Landscape disturbance alters the composition and diversity of the diet of moose, a generalist herbivore

Koetke, Lisa Jeanne; Hodder, Dexter P.; Rea, Roy V.; Johnson, Chris J.; Marshall, Shelley

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120760

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 80 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Goitered gazelle showed elevated values of both the spring food diversity index H and niche width B . These findings align with the Niche Expansion Hypothesis, suggesting that generalized herbivores may expand their dietary range to compensate for a diminishing availability or quality of preferred food resources [ 50 , 69 , 70 ]. Additionally, goitered gazelles consumed extensive forbs and Fabaceae, known for their high nutritional value and palatability [ 71 , 72 , 73 ] in the spring to meet their nutritional needs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Seasonal Diet Composition of Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in an Arid and Semi-Arid Region of Western China

Zhang,

Liu

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Global climate change, habitat fragmentation, and human interference have resulted in a significant, ongoing decline in the population of goitered gazelles. Effective conservation strategies require an understanding of resource requirements of threatened species, such as dietary needs. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the food composition and seasonal dietary changes of goitered gazelles through microhistological analyses of fresh feces. Fabaceae (11.5%), Gramineae (9.4%), Chenopodiaceae (20.2%), Asteraceae (10.1%), and Rosaceae (19.5%) formed the primary dietary components of goitered gazelle. Additionally, Krascheninnikovia arborescens (13.4%) and Prunus sibirica (16.3%) were identified as the key forage plants. Forbs (50.4%) were the predominant plants for grazing throughout the year, particularly in the spring (72.9%). The proportion of trees in the diet was highest in the autumn (36.7%) and comparatively lower in other seasons. Furthermore, the proportions of shrubs (22.0%) and graminoids (14.8%) both reached their peaks in the winter. Our findings indicate that goitered gazelles strategically forage seasonally to cope with resource bottlenecks, enhancing their adaptability to arid and semi-arid habitats. Our study provides essential ecological information for the conservation of goitered gazelles and emphasizes the importance of dietary studies of species of ecological significance in environmentally sensitive areas.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Seasonal Diet Composition of Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in an Arid and Semi-Arid Region of Western China

Zhang,

Liu

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Plant structure can also influence the detection distance of camera traps. Across central BC, moose often consume firs and deciduous trees, especially in the winter (Hodder et al., 2013; Koetke et al., 2023). Given the relationship between forage species and distribution of moose, we expected that the leading tree species of a forest stand would affect density of moose.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using camera traps and N‐mixture models to estimate population abundance: Model selection really matters

Koetke,

Hodder,

Johnson

2024

Methods Ecol Evol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Estimating the abundance or density of wildlife populations is a critical part of species conservation and management, but estimates can vary greatly in precision and accuracy according to the sampling and statistical methods, sampling and ecological variation, and sample size. We used images of moose (Alces americanus) from camera traps to parameterize N‐mixture models and tested the effect of ecological conditions, the spatial scale of measurement, and the criteria used to define independent detections on estimates of population abundance. We compared the model estimates to those generated empirically with aerial survey data, the standard method for many species of ungulate. We explored the sensitivity of estimates to model choice based on the common statistical criterion of parsimony. The two most parsimonious N‐mixture models (i.e. AICc) were considerably biased, producing implausibly large and considerably imprecise estimates of abundance. Most of the other models produced estimates of moose abundance that were ecologically realistic and relatively accurate. The accuracy of population estimates produced by N‐mixture models was not overly sensitive to the formulation of models, the scale at which ecological conditions were measured, or the criteria used to define independent detection and by extension sample size. Our results suggested that parsimony was a poor measure of the predictive accuracy of the population estimates produced with the N‐mixture model. We recommend using a suite of models to generate predictions of abundance instead of the single top‐ranked model. Collecting and processing data from the aerial survey was less expensive and took less time, but data from camera traps provided a broader set of insights into the behaviour of moose and the co‐occurrence of competitors and predators.

show abstract

Cut vs. fire: a comparative study of the temporal effects of timber harvest and wildfire on ecological indicators of the boreal forest

Best,

Brown,

Elkin

et al. 2024

Landsc Ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context Large-scale natural disturbances are crucial drivers of ecosystem function and composition for many forested ecosystems. In the last century, the prevalence of anthropogenic disturbances has increased across Canada’s boreal forest. Habitat disturbance from timber harvest and wildfire is linked to declines of boreal species, including woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Objectives We tested how disturbances influenced the recovery trajectory of ecological indicators of timber, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat through time following timber harvest and wildfire across the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada. Methods During 2021 and 2022, we collected field data from 251 timber harvested and 264 burned stands (0–40 years since disturbance), as well as 256 older forest stands used by caribou (> 40 years since disturbance). Field data included metrics of stand attributes (e.g., basal area, stems per hectare), coarse woody debris (CWD), and abundance of forage for caribou, moose (Alces americanus), and bears (black bear: Ursus americanus, grizzly bear: Ursus arctos). Results Basal area of trees and stems per hectare recovered more quickly in timber harvest sites when compared to wildfire sites, but as time since disturbance increased there were no differences in these attributes among timber harvest, wildfire, and caribou use sites. CWD was greatest in recently burned sites, but declined over time to be similar in quantity as in harvested stands and older forest stands. Terrestrial lichens, important forage for caribou, were most abundant in the older caribou use sites, whereas forage for moose and bears, including shrubs, was most abundant in younger timber harvest and wildfire sites. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that timber harvesting may result in a quicker development of timber volume when compared to wildfire. However, this anthropogenic disturbance is less advantageous for the development of caribou habitat.

show abstract

Landscape disturbance alters the composition and diversity of the diet of moose, a generalist herbivore

Cited by 6 publications

References 80 publications

Seasonal Diet Composition of Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in an Arid and Semi-Arid Region of Western China

Seasonal Diet Composition of Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in an Arid and Semi-Arid Region of Western China

Using camera traps and N‐mixture models to estimate population abundance: Model selection really matters

Cut vs. fire: a comparative study of the temporal effects of timber harvest and wildfire on ecological indicators of the boreal forest

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About