Download or read book Habitat Management Methods to Increase Moose Browse Production in Alaska written by Susitna Hydroelectric Project and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Construction of the Susitna Hydroelectric Project will eliminate or alter wildlife habitat in the Susitna River drainage. Mitigation will include designating specific lands for habitat compensation and then increasing and/or maintaining moose carrying capacity through habitat management techniques. Prescribed burning is the preferred techniques to increase the carrying capacity of most areas for moose.

Download or read book Susitna Hydroelectric Project Habitat Management Methods to Increase Moose Browse Production in Alaska written by HARZA-EBASCO Susitna Joint Venture and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Construction of the Susitna Hydroelectric Project will eliminate or alter wildlife habitat in the Susitna River drainage. Mitigation will include designating specific lands for habitat compensation and then increasing and/or maintaining moose carrying capacity through habitat management techniques. Prescribed burning is the preferred techniques to increase the carrying capacity of most areas for moose.

Download or read book Socio ecological Drivers of Resource Selection and Habitat Use by Moose in Interior Alaska written by Casey L. Brown and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainably managing wildlife with diverse utilization values is one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary wildlife management. These challenges can be amplified under changing environmental and socio-economic conditions. In Alaska, boreal forest systems are experiencing rapid change as a result of climate warming. Alaska’s boreal region has warmed twice as rapidly as the global average, affecting a host of processes including an increase in wildfire frequency, extent, and severity. Wildfire is the most common ecological disturbance in the Alaskan boreal forest and an important driver of landscape heterogeneity, burning on average 1 to 2 million acres per year. Fire severity is a particularly important factor dictating the regeneration of deciduous species, and one that can influence the overall quality of habitat for herbivores, such as moose (Alces alces). However, the relationships between the availability and duration of biomass production and moose habitat selection are largely unknown. Additionally, the effects of fire on wildlife resources in Alaska can have important consequences for boreal social-ecological systems as well. Fire-related changes to the community composition of forest stands would likely affect the densities of species that human communities rely on for hunting and trapping. In Interior Alaska, where natural wildfire is the primary means of increased browse production for moose, managers may want to consider incorporating burns into management plans while paying particular attention to hunter accessibility. However, an increase in hunter activity into moose habitat could result in changes to moose distribution and activity patterns near trails and roads. To examine these questions I utilized telemetry data from 26 moose along with methods in spatial ecology, plant-animal interactions, resource selection and human dimensions of wildlife research to predict the influence of an ecological disturbance (fire) and an anthropogenic disturbance (hunter activity) on moose habitat use. I used dynamic Brownian bridge movement models (dBBMM) in conjunction with browse assessment surveys to examine how fire severity, via its control over vegetation composition, forage production and nutritional quality, affect habitat use patterns of moose across their seasonal home ranges and core use areas. To assess the effects of hunter activity on moose habitat use, I created fine-scale stepselection models to test whether habitat selection and movement patterns were affected by spatio-temporal variation in risk from hunting activity. Additionally, from August-October, I used a camera trap array to collect field data on human activity (off-road vehicles, automobiles, 4x4 trucks, dirt bikes, and hunters afoot) together with the RandomForests algorithm to create high-resolution hunter distribution models. Finally, to integrate my research within a socialecological framework, I examined the interactions between wildfire, forage production and hunter access on management scenarios overtime. In winter, moose preferred low-severity sites more than high and moderate-severity sites, but in summer, moose selected for high-severity sites. Forage biomass production ranged from 62 to 243 kg/ha/yr across all sites during winter within the Hajdukovich Creek Burn, but production and availability varied depending on fire severity and browse species. These results indicate that differing distributions of wildfire severity across a landscape can create a dynamic, mosaic of habitat patches that may optimize and extend the value of burns over time for moose. I found that while moose selected habitat closer to trails and roads, they also avoided areas with more hunting activity. Finally, my management scenarios provide a framework for managers to adapt goals and actions to changing conditions that can affect moose-hunter systems. I recommend that wildlife conservation and management decisions consider these methods as we seek to sustainably manage wildlife for future generations during a time of rapid socio-ecological change in Alaska.

Download or read book Moose Habitat Enhancement at Thomas Bay Alaska written by Richard E. Lowell and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Moose Alces Alces Browse Enhancement and Sustainable Forestry as a Rural Development Tool in the Sub Arctic Boreal Forest Region of Alaska written by Bruce David Cain and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This project studies indigenous and western moose browse management issues in the sub-arctic boreal forest and how this topic relates to rural development. Chapter one explains the methodology of the project. Chapter two describes how moose browse and biomass management support rural development and investigates productivity potential of combining moose browse management with sustainable forestry and biomass production. Chapter three investigates landscape and habitat management principles from a customary and traditional practice versus a scientific approach. It looks at management models in the following territories: Alaska, Canada, Continental US, Mongolia/Russia and Scandinavia. Chapter four investigates indigenous wildlife management systems and other indigenous wildlife policy issues. Chapter five is a selected annotated bibliography. The project has a focus on the Ahtna region of central Alaska and recognizes the implications of these issues for this region.

