löfmarck
- School of Humanities, Örebro University School of Business, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Hilde K Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest Resources, NIBIO, Ås, Norway
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2
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Armaroli E, Lugli F, Cipriani A, Tütken T. Spatial ecology of moose in Sweden: Combined Sr-O-C isotope analyses of bone and antler. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300867. [PMID: 38598461 PMCID: PMC11006136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of spatial (paleo)ecology in mammals is critical to understand how animals adapt to and exploit their environment. In this work we analysed the 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O and δ13C isotope composition of 65 moose bone and antler samples from Sweden from wild-shot individuals dated between 1800 and 1994 to study moose mobility and feeding behaviour for (paleo)ecological applications. Sr data were compared with isoscapes of the Scandinavian region, built ad-hoc during this study, to understand how moose utilise the landscape in Northern Europe. The 87Sr/86Sr isoscape was developed using a machine-learning approach with external geo-environmental predictors and literature data. Similarly, a δ18O isoscape, obtained from average annual precipitation δ18O values, was employed to highlight differences in the isotope composition of the local environment vs. bone/antler. Overall, 82% of the moose samples were compatible with the likely local isotope composition (n = 53), suggesting that they were shot not far from their year-round dwelling area. 'Local' samples were used to calibrate the two isoscapes, to improve the prediction of provenance for the presumably 'non-local' individuals. For the latter (n = 12, of which two are antlers and ten are bones), the probability of geographic origin was estimated using a Bayesian approach by combining the two isoscapes. Interestingly, two of these samples (one antler and one bone) seem to come from areas more than 250 km away from the place where the animals were hunted, indicating a possible remarkable intra-annual mobility. Finally, the δ13C data were compared with the forest cover of Sweden and ultimately used to understand the dietary preference of moose. We interpreted a difference in δ13C values of antlers (13C-enriched) and bones (13C-depleted) as a joint effect of seasonal variations in moose diet and, possibly, physiological stresses during winter-time, i.e., increased consumption of endogenous 13C-depleted lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Armaroli
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Federico Lugli
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Anna Cipriani
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, United States of America
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Arbeitsgruppe für Angewandte und Analytische Paläontologie, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Johannes Gutenberg–Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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3
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Holmes SM, Dressel S, Morel J, Spitzer R, Ball JP, Ericsson G, Singh NJ, Widemo F, Cromsigt JPGM, Danell K. Increased summer temperature is associated with reduced calf mass of a circumpolar large mammal through direct thermoregulatory and indirect, food quality, pathways. Oecologia 2023; 201:1123-1136. [PMID: 37017733 PMCID: PMC10113315 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05367-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change represents a growing ecological challenge. The (sub) arctic and boreal regions of the world experience the most rapid warming, presenting an excellent model system for studying how climate change affects mammals. Moose (Alces alces) are a particularly relevant model species with their circumpolar range. Population declines across the southern edge of this range are linked to rising temperatures. Using a long-term dataset (1988-1997, 2017-2019), we examine the relative strength of direct (thermoregulatory costs) and indirect (food quality) pathways linking temperature, precipitation, and the quality of two important food items (birch and fireweed) to variation in moose calf mass in northern Sweden. The direct effects of temperature consistently showed stronger relationships to moose calf mass than did the indirect effects. The proportion of growing season days where the temperature exceeded a 20 °C threshold showed stronger direct negative relationships to moose calf mass than did mean temperature values. Finally, while annual forb (fireweed) quality was more strongly influenced by temperature and precipitation than were perennial (birch) leaves, this did not translate into a stronger relationship to moose calf weight. The only indirect path with supporting evidence suggested that mean growing season temperatures were positively associated with neutral detergent fiber, which was, in turn, negatively associated with calf mass. While indirect impacts of climate change deserve further investigation, it is important to recognize the large direct impacts of temperature on cold-adapted species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila M Holmes
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Sabrina Dressel
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Chair Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Morel
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Spitzer
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - John P Ball
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Widemo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kjell Danell
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
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4
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Dixneuf C, Peiris P, Nummi P, Sundell J. Vernal pools enhance local vertebrate activity and diversity in a boreal landscape. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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5
