Quantitative estimates of tree species selectivity by moose (<i>Alces alces</i>) in a forest landscape

Månsson, Johan; Kalén, Christer; Kjellander, Petter; Andrén, Henrik; Smith, Henrik G.

doi:10.1080/02827580701515023

Cited by 84 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The rank order, in terms of percentage of trees with recent browsing damage, was aspen > birch > Scots pine. This is in line with moose browsing preferences, as reported by Bergström and Hjeljord (1987) and Månsson et al (2007b). Similar results were reported by Bergström et al (1995), Jalkanen (2001) and Speed et al (2013), who also found browsing damage to be more common for silver birch compared to downy birch.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…are ranked among the most preferred species, and they are in turn followed by silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) and the conifer Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L. (Månsson et al 2007b). Although Scots pine ranks intermediate with regard to preference, it is quantitatively the most important winter food species for moose in Sweden (Cederlund et al 1980;Bergström and Hjeljord 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests – effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity

Bergqvist¹,

Bergström²,

Wallgren³

2014

Silva Fenn.

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Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests -effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity Bergqvist G., Bergström R., Wallgren M. (2014). Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests -effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 1 article id 1077. 13 p. Highlights• Moose damage was most common on aspen and least common on Scots pine.• Damage to Scots pine increased when the amount of pine browse decreased, moose index and site index increased and when birch was overtopping pine.• Damage to birch increased when moose index increased and damage to aspen increased when the amount of pine and birch browse decreased. AbstractMoose browsing damage from the winter preceding the study (recent damage) on Scots pine, birch and aspen was examined in relation to forage availability, an index of moose population density and site productivity in young forests in the hemiboreal zone. Recent damage was observed for 4.1 ± 0.54% (mean ± SE; Scots pine), 16.8 ± 1.89% (birch) and 67.6 ± 13.76% (aspen) of the trees. A multiple regression with five independent variables explained 19% (Scots pine) 14% (birch) and 33% (aspen) of the variation in recent damage. Cover of Scots pine browse was the most important variable for predicting damage to Scots pine and accounted for 44% of the explained variation. When birch was overtopping pine there was a significant increase in damage to pine. Moose index was the only significant variable to explain recent damage to birch, and accounted for 64% of the explained variation. For aspen, damage was negatively correlated to coverage of Scots pine and birch browse, each variable accounting for 38% of the explained variation. For Scots pine, increasing the number of pines ha -1 and performing pre-commercial thinning in such a way that pines are not overtopped may be efficient ways of reducing damage proportions, whereas birch needs to be protected from moose (by a reduction of the moose population or otherwise) in order to escape damage. Increased amounts of Scots pine browse and birch browse may also reduce damage levels to aspen, according to this study.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests – effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity

Bergqvist¹,

Bergström²,

Wallgren³

2014

Silva Fenn.

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“…Scots pine top shoots are preferred by moose and leader stem browsing changes the architecture of the tree, which is then regarded as stem damage from a forestry perspective (Bergqvist et al, 2001). Thus, while browsing on less preferred species such as spruce (Månsson et al, 2007b) declined with distance from the feeding stations as expected from central-place foraging theory (Orians and Pearson, 1979), the more preferred Scots pine was heavily browsed at all distances. If moose prefer pine tops to silage, this may explain why the current supplementary feeding practice fails to reduce browsing impact on important forage species.…”

Section: Food Availability and Forest Damage At The Landscape Scalementioning

confidence: 67%

“…The effect of distance from feeding stations on browsing levels was analysed for the three most common tree species; Scots pine, Norway spruce and downy birch, of which spruce is generally avoided by moose (Månsson et al, 2007b). Other less abundant tree species did not have an adequate sample size to evaluate the effect of distance from feeding stations on browsing impact (Table 3).…”

Section: Statisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term effects of supplementary feeding of moose on browsing impact at a landscape scale

