scholarly journals Exploitative Competition between Mountain Hare and Moose—Qualitative Effects on Hare Winter Forage?

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2638
Author(s):  
Simen Pedersen ◽  
Hans Chr. Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Food Selection ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Mountain Hare ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Salix Caprea ◽  
Winter Food ◽  
Downy Birch ◽  
Moose Browsing ◽  
Near Threatened

Mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in Scandinavia are classified as Near Threatened in the Norwegian and Swedish Redlists. This is due to a possible population decline witnessed during the last decades in Scandinavia. Competition between large herbivores and mountain hares is one of several hypotheses that has been put forward to explain this decline. In a cafeteria trial we investigate the effects of previous moose (Alces alces) winter browsing on the food selection (i.e., biomass consumed, bites per minute and bitediameter) of downy birch (Betula pubescens) and goat willow (Salix caprea) by captive mountain hares. We find that mountain hares do not differentiate among previous browsing levels of downy birch, but have larger bite diameters of goat willow earlier browsed by moose, compared to non-browsed plants. Thus, effects of moose on mountain hare winter food quality seem to be limited. We highlight the need for studies focusing on (1) qualitative effects of moose browsing using wild mountain hares in a natural experimental design, and (2) quantitative effects of moose browsing on available mountain hare forage at a landscape scale during winter.

Winter browsing of moose on two different willow species: food selection in relation to plant chemistry and plant response

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 807-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Stolter ◽  
John P Ball ◽  
Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto ◽  
Reinhard Lieberei ◽  
Jörg U Ganzhorn
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Willow Species ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
Plant Animal Interactions ◽  
Salix Myrsinifolia ◽  
Moose Browsing

We investigated the selection criteria of moose, Alces alces (L., 1758), feeding on two willow species, Salix phylicifolia L. and Salix myrsinifolia Salisb., and whether these willows respond chemically. We correlated winter twig browsing with the concentrations of primary and secondary plant compounds in twigs and new leaves. Furthermore, we investigated 12 specific phenolics in twigs of S. phylicifolia. During winter, moose browsed twigs with low concentrations of phenolic compounds. Additionally, we found significant negative correlations between browsing and the concentration of 7 of the 12 specific phenolic compounds in S. phylicifolia. Most importantly, even though ours was a field study and had many potential sources of variation, a multivariate analysis revealed that these specific phenolics predicted 47% of the variation in moose browsing. The two willows reacted in different chemical ways to moose browsing, but both showed signs of defensive response in early spring and compensation growth in summer. Our data demonstrate the importance of plant secondary chemicals for feeding behaviour of moose and underline the importance of working at a species level in studies of plant–animal interactions, especially with the chemically heterogeneous willows.

scholarly journals Interactions between large herbivores and litter removal by termites across a rainfall gradient in a South African savanna

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Buitenwerf ◽  
Nicola Stevens ◽  
Cleo M. Gosling ◽  
T. Michael Anderson ◽  
Han Olff
Keyword(s):  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Litter Removal ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract:Litter-feeding termites influence key aspects of the structure and functioning of semi-arid ecosystems around the world by altering nutrient and material fluxes, affecting primary production, foodweb dynamics and modifying vegetation composition. Understanding these complex effects depends on quantifying spatial heterogeneity in termite foraging activities, yet such information is scarce for semi-arid savannas. Here, the amount of litter that was removed from 800 litterbags in eight plots (100 litterbags per plot) was measured in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park (HiP) South Africa. These data were used to quantify variation in litter removal at two spatial scales: the local scale (within 450-m2 plots) and the landscape scale (among sites separated by 8–25 km). Subsequently, we attempted to understand the possible determinants of termites’ foraging patterns by testing various ecological correlates, such as plant biomass and bare ground at small scales and rainfall and fences that excluded large mammalian herbivores at larger scales. No strong predictors for heterogeneity in termite foraging intensity were found at the local scale. At the landscape scale termite consumption depended on an interaction between rainfall and the presence of large mammalian herbivores: litter removal by termites was greater in the presence of large herbivores at the drier sites but lower in the presence of large herbivores at the wetter sites. The effect of herbivores on termite foraging intensity may indicate a switch between termites and large herbivore facilitation and competition across a productivity gradient. In general, litter removal decreased with increasing mean annual rainfall, which is in contrast to current understanding of termite consumption across rainfall and productivity gradients. These results generate novel insights into termite ecology and interactions among consumers of vastly different body sizes across spatial scales.

