Wolverine population density and home range size in Arctic Alaska

Abstract

Understanding the spatial requirements of exploited wildlife species, including population density and home range size, is important for wildlife management and conservation. Wolverines (Gulo gulo) are hunted and trapped across the Arctic, and are vulnerable to numerous, often interrelated, threats resulting from anthropogenic changes in their environment. Previous population density estimates for wolverines in the Arctic range tenfold, from the lowest to highest available for the species, limiting their utility outside the specific areas and times they were derived. The most recent density estimate in Arctic Alaska, USA, was produced 4 decades ago and was derived from a relatively small study area. We evaluated wolverine population density and home range size across the North Slope of Alaska during 2017–2022 using global positioning system (GPS)‐based collar data and spatial capture‐recapture models. Population density estimates were 2.0 individuals/1,000 km2 (95% credible interval = 1.3–3.5) in 2018 and 2.8 individuals/1,000 km2 (95% credible interval = 1.7–3.5) in 2021. Median home range sizes modeled with autocorrelated kernel density estimators and Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck foraging movement processes were 699 km2 (range = 158–2,895 km2) among 12 females and 2,332 km2 (range = 797–4,699 km2) among 10 males. These population density estimates are nearly 10 times lower than the previous estimate for Arctic Alaska. We recommend incorporating this information into management strategies to ensure sustainable harvest, particularly as the region's remote areas are more efficiently accessed by hunters and are being considered for transportation corridors supporting new industrial development.