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Felton AM, Wam HK, Felton A, Simpson SJ, Stolter C, Hedwall P, Malmsten J, Eriksson T, Tigabo M, Raubenheimer D. Macronutrient balancing in free-ranging populations of moose. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11223-11240. [PMID: 34429914 PMCID: PMC8366896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M. Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Hilde K. Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest ResourcesNIBIOÅsNorway
| | - Adam Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, and School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and ConservationInstitute of ZoologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Per‐Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Jonas Malmsten
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UmeåSweden
| | - Torsten Eriksson
- Department of Animal Nutrition and ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Mulualem Tigabo
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre, and School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
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6
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van Moorter B, Singh NJ, Rolandsen CM, Solberg EJ, Dettki H, Pusenius J, Månsson J, Sand H, Milner JM, Roer O, Tallian A, Neumann W, Ericsson G, Mysterud A. Seasonal release from competition explains partial migration in European moose. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bram van Moorter
- The Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research Torgarden Trondheim Norway
| | - Navinder J. Singh
- Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dept of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Umeå Sweden
| | | | | | - Holger Dettki
- Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Species Information Centre Uppsala Sweden
| | | | - Johan Månsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Håkan Sand
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Jos M. Milner
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - Ole Roer
- Faun Naturforvaltning AS Fyresdal Norway
| | - Aimee Tallian
- The Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research Torgarden Trondheim Norway
| | - Wiebke Neumann
- Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dept of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Umeå Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dept of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Umeå Sweden
| | - Atle Mysterud
- The Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research Torgarden Trondheim Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Dept of Biosciences, Univ. of Oslo Blindern Oslo Norway
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8
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Abstract
Bark stripping caused by cervids can have a long-lasting negative effect on tree vitality. Such trees of low vitality might be more susceptible to other disturbances. The amplifying effects of disturbance interactions can cause significantly more damage to forest ecosystems than the individual effects of each disturbance. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of bark stripping (stem damage) on the probability of wind damage and snapping height for Norway spruces (Picea Abies (L.) H. Karst.). In this study, we used the Latvian National Forest Inventory data from the period 2004–2018. In the analysis, we used data based on 32,856 trees. To analyse the data, we implemented a Bayesian binary logistic generalised linear mixed-effects model and the linear mixed-effects model. Our results showed that stem damage significantly increased the probability of wind damage and affected the snapping height of Norway spruces. Similarly, root damage, the slenderness ratio, the stand age, the stand density, the soil type, and the dominant tree species had a significant influence on the probability of wind damage. In both periods, trees with stem damage had significantly (p < 0.05) higher probability (odd ratio 1.68) to be wind damaged than trees without stem damage. The stem damaged Norway spruce trees snapped in the first 25% of the tree height, while trees without stem damage snapped around half (50%) of the tree height. Our results show that stem damage significantly alters the effect of wind damage on Norway spruces, suggesting that such damage must be incorporated into wind-risk assessment models.
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9
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Varied diets, including broadleaved forage, are important for a large herbivore species inhabiting highly modified landscapes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1904. [PMID: 32024896 PMCID: PMC7002458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58673-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet quality is an important determinant of animal survival and reproduction, and can be described as the combination of different food items ingested, and their nutritional composition. For large herbivores, human landscape modifications to vegetation can limit such diet-mixing opportunities. Here we use southern Sweden’s modified landscapes to assess winter diet mixtures (as an indicator of quality) and food availability as drivers of body mass (BM) variation in wild moose (Alces alces). We identify plant species found in the rumen of 323 moose harvested in Oct-Feb, and link variation in average calf BM among populations to diets and food availability. Our results show that variation in calf BM correlates with variation in diet composition, diversity, and food availability. A varied diet relatively rich in broadleaves was associated with higher calf BM than a less variable diet dominated by conifers. A diet high in shrubs and sugar/starch rich agricultural crops was associated with intermediate BM. The proportion of young production forest (0–15 yrs) in the landscape, an indicator of food availability, significantly accounted for variation in calf BM. Our findings emphasize the importance of not only diet composition and forage quantity, but also variability in the diets of large free-ranging herbivores.