Download or read book Habitat Evaluation Techniques for Moose Management in Interior Alaska written by Thomas Frederick Paragi and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Moose Winter Habitat in the Lower Susitna Valley Alaska written by Steven W. Albert and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Report of Moose Habitat Suitability Assessment Pilot Project, established to attempt to develop an affordable, rapid-assessment technique to identify and characterize wildlife habitat, and, in particular, moose winter range.

Download or read book Vegetation Management to Improve Moose Browse in Interior Alaska written by Christian Nellemann and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evaluating Tools Used to Estimate and Manage Browse Available to Wintering Moose on the Copper River Delta Alaska written by Sharon E. Smythe and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ungulates comprise some of the most well researched and intensely managed wildlife populations on earth. As such, they are recognized as ideal study subjects for developing and modifying management tools or theories (Danell et al. 1994, Shipley 2010). An introduced moose (Alces alces gigas) population on the Copper River Delta (CRD; Delta) of south-central Alaska functions as a valuable resource for the residents of Cordova and an isolated research population on which to test managerial techniques. Since its introduction (1949-1958), the founding population of 23 moose has grown to over 830 in 2013, divided into two sub-populations. However, in 1964, the largest earthquake recorded in U.S. history (9.2 magnitude) uplifted the Delta by 1.0-4.0 m, initiating delta-wide changes in hydrology, vegetation distributions, and successional processes. The proportion of stands dominated by woody species, especially alder (Alnus viridis sinuata) and spruce (Picea sitchensis), increased visibly. Furthermore, previous research (1987-89) observed that 90% of the moose on the western region of the Delta wintered within 9-24% of the total land area, possibly restricting their available winter browse. Because moose diets on the CRD are dominated by willows (Salix spp.), managers were concerned that the combined effects of a restricted winter range and earthquake-initiated vegetation changes would negatively influence the population. Managers have responded to this concern by 1) supporting work to estimate the nutritional carrying capacity (NCC; i.e., the forage available to a population within a specified area and time) of the Delta, and 2) by exploring the feasibility of mechanical treatment as a means of stimulating browse production for the moose. Thus, the objectives of this thesis were to 1) explore the factors influencing NCC for moose on the west CRD while combining updated digital and field-collected data to estimate NCC, and 2) to assess the effects of mechanical treatment on the production of moose browse across stand types and over time. We collected field data and evaluated differences in the past (1988-89) and present (2012-13) biomass-predicting regression equations for two willow species (Barclay's and Hooker's willow, Salix barclayi and hookeriana) used within NCC models to determine 1) whether past and present models of Barclay's willow predicted similarly and 2) whether Hooker's and Barclay's willow differed in average available biomass, nutritional quality, and utilization by moose. The linear coefficients for the current (2013) Barclay's willow, Hooker's willow, and combined equations were 2.2x, 1.6x, and 1.9x larger, respectively, than that derived from the 1988 model for Barclay's willow (which possibly included Hooker's willow data). Thus, willows on the CRD may now be supporting more biomass per stem than predicted by prior models. Hooker's and Barclay's willow did not differ in mean available biomass, nutritional values, or utilization rates. These results suggest a need to evaluate the accuracy of older allometric regressions, though separate identification of the visually-similar Barclay's and Hooker's willow may be unnecessary for future biomass-estimating efforts on the CRD. To further explore the factors influencing the biomass available to moose and their associated NCC estimates, we compared 5 NCC model types across 4 winter ranges and under 3 winter-severity scenarios for the western CRD moose population. We conducted a sensitivity analysis (Sx) of our final model to determine the relative influence of factors affecting NCC estimates. Lastly, we compared current (2012-13) browse available biomass, stand type areas (2011), and NCC results to those obtained by past research (1987-89, MacCracken et al. 1997 and 1959/1986, Stephenson et al. 2006) to determine changes over time, while evaluating the effects of models incorporating satellite-based estimates of stand areas and forage nutritional values on NCC estimates. Because recent aerial survey observations suggest expansion of the moose winter range, our final model estimated NCC between 2,198-3,471 moose depending on winter severity within a winter range encompassing the entire west Delta. These results suggest the current western moose population (approximately 600 in 2013) is below NCC. Model components with the largest and smallest Sx were snow depth and tannin- and lignin-caused reductions in forage nutritional quality, respectively. Changes from 1987-2013 in available biomass of forage species ranged from -66-493%, while changes from 1959-2011 in stand type areas ranged from -60-661%. Overall, NCC estimates only declined by 2% from 1959-2013, however inclusion of forage nutritional quality in models reduced NCC estimates by 60%. Lastly, we assessed the use of hydraulic-axing (i.e., hydro-axing) as tool for increasing the available willow biomass. We evaluated treatment effects on biomass, height, nutritional quality (crude protein, lignin, and tannin levels), utilization, and snow burial of the winter forage species within 3 winter-severity scenarios. Sites were treated in 4 winters (1990-92, 2008, 2010, and 2012) within 5 stand types in 20 locations varying from 0.86-63.40 ha in size. Results indicate few significant differences relative to controls, though treatment significantly increased the ratio of willow to alder. Our results may be limited by sample sizes (n = 1-9 per stand type or treatment year) as visual comparison suggests treatment via hydraulic-axing may be an effective method for increasing willow biomass without influencing nutritional quality. However, willows 20-23 years post-treatment are still significantly shorter than untreated willows (P = 0.03). Thus, treatment may result in decreased forage available to moose in severe winters. Management concerns regarding continued earthquake-initiated changes in vegetation distributions and successional processes prompted our investigation. However, studies on the vegetation dynamics of the CRD suggest the vegetation distribution of the Delta may be relatively stable (Boggs 2000, Thilenius 2008). If so, our current estimates of NCC suggest the west Delta can support a larger moose population than is currently present. Hydro-axing may not be necessary to ensure the future of the moose population, though it could be used to counter increases in alder (Alnus viridis sinuata) which are likely within certain successional sequences. However, together with earthquakes, the processes determining the future forage available on the CRD include complex, interactive forces such as glaciers, the Copper River, oceanic tides, and zoological- and human-caused influences. These forces and their effects on the vegetation create a dynamic ecosystem for the moose population, are difficult to predict, and may be further complicated by climate change. As a result, application of any managerial tool may be temporary and often difficult. However, this guarantees a constant need for further revision and redevelopment of the tools used to manage the moose population, ensuring that the moose of the CRD will remain an important resource for researching and refining ungulate management worldwide.

