Habitat factors affecting vulnerability of moose to predation by wolves in southeastern British Columbia

Abstract

We compared habitat features at sites where wolves (Canis lupus) killed moose (Alces alces), sites 500 m from kills, telemetry locations of moose, and random sites, to examine the influence of logging and other landscape features on the vulnerability of moose to predation by wolves in southeastern British Columbia during the winters of 1984-1985 through 1995-1996. Moose-kill sites were located farther from the edges of seedling and pole size-class patches than telemetry locations. Road density was lower and wolf use was higher in areas where kill sites occurred than in areas where relocation or random sites occurred. Kill sites were located at lower elevations than relocation or random sites. A logistic regression model using road density, elevation, distance from trails, and distance from sizeclass polygon edges successfully classified 94.5% of sites as either kills or locations. Moose density was greater and hiding-cover levels were lower at kill sites than at control sites. Forest harvest practices in this study area apparently did not increase the vulnerability of moose to wolf predation.Résumé : Nous avons comparé les propriétés de l'habitat à divers sites où des Loups gris (Canis lupus) ont tué des Orignaux (Alces alces), à des endroits situés à 500 m des sites précédents, à des sites de repérage télémétrique d'orignaux, et à des sites aléatoires; notre objectif était d'examiner l'influence de la coupe du bois et d'autres proprié-tés du paysage sur la vulnérabilité des orignaux à la prédation par les loups dans le sud-est de la Colombie-Britannique au cours des hivers de 1984-1985 à 1995-1996. Les points de prédation se trouvaient plus loin des bordures des terrains contenant des jeunes pousses et des arbres au stade perche que les sites de repérage télémétrique. Les points de prédation se trouvaient dans des zones comportant moins de routes, à des altitudes plus basses et dans des zones plus achalandées par les loups que les sites de repérage ou les sites aléatoires. Un modèle de régression logistique tenant compte de la densité des routes, de l'altitude, de la distance des sentiers et de la distance des bordures du polygone des classes de taille a permis de classifier correctement 94,5% des sites comme sites de prédation ou sites de repérage. La densité des orignaux était plus élevée et la couverture protectrice se trouvait à un niveau plus bas aux points de prédation qu'aux sites témoins. Les procédures de coupe utilisées dans la région ne semblent pas avoir augmenté la vulnérabilité des orignaux à la prédation par les loups.[Traduit par la Rédaction] 157

Winter Habitat Use by Wolves, <em>Canis lupus</em>, in Relation to Forest Harvesting in West-central Alberta

“…This differs from our study area, where about 17%, or approximately three times as much area has been logged. In southeast British Columbia, researchers also did not find evidence that forest harvesting increased the vulnerability of Moose to predation by Wolves, where about 13% of the area was logged (Kunkel and Pletscher 2000).…”

Variable prey density modifies the effects of seagrass habitat structure on predator−prey interactions

“…A paradigm regarding the ecology of structured habitats is that predators are inhibited from finding and capturing prey by biotic or abiotic elements of habitat structure (e.g. Crowder & Cooper 1982, Stoner 1982, Orth et al 1984, Gotceitas & Colgan 1990, Heck & Crowder 1991, which results in decreasing rates of predation (and increasing rates of prey survival) with increasing structural complexity or habitat heterogeneity (van Dolah 1978, Coen et al 1981, Summerson & Peterson 1984, Savino & Stein 1989, Graham et al 1998, Kunkel & Pletscher 2000, Anderson 2001, Orth & van Montfrans 2002, Tarr & Babbitt 2002, Davis et al 2003. A variety of factors mediate this relationship, however, leading to variability in habitat-survival functions among studies, species, and habitats.…”

Habitat use and selection by male and female moose (Alces alces) in a boreal landscape.

“…Additionally, Kunkel and Pletcher (2000) noted that w olf kill rates increased with increasing distance to cover, decreasing road density, increasing trail and stream density and increasing wolf density.…”

“…Female moose that give birth on islands protect calves from predators on the mainland (Edwards 1983). In winter, frozen waterways function as movement corridors for moose and the wolves that pursue them (Kunkel and Pletcher 2000).…”

“…Land cover, snow depth, and predation risk may change along altitudinal gradients (Kunkel andPletcher 2000, Stumph andWright 2007). In the South Canol area, moose were generally found within a 500-m range in elevation, from valley bottoms up to subalpine areas.…”