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10
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Laliberté J, St-Laurent MH. In the wrong place at the wrong time: Moose and deer movement patterns influence wildlife-vehicle collision risk. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2020; 135:105365. [PMID: 31775075 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2019.105365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mitigation strategies for wildlife-vehicle collisions require sufficient knowledge about why, where and when collisions occur in order to be an efficient tool to improve public safety. Collisions with cervids are known to be influenced by spatial factors such as topography and forest cover. However, temporal changes in animal and motorist behaviors are often overlooked although they can increase the odds of cervid-vehicle collisions. Consequently, we evaluated potential factors influencing the spatiotemporal distribution of 450 collisions with moose and white-tailed deer that occurred between 1990 and 2015 along the 100-km long highway in southeastern Québec, Canada. Both spatial and temporal factors efficiently explained moose-vehicle collisions but not collisions with white-tailed deer, suggesting that the latter occurred more randomly along the highway. The risk of moose-vehicle collisions was mainly modulated by topographic and habitat variables, as the interactions between slope and elevation and slope and distance to suitable moose habitats had a strong effect on collision risk. Road sinuosity and the proportion of mature coniferous stands around the collision site positively influenced deer-vehicle collisions. A temporal increase in collision numbers was noted in different biological periods during which movement rates are known to be higher (e.g. post-winter dispersal and rut). These results suggest that cervid movement is the main factor influencing collision risk and frequency. Our results indicate that mitigation strategies aimed at decreasing the probability of collision with cervids must be species-specific and should focus more closely on animal movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Laliberté
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Centre for Northern Studies, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Centre for Northern Studies & Centre for Forest Research, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1, Canada.
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11
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Ma Y, Bao H, Bencini R, Raubenheimer D, Dou H, Liu H, Wang S, Jiang G. Macro-Nutritional Adaptive Strategies of Moose ( Alces alces) Related to Population Density. Animals (Basel) 2019; 10:ani10010073. [PMID: 31906149 PMCID: PMC7022907 DOI: 10.3390/ani10010073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution area of moose in China has been shrinking back toward the north and northeast because of climate change and human disturbance, and the population number has been declining. Between 2011 and 2015, we studied moose at six sites in the northeast of China during the snowy seasons. We collected fecal samples and plant samples that were used to estimate population densities for moose, as well as their macro-nutrient selection. Out of a total of 257 fecal samples collected at six sites, we identified a total of 120 individual moose (57 females and 63 males). The population density (moose/km2 ± SE) was highest at Hanma with 0.305 ± 0.064 moose/km2 and lowest at Meitian with only 0.028 ± 0.013 moose/km2. Forage availability was different among sites, with the lowest availability at Mohe (58.17 number/20 m2) and highest was Zhanhe (250.44 number/20 m2). Moose at Zhanhe, Hanma, and Nanwenghe had a balanced diet with higher N:C (1:7), while at Meitian, Shuanghe and Mohe the N:C was 1:8. Our results indicate that the southern areas had low forage quality and quantity and this may be the reason for the distribution of the population of moose shrinking northward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Ma
- Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.M.); (H.B.); (S.W.)
- Key Lab of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1-5 Beichenxi Road, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Heng Bao
- Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.M.); (H.B.); (S.W.)
| | - Roberta Bencini
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth 6009, Australia;
| | - David Raubenheimer
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Hongliang Dou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jinlin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China;
| | - Hui Liu
- Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, No. 58, Renmin Avenue, Haikou 570228, China;
| | - Sirui Wang
- Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.M.); (H.B.); (S.W.)
| | - Guangshun Jiang
- Feline Research Center of Chinese State Forestry Administration, College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.M.); (H.B.); (S.W.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Bravo C, Bautista LM, Ponce C, Alonso JC. Feeding functional responses in a sexually size-dimorphic bird. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2019.103487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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13
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Christopherson V, Tremblay JP, Gagné PN, Bérubé J, St-Laurent MH. Meeting caribou in the alpine: Do moose compete with caribou for food? Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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14