Mathisen¹,

Milner²,

Beest

et al. 2014

Forest Ecology and Management

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Supplementary feeding of wildlife is a common management practice, increasingly used to reduce or divert herbivore impact from sensitive habitats, forestry or agriculture. The landscape-scale spatial distribution of herbivory in relation to supplementary or diversionary feeding stations is of particular relevance to wildlife and land management, yet has never been quantified. We considered multiple hypotheses, based on central-place foraging theory, to investigate how landscape-scale browsing impact changed as a function of distance from feeding stations and thereby test the effectiveness of diversionary feeding. We assessed the landscape-scale browsing impact of moose by quantifying browsing patterns and moose density in commercially-valuable young Scots pine stands in an area of south-east Norway with a long history of winter feeding. We also used positions from GPS-collared female moose to investigate the spatial distribution of individuals across the landscape. Moose density and browsing impact at a fine spatial scale (<1km) followed an exponential decrease with distance from diversionary feeding stations. However, at a landscape scale (1-10 km), browsing impact did not show any relationship with distance to feeding stations. Leader stem browsing on Scots pine trees was high at both the local (< 1 km; 68 ± 12 %) and landscape (1-10 km; 56 ± 7 %) scales. In addition, browsing on commercially valuable Norway spruce, which is normally avoided by moose, was locally high around feeding stations. As currently practiced, long-term diversionary feeding of moose was ineffective in diverting browsing impact from young pine stands at the landscape scale. Browsing on commercially-important tree species was sufficiently high that economic consequences could be expected. To avoid further conflict, we suggest a combination of reducing the moose density and increasing the availability of natural or more attractive supplementary forage.

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“…Although, in terms of quantity, moose consume mostly Scots pine in winter, pine is only of median species in the preference list of moose (Månsson et al 2007). When the availability of different species is accounted for, the most preferred species are in the order of preference: rowan, aspen and willows, after which come birches, Scots pine, juniper and Norway spruce (Månsson et al 2007).…”

Section: Moose Food Itemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hirven Alces alces resurssinvalinta useilla mittakaavan tasoilla – puista, taimikoista- ja elinpiireistä maisemiin ja ja ja alueisiin

Nikula¹

2017

Diss. For.

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To be presented, with the permission of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Helsinki, for public critisism in auditorium 108 (ls B3), Metsätieteiden talo (Viikki campus, Latokartanonkaari 7, Helsinki) on March 24 th 2017, at 12 o´clock noon. ABSTRACTThe Moose is a valuable game animal in Fennoscandia but also the most severe pest in forest plantations. In this thesis, I examined factors that affect the habitat selection of moose and moose damage at multiple scales. At the plot level, browsing increased with an increasing number of artificially regenerated pines and deciduous trees taller than pines. The damage risk was the highest in plantations with heavy soil preparation.Moose summer home ranges had more fertile sites than the overall study area. Within summer ranges moose, selected non-pine-dominated habitats and mature forests and avoided human settlements. Winter ranges contained more pine-dominated plantations and other young successional stages, more pine dominated peatland forests and less human settlements and agricultural fields. Within winter ranges, moose used more non-pinedominated plantations and mature forests and less human-inhabited areas than expected. At the home range level, there were no significant differences between sexes, but within home ranges males and females used different habitats during both seasons.The occurrence of damage in nearby landscape decreased the probability to find a landscape without damage and predicted an increase in the number of damaged plantations. Increased food-cover adjacencies of mature forests and plantations increased damage. An increasing proportion of inhabited areas and the length of connecting roads decreased the number of damage at the landscape sizes of 1 km 2 and 5 km 2 . Moose-damaged stands were concentrated in SW and eastern Lapland in Peräpohja Schist Belt and Lapland's Greenstone Belt with nutrient-rich bedrock. There was less damage in landscapes with an abundant amount of pine-dominated thinning forests. Moose damage plantations were located more on fertile bedrock and soils than undamaged ones. Regenerating Scots pine on fine-grained soils derived from nutrient-rich rocks and naturally occupied by Norway spruce might increase damage risk.

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Quantitative estimates of tree species selectivity by moose (Alces alces) in a forest landscape

Cited by 84 publications

References 28 publications

Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests – effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity

Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests – effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity

Long-term effects of supplementary feeding of moose on browsing impact at a landscape scale

Hirven Alces alces resurssinvalinta useilla mittakaavan tasoilla – puista, taimikoista- ja elinpiireistä maisemiin ja ja ja alueisiin

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