Spatially segregated foraging patterns of moose (Alces alces) and mountain hare (Lepus timidus) in a subarctic landscape: different tables in the same restaurant?

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara M. Öhmark ◽  
Glenn R. Iason ◽  
R. Thomas Palo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Heterogeneity ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Alces Alces ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Mountain Hare ◽  
Foraging Patterns ◽  
Lepus Timidus ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Moose Browsing

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.

Winter Food Selection by Alaskan Spruce Grouse

1976 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence N. Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Food Selection ◽  
Winter Food

Faecal nitrogen as an index of hare browse quality

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åke Pehrson
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Selection ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Reliable Index ◽  
Weak Correlation ◽  
Weak Relationship ◽  
Nutritive Quality ◽  
Winter Food ◽  
Faecal Nitrogen

Experiments with caged mountain hares fed natural winter browse are examined to test the applicability of faecal nitrogen as an index of the nutritional quality of winter hare browse. The weak correlation found between faecal nitrogen concentration and weight balances of hares suggests that faecal nitrogen is not a reliable index of winter food nutritive quality. It is suggested that the lack of food selection based on nitrogen concentration is the main reason for this weak relationship.

scholarly journals Declines in populations of Salix caprea L.during forest regeneration after strong herbivore pressure

2014 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janusz B. Faliński
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Complete Disappearance ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Salix Caprea ◽  
Sex Structure ◽  
Białowieża National Park

Communities of broadleaved forest subject to strong pressure from large herbivores underwent degeneration. The relief of this pressure led to regeneration of the community, in which an important role was played by the sallow <em>Salix caprea</em> and other light-seeded pioneer species of tree (<em>Populus tremula</em>, <em>Betula pendula</em> and <em>B. pubescens</em>). Regeneration involving <em>Salix caprea</em> proceeded following the conservatorial protection of the degenerate stands in a reserve and later in Białowieża National Park. The emergence and development of the population of <em>Salix caprea</em> proceeded following the invasion of spruce, which coincided with the period of enhanced animal pressure on broadleaved forest. <em>Salix caprea</em> filled all the gaps in the tree stand arising as a result of the destruction of trees and undergrowth by herbivores (in the years 1892-1915). It also appeared en masse on old, at that time unforested, clearings and felled areas. In these places, <em>Salix caprea</em> created very abundant populations, with particular trees being in good condition, with a habit typical of forest trees and attaining considerable heights. The majority of trees were 50-60 years old at the time of death, although individuals reached 74 years of age. The process of extinction of the sallow population - observed over 19 years on permanent plots and fixed trees - proceeded very quickly, especially in the first decade of observation. It led to the almost complete disappearance of sallow for the forest communities of Białowieża National Park. The death of individual trees is preceded by impairment of their health and reduced annual increments in the 4-9 last years of life. The extinction of the population is associated with the loss of its primary phenological differentiation and with a change in the sex structure of the population from a prevalence of female trees to a near even distribution of the two sexes. The development of the populations of permanent constituents of the forest (<em>Carpinus betulus</em>, <em>Tilia cordata</em>, <em>Acer platanoides</em> and <em>Ulmus glabra</em>) under the canopy of light-seeded trees, and the non-creation of a new generation of pioneer species points to the imminent end of the process of regeneration in the forest communities of Białowieża National Park.

scholarly journals Identifying Kittlitz's Murrelet Nesting Habitat in North America at the Landscape Scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan J. Felis ◽  
Michelle L. Kissling ◽  
Robb S.A. Kaler ◽  
Leah A. Kenney ◽  
Matthew J. Lawonn
Keyword(s):  
Population Decline ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Aleutian Islands ◽  
Nesting Habitat ◽  
Alaska Peninsula ◽  
Scale Parameters ◽  
Kodiak Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Northern Alaska ◽  
Parameter Values