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Hofman-Kamińska E, Bocherens H, Drucker DG, Fyfe RM, Gumiński W, Makowiecki D, Pacher M, Piličiauskienė G, Samojlik T, Woodbridge J, Kowalczyk R. Adapt or die-Response of large herbivores to environmental changes in Europe during the Holocene. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2915-2930. [PMID: 31298814 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming and human landscape transformation during the Holocene resulted in environmental changes for wild animals. The last remnants of the European Pleistocene megafauna that survived into the Holocene were particularly vulnerable to changes in habitat. To track the response of habitat use and foraging of large herbivores to natural and anthropogenic changes in environmental conditions during the Holocene, we investigated carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen (δ15 N) stable isotope composition in bone collagen of moose (Alces alces), European bison (Bison bonasus) and aurochs (Bos primigenius) in Central and Eastern Europe. We found strong variations in isotope compositions in the studied species throughout the Holocene and diverse responses to changing environmental conditions. All three species showed significant changes in their δ13 C values reflecting a shift of foraging habitats from more open in the Early and pre-Neolithic Holocene to more forest during the Neolithic and Late Holocene. This shift was strongest in European bison, suggesting higher plasticity, more limited in moose, and the least in aurochs. Significant increases of δ15 N values in European bison and moose are evidence of a diet change towards more grazing, but may also reflect increased nitrogen in soils following deglaciation and global temperature increases. Among the factors explaining the observed isotope variations were time (age of samples), longitude and elevation in European bison, and time, longitude and forest cover in aurochs. None of the analysed factors explained isotope variations in moose. Our results demonstrate the strong influence of natural (forest expansion) and anthropogenic (deforestation and human pressure) changes on the foraging ecology of large herbivores, with forests playing a major role as a refugial habitat since the Neolithic, particularly for European bison and aurochs. We propose that high flexibility in foraging strategy was the key for survival of large herbivores in the changing environmental conditions of the Holocene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Department of Geosciences, Research Area Paleobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dorothée G Drucker
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ralph M Fyfe
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Witold Gumiński
- The Institute of Archaeology, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel Makowiecki
- Institute of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | - Martina Pacher
- Institut für Paläontologie, Universität Wien, Geozentrum, UZA II, Wien, Austria
| | | | - Tomasz Samojlik
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Jessie Woodbridge
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Rafał Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
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15
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Ofstad EG, Herfindal I, Solberg EJ, Heim M, Rolandsen CM, Sæther B. Use, selection, and home range properties: complex patterns of individual habitat utilization. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Endre Grüner Ofstad
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Ivar Herfindal
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Morten Heim
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Bernt‐Erik Sæther
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
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Wam HK, Herfindal I. Subtle foodscape displacement of a native ungulate by free-ranging livestock in a forest agroecosystem. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Karine Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest Resources; NIBIO; N-1431 Ås Norway
| | - Ivar Herfindal
- Department of Biology; Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU); N-7491 Trondheim Norway
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity; NIBIO; N-1431 Ås Norway
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Felton AM, Wam HK, Stolter C, Mathisen KM, Wallgren M. The complexity of interacting nutritional drivers behind food selection, a review of northern cervids. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Annika M. Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre Faculty of Forest Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 49 Alnarp SE‐230 53 Sweden
| | - Hilde K. Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest Resources NIBIO P.O. Box 115 Ås NO‐1431 Norway
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation Institute of Zoology University of Hamburg Hamburg 20146 Germany
| | - Karen M. Mathisen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences Institute of Forestry and Wildlife Management ‐ Evenstad Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences P.O. Box 400 Elverum NO‐2418 Norway
| | - Märtha Wallgren
- Forestry Research Institute of Sweden Uppsala Science Park Uppsala SE‐751 83 Sweden
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Faculty of Forest Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå SE‐901 83 Sweden
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Hofman-Kamińska E, Bocherens H, Borowik T, Drucker DG, Kowalczyk R. Stable isotope signatures of large herbivore foraging habitats across Europe. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190723. [PMID: 29293647 PMCID: PMC5749876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated how do environmental and climatic factors, but also management, affect the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope composition in bone collagen of the two largest contemporary herbivores: European bison (Bison bonasus) and moose (Alces alces) across Europe. We also analysed how different scenarios of population recovery- reintroduction in bison and natural recovery in moose influenced feeding habitats and diet of these two species and compared isotopic signatures of modern populations of bison and moose (living in human-altered landscapes) with those occurring in early Holocene. We found that δ13C of modern bison and moose decreased with increasing forest cover. Decreasing forest cover, increasing mean annual temperature and feeding on farm crops caused an increase in δ15N in bison, while no factor significantly affected δ15N in moose. We showed significant differences in δ13C and δ15N among modern bison populations, in contrast to moose populations. Variation in both isotopes in bison resulted from inter-population differences, while in moose it was mainly an effect of intra-population variation. Almost all modern bison populations differed in δ13C and δ15N from early Holocene bison. Such differences were not observed in moose. It indicates refugee status of European bison. Our results yielded evidence that habitat structure, management and a different history of population recovery have a strong influence on foraging behaviour of large herbivores reflected in stable isotope signatures. Influence of forest structure on carbon isotope signatures of studied herbivores supports the “canopy effect” hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hervé Bocherens
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tomasz Borowik
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dorothée G. Drucker
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rafał Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
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Wam HK, Felton AM, Stolter C, Nybakken L, Hjeljord O. Moose selecting for specific nutritional composition of birch places limits on food acceptability. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:1117-1130. [PMID: 29375784 PMCID: PMC5773297 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of intense research, it remains largely unsolved which nutritional factors underpin food selection by large herbivores in the wild. We measured nutritional composition of birch foliage (Betula pubescens) available to, and used by, moose (Alces alces) in natural settings in two neighboring regions with contrasting animal body mass. This readily available food source is a staple food item in the diet of moose in the high‐fitness region, but apparently underutilized by moose in the low‐fitness region. Available birch foliage in the two regions had similar concentrations of macronutrients (crude protein [CP], fiber fractions, and water‐soluble carbohydrates [WSC]), although a notably lower variation of WSC in the low‐fitness region. For minerals, there were several area differences: available birch foliage in the low‐fitness region had less Mg (depending on year) and P, but more Ca, Zn, Cu, and Mn. It also had higher concentrations of some plant secondary metabolites: chlorogenic acids, quercetins, and especially MeOH‐soluble condensed tannins. Despite the area differences in available foliage, we found the same nutritional composition of birch foliage used in the two regions. Compared to available birch foliage, moose consistently used birch foliage with more CP, more structural fiber (mainly hemicellulose), less WSC, higher concentrations of several minerals (Ca, Zn, K, Mn, Cu), and lower concentrations of some secondary metabolites (most importantly, MeOH‐soluble condensed tannins). Our study conceptually supports the nutrient‐balancing hypothesis for a large herbivore: within a given temporal frame, moose select for plant material that matches a specific nutritional composition. As our data illustrate, different moose populations may select for the same composition even when the nutritional composition available in a given food source varies between their living areas. Such fastidiousness limits the proportion of available food that is acceptable to the animal and has bearings on our understanding and application of the concept of carrying capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde K Wam
- Division of Forestry and Forest Resources NIBIO Ås Norway
| | - Annika M Felton
- Faculty of Forest Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Science Alnarp Sweden
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Concervation University of Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Line Nybakken
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
| | - Olav Hjeljord
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
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20
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Wam HK, Stolter C, Nybakken L. Compositional Changes in Foliage Phenolics with Plant Age, a Natural Experiment in Boreal Forests. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:920-928. [PMID: 28852911 PMCID: PMC5636854 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0881-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The composition of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) extensively impacts ecosystem functioning. It is vital that we understand temporal patterns in the plants' allocation of resources to PSMs, particularly those influenced by human activity. Existing data are insufficient in the long-term perspective of perennial plants (age or ontogeny). We analysed phenolic concentrations in foliage from birch (Betula pubescens Ehr.) considered to be undamaged and growing on 5, 10 and 15 years old clear-cuts in two boreal forest landscapes in Norway, sampled at the peak of the growing season. In sum, low molecular weight phenolic concentrations decreased with age. Apart from one apigenin glycoside, the low molecular weight phenolics co-varied similarly at all ages, suggesting a lack of temporal compound-specific prioritisation of this group. In contrast, the concentration of MeOH-soluble condensed tannins increased with age. The compositional shift fits well with several hypotheses that may provide proximate explanations for age patterns in PSM allocations, including both resource constraints and external pressures. Regardless of these explanations, our study adds an important perennial perspective (plant age) to temporal PSM patterns already well-known in boreal plant phenology (foliage age).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Karine Wam
- Division of Forest and Forest Resources, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), 1431, Ås, Norway.