Abstract The Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is a small, noncolonial seabird endemic to marine waters of Alaska and eastern Russia that may have experienced significant population decline in recent decades, in part because of low reproductive success and terrestrial threats. Although recent studies have shed new light on Kittlitz's murrelet nesting habitat in a few discrete areas, the location and extent of suitable nesting habitat throughout most of its range remains unclear. Here, we have compiled all existing nest records and locations to identify landscape-scale parameters (distance to coast, elevation, slope, and land cover) that provide potential nesting habitat in four regions: northern Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula Mountains and Kodiak Island, and Pacific Coastal Mountains (including nearshore interior Canada). We produced a final map classifying 12% (70,411 km2) of the lands assessed as potential Kittlitz's murrelet nesting habitat, with dense but distinct patches in northern Alaska and a more uninterrupted, narrow band extending across the Pacific Coastal Mountains, Alaska Peninsula Mountains, and Aleutian Islands. The extent of habitat-capable parameter values varied regionally, indicating that the Kittlitz's murrelet may be able to use a variety of habitats for nesting, depending on availability. Future nesting habitat studies could employ spatially random sampling designs to allow for quantitatively robust modeling of nesting habitat and predictive extrapolation to areas where nests have not been located but likely exist.

Detecting moose (Alces alces) browsing damage in young boreal forests from airborne laser scanning data

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Melin ◽  
J. Matala ◽  
L. Mehtätalo ◽  
A. Suvanto ◽  
P. Packalen
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Airborne Laser Scanning ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Airborne Laser ◽  
Browsing Damage ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Moose Browsing

Large herbivores can have large impacts on their habitats through extensive browsing. Similarly, human actions can have large impacts both on habitats and on the animals utilizing the habitats. In Finland, the increase in clear-cut areas has been highly positive for moose in particular, because these areas provide an easy and abundant source of winter food. For the forest owners, moose browsing causes growth and quality losses or even the destruction of whole stand. We aimed to identify moose browsing damage from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data and to predict damaged areas. The data was used to detect the difference in forest structure caused by moose browsing (lost branches and twigs) in relation to reference areas without moose browsing. The damaged areas were located, measured, and confirmed by forestry professionals, and ALS data was collected after the damage. In the end, the structural differences that browsing caused proved to be clear enough to be detected with metrics calculated from ALS data. Many variables were significantly different between the damage and no-damage areas. With logistic regression, we were able to differentiate the areas with significant, large-scale damage from no-damage areas with a 76% accuracy. However, the model was too keen to predict false-positive cases (classifying no-damage areas as damaged). It was shown that ALS data can be used in detecting moose browsing damage in a case where the damage is extremely severe (like in here). Yet, to make the results more accurate, better field data about the damaged areas would be needed.

scholarly journals Moose Browsing Tends Spruce Plantations More Efficiently Than a Single Mechanical Release

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1138
Author(s):  
Laurent De Vriendt ◽  
Nelson Thiffault ◽  
Alejandro A. Royo ◽  
Martin Barrette ◽  
Jean-Pierre Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Basal Area ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Competing Species ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Sapling Density ◽  
Moose Browsing ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management ◽  
Mechanical Release

Forest vegetation management can improve planted seedling survival and growth and is thus widely used in plantation silviculture. In some jurisdictions, mechanical release using brushsaws has replaced the traditional use of chemical herbicides for forest vegetation management purposes. However, its associated costs and the increasing difficulty of finding qualified labor represent a challenge. The browsing of competition by large herbivores may represent an alternative to mechanical release when planted seedlings are resistant to browsing. Here, we compare the efficacy of moose browsing relative to mechanical release in controlling competing vegetation and in promoting white spruce growth in plantations. In a high moose density region, we used an experimental design consisting of four pairs of moose exclosures and unfenced plots; fifty percent of both the access-restricted and unrestricted study areas received a mechanical release treatment. Moose browsing was more efficient than mechanical release in diminishing the sapling density and basal area of competing species. Mechanical release only reduced the sapling density of taller competitors (height > 201 cm), whereas browsing reduced the sapling densities of competitors across a greater size range (height > 130 cm). These effects of moose browsing on competition translated into a greater positive effect of moose browsing on the basal area of planted spruces. We attribute the higher effectiveness of moose browsing relative to mechanical release to its chronic nature. Moose browsed continuously throughout the year and for multiple years, whereas mechanical release was applied only one time between the second and fourth years after planting. Our results suggest that pairing wildlife management and silviculture decisions could be in the best interest of both the hunting and forestry industries in regions where plantations are frequent and use browse-resistant crop trees. Favouring browsers in controlling the density of competing species could increase the hunting experience and income, while providing an effective, cost-free, and socially acceptable forest vegetation management service.

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