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Line Nybakken
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432, Ås, Norway
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Herfindal I, Lande US, Solberg EJ, Rolandsen CM, Roer O, Wam HK. Weather affects temporal niche partitioning between moose and livestock. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Herfindal
- I. Herfindal , Dept of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Unni Støbet Lande
- U. S. Lande, Division of Forest and Forest Resources, Norwegian Inst. of Bioeconomy Research, Tingvoll, Norway
| | - Erling Johan Solberg
- E. J. Solberg and C. M. Rolandsen, Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christer Moe Rolandsen
- E. J. Solberg and C. M. Rolandsen, Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ole Roer
- O. Roer, Faun Naturforvaltning AS, Fyresdal, Norway
| | - Hilde Karine Wam
- H. K. Wam, Div. of Forest and Forest Resources, Norwegian Inst. of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
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Felton AM, Felton A, Cromsigt JPGM, Edenius L, Malmsten J, Wam HK. Interactions between ungulates, forests, and supplementary feeding: the role of nutritional balancing in determining outcomes. MAMMAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-016-0301-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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23
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Transient nutritional peak in browse foliage after forest clearing advocates cohort management of ungulates. Basic Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Felton AM, Felton A, Raubenheimer D, Simpson SJ, Krizsan SJ, Hedwall PO, Stolter C. The Nutritional Balancing Act of a Large Herbivore: An Experiment with Captive Moose (Alces alces L). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150870. [PMID: 26986618 PMCID: PMC4795764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The nutrient balancing hypothesis proposes that, when sufficient food is available, the primary goal of animal diet selection is to obtain a nutritionally balanced diet. This hypothesis can be tested using the Geometric Framework for nutrition (GF). The GF enables researchers to study patterns of nutrient intake (e.g. macronutrients; protein, carbohydrates, fat), interactions between the different nutrients, and how an animal resolves the potential conflict between over-eating one or more nutrients and under-eating others during periods of dietary imbalance. Using the moose (Alces alces L.), a model species in the development of herbivore foraging theory, we conducted a feeding experiment guided by the GF, combining continuous observations of six captive moose with analysis of the macronutritional composition of foods. We identified the moose’s self-selected macronutrient target by allowing them to compose a diet by mixing two nutritionally complementary pellet types plus limited access to Salix browse. Such periods of free choice were intermixed with periods when they were restricted to one of the two pellet types plus Salix browse. Our observations of food intake by moose given free choice lend support to the nutrient balancing hypothesis, as the moose combined the foods in specific proportions that provided a particular ratio and amount of macronutrients. When restricted to either of two diets comprising a single pellet type, the moose i) maintained a relatively stable intake of non-protein energy while allowing protein intakes to vary with food composition, and ii) increased their intake of the food item that most closely resembled the self-selected macronutrient intake from the free choice periods, namely Salix browse. We place our results in the context of the nutritional strategy of the moose, ruminant physiology and the categorization of food quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika M. Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Adam Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - David Raubenheimer
- School of Biological Science and The Charles Perkins Centre, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Simpson
- School of Biological Science and The Charles Perkins Centre, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sophie J. Krizsan
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per-Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Caroline Stolter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Conservation, Biocenter Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Ishaq SL, Sundset MA, Crouse J, Wright ADG. High-throughput DNA sequencing of the moose rumen from different geographical locations reveals a core ruminal methanogenic archaeal diversity and a differential ciliate protozoal diversity. Microb Genom 2015; 1:e000034. [PMID: 28348818 PMCID: PMC5320624 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moose rumen samples from Vermont, Alaska and Norway were investigated for methanogenic archaeal and protozoal density using real-time PCR, and diversity using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes. Vermont moose showed the highest protozoal and methanogen densities. Alaskan samples had the highest percentages of Methanobrevibacter smithii, followed by the Norwegian samples. One Norwegian sample contained 43 % Methanobrevibacter thaueri, whilst all other samples contained < 10 %. Vermont samples had large percentages of Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, as did two Norwegian samples. Methanosphaera stadtmanae represented one-third of sequences in three samples. Samples were heterogeneous based on gender, geographical location and weight class using analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). Two Alaskan moose contained >70 % Polyplastron multivesiculatum and one contained >75 % Entodinium spp. Protozoa from Norwegian moose belonged predominantly (>50 %) to the genus Entodinium, especially Entodinium caudatum. Norwegian moose contained a large proportion of sequences (25–97 %) which could not be classified beyond family. Protozoa from Vermont samples were predominantly Eudiplodinium rostratum (>75 %), with up to 7 % Diploplastron affine. Four of the eight Vermont samples also contained 5–12 % Entodinium spp. Samples were heterogeneous based on AMOVA, principal coordinate analysis and UniFrac. This study gives the first insight into the methanogenic archaeal diversity in the moose rumen. The high percentage of rumen archaeal species associated with high starch diets found in Alaskan moose corresponds well to previous data suggesting that they feed on plants high in starch. Similarly, the higher percentage of species related to forage diets in Vermont moose also relates well to their higher intake of fibre.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne L Ishaq
- Department of Animal Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.,Department of Animal and Range Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Monica A Sundset
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway, USA
| | - John Crouse
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Soldotna, Alaska, USA
| | - André-Denis G Wright
- Department of Animal Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.,School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Öhmark SM, Iason GR, Palo RT. Spatially segregated foraging patterns of moose ( Alces alces) and mountain hare ( Lepus timidus) in a subarctic landscape: different tables in the same restaurant? CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Differences in body sizes of mountain hares (Lepus timidus L., 1758) and moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) affect their ability to perceive and respond to environmental heterogeneity and plant density. Therefore, we expect these species to show niche separation at different scales in the same environment. Results showed that the numbers of mountain birches (Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii L.) browsed by moose per unit area was inversely related to hare browsing. Moose browsed larger birches compared with hares, and while hares targeted areas with high birch densities regardless of tree sizes, moose preferentially browsed areas with high densities of large birches. Moose browsing was clustered at spatial intervals of 1000–1500 m, while hare browsing was clustered at intervals of less than 500 m. Willows (genus Salix L.) in the study area were heavily browsed by moose, while few observations of hare browsing on willow were made. Regarding both hare and moose, numbers of birch stems with new browsing per sample plot were positively correlated with the numbers of birch stems with old browsing, indicating that hare and moose preferred the same foraging sites from year to year. These findings have implications for management of the species because they show the importance of scale and landscape perspectives in planning and actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Öhmark
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden
| | - Glenn R. Iason
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigibuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, Scotland, UK
| | - R. Thomas Palo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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Nutritional Value of Habitat for Moose on Urban and Military Lands. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.3996/062014-jfwm-045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Moose Alces alces are large and conspicuous animals valued for wildlife watching and hunting opportunities. However, near urban areas they can cause collisions with vehicles and damage to garden and ornamental plants. We studied a population of adult female moose that lives in and around both urban and industrial development on an active Army and Air Force base adjacent to Anchorage, Alaska, to evaluate nutrition and diet, map habitat quality, and model how habitat development affects the number of moose the landscape can support. Population density was moderate and hunter harvest was high in our study area, so we hypothesized that moose in our study area would be in similar condition to other healthy populations in Alaska. We also hypothesized that, in our study area, shrublands would support more moose than any other habitat type and that areas disturbed for urban development would be crucial to maintaining the local moose population. Rump fat depths, blood chemistries, and pregnancy rates in November and March for moose in our study area were consistent with populations in good to moderate condition. Microhistology of composite fecal samples indicated that willows Salix spp. dominated the summer diet, whereas the winter diet was divided among willows, birch Betula spp., and cottonwood Populus balsamifera. Low concentrations of available nitrogen in winter stems limited the number of moose that could be supported in our study area. Shrublands were the most valuable habitat type for moose, theoretically supporting 11–81 times more moose per hectare than any other habitat type. Shrublands were more concentrated within the developed portion of our study area than the surrounding undeveloped portions of the military base; and the access to shrublands in clearings, greenbelts, and parks sustains the productivity of this moose population despite the many disturbances of an urbanized landscape. Our habitat values can be used to model potential impacts of habitat modification on the number of moose the landscape can support.
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Bocherens H, Hofman-Kamińska E, Drucker DG, Schmölcke U, Kowalczyk R. European bison as a refugee species? Evidence from isotopic data on Early Holocene bison and other large herbivores in northern Europe. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0115090. [PMID: 25671634 PMCID: PMC4324907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the refugee species concept, increasing replacement of open steppe by forest cover after the last glacial period and human pressure had together forced European bison (Bison bonasus)--the largest extant terrestrial mammal of Europe--into forests as a refuge habitat. The consequent decreased fitness and population density led to the gradual extinction of the species. Understanding the pre-refugee ecology of the species may help its conservation management and ensure its long time survival. In view of this, we investigated the abundance of stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in radiocarbon dated skeletal remains of European bison and other large herbivores--aurochs (Bos primigenius), moose (Alces alces), and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)--from the Early Holocene of northern Europe to reconstruct their dietary habits and pattern of habitat use in conditions of low human influence. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions in collagen of the ungulate species in northern central Europe during the Early Holocene showed significant differences in the habitat use and the diet of these herbivores. The values of the δ13C and δ15N isotopes reflected the use of open habitats by bison, with their diet intermediate between that of aurochs (grazer) and of moose (browser). Our results show that, despite the partial overlap in carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of some species, Early Holocene large ungulates avoided competition by selection of different habitats or different food sources within similar environments. Although Early Holocene bison and Late Pleistocene steppe bison utilized open habitats, their diets were significantly different, as reflected by their δ15N values. Additional isotopic analyses show that modern populations of European bison utilize much more forested habitats than Early Holocene bison, which supports the refugee status of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hervé Bocherens
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoecology (HEP), Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Emilia Hofman-Kamińska
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Gen. Waszkiewicza 1c, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dorothée G. Drucker
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Forschungsbereich Paläobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schmölcke
- Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA), Schloss Gottorf, D-24837 Schleswig, Germany
| | - Rafał Kowalczyk
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Gen. Waszkiewicza 1c, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
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29
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Czernik M, Taberlet P, Swisłocka M, Czajkowska M, Duda N, Ratkiewicz M. Fast and efficient DNA-based method for winter diet analysis from stools of three cervids: moose, red deer, and roe deer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 58:379-386. [PMID: 24244041 PMCID: PMC3786089 DOI: 10.1007/s13364-013-0146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Effects of cervid browsing on timber production, especially during winter, lead to economic losses in forest management. The aim of this study was to present an efficient DNA-based method which allows qualitative assessment of the winter diet from stools of moose (Alces alces), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and red deer (Cervus elaphus). The preliminary results of the diet composition of the three cervids from Poland were also presented with a special emphasis on moose. The electropherograms of the chloroplast intron trnL (UAA) P6 loop amplification products using g (fluorescence-labeled) and h primers revealed differences in the length of PCR products among various plant species eaten by these herbivores. In addition, the usage of species-specific primers allowed unambiguous identification of different gymnosperms and angiosperms. The preliminary moose diet analysis, based on winter fecal samples from the entire range of moose occurrence in Poland, revealed the presence of 15 to 24 tree, shrub, and herbaceous species. This fast, cost-efficient, and simple method proved also to be reliable for the diet analysis of red deer and roe deer. It may be a valuable tool in forest and conservation management, as well as a way of enhancing ecological studies focusing on the impact of herbivores on the ecosystems and their possible food niche overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Czernik
- Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, Świerkowa 20B, 15-950 Białystok, Poland
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Eldegard K, Lyngved JT, Hjeljord O. Coping in a human-dominated landscape: trade-off between foraging and keeping away from roads by moose (Alces alces). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-012-0640-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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31
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Bjørneraas K, Herfindal I, Solberg EJ, Sæther BE, van Moorter B, Rolandsen CM. Habitat quality influences population distribution, individual space use and functional responses in habitat selection by a large herbivore. Oecologia 2011; 168:231-43. [PMID: 21766188 PMCID: PMC3254876 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2072-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2010] [Accepted: 06/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Identifying factors shaping variation in resource selection is central for our understanding of the behaviour and distribution of animals. We examined summer habitat selection and space use by 108 Global Positioning System (GPS)-collared moose in Norway in relation to sex, reproductive status, habitat quality, and availability. Moose selected habitat types based on a combination of forage quality and availability of suitable habitat types. Selection of protective cover was strongest for reproducing females, likely reflecting the need to protect young. Males showed strong selection for habitat types with high quality forage, possibly due to higher energy requirements. Selection for preferred habitat types providing food and cover was a positive function of their availability within home ranges (i.e. not proportional use) indicating functional response in habitat selection. This relationship was not found for unproductive habitat types. Moreover, home ranges with high cover of unproductive habitat types were larger, and smaller home ranges contained higher proportions of the most preferred habitat type. The distribution of moose within the study area was partly related to the distribution of different habitat types. Our study shows how distribution and availability of habitat types providing cover and high-quality food shape ungulate habitat selection and space use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Bjørneraas
- Centre for Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
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Wam HK, Hjeljord O, Solberg EJ. Differential forage use makes carrying capacity equivocal on ranges of Scandinavian moose (Alces alces). CAN J ZOOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1139/z10-084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Availability of preferred forage is hypothesized to be positively related to demographic performance in selective ungulates. Comparing two regions with high density of moose ( Alces alces (L., 1758)) having contrasting demographic performance and different composition of available plant species, we show that such a positive relationship may not always apply. The high-performance region (HP) had an estimated 41% higher total availability of browse per capita than the low-performance region (LP), but the availability of preferred species did not differ between the two regions. Although birch (genus Betula L.) was the most abundant browse in both regions (comprising 66% and 50% of the shoot amount available per m2 in HP and LP, respectively), it dominated the diet of moose only in HP (constituting, e.g., 69% of all trees browsed in summer compared with 22% in LP). Further research is needed to identify the cause of the seemingly suboptimal use of birch in LP. We also quantified factors that determine forage availability, of which recent logging clearly was the most important: it multiplied browse availability but also reduced coverage of bilberry ( Vaccinum myrtillus L.), an important forage plant. Our study shows that for selective ungulates, indices of carrying capacity based on forage availability may not apply uniformly across ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Karine Wam
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Olav Hjeljord
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erling Johan Solberg
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
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