Download or read book Management of an Expanding Moose Alces Alces Population on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Alaska written by Eric J. Wald and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My overall objective of this project was to identify and develop management tools for an expanding moose population in western Alaska. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) is home to over 40 villages that rely on subsistence resources across the region, and the high demand for resources has prioritized moose management on the Delta. It is critical for wildlife managers to understand not only wildlife ecology, but also the social component to resource management, which often times is the most important factor for success. I investigate a historical perspective of moose and moose management on the YKD. The historical colonization of moose into Alaska and subsequently into the Yukon-Kuskokwim region is described. I document a case study of the dual-management process for wildlife management in Alaska between the state and federal agencies and how this process worked for moose in the region. Additionally, the success of co-management is documented where the local residents of the region worked with agencies to make resource management decisions such as enacting a short-term moose hunting moratorium that benefited them in the long-term. I investigated management tools to help better understand the expanding moose population. There was a need to develop an alternative population survey technique for parts of the region that do not receive adequate or reliable survey conditions for the standard method used in the area. I developed a helicopter-based distance sampling technique that can be used in narrow riparian corridors during low snow years. Additionally, I developed a method for characterizing and indexing moose browse species within the region. Moose expanding into previously unoccupied habitats could have lasting effects on forage if populations become excessive in localized areas. It is important to characterize the condition of the browse base before the moose population expands and increases in density in order to have a baseline for future comparisons. This project also investigates the effects that snowshoe hares and beavers have on moose browse in the study area. Lastly, I relate a brooming index based on plant architecture to moose twinning rates, a measure of population productivity.

Download or read book Strategic Plan for Management of Moose in Region I Southeast Alaska 1990 94 written by Alaska. Division of Wildlife Conservation and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Management Guidelines for Improving Moose Habitat Through Forest Management in the Southcentral Region written by Steven W. Albert and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Alaska National Interest Lands written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hearings on House bill H.R. 39 that was introduced January 15, 1979 by the 96th Congress (it was an reintroduced version of House Bill H.R. 39 originally passed May 19, 1978). The 1979 version of H.R. 39 led to the December 1980 enactment of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

Download or read book Moose Alces Alces Browse Availability and Use in Response to Post fire Succession on Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge Alaska written by Erin L. Julianus and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I examined post-fire moose habitat dynamics on Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge in interior Alaska with the objective of increasing understanding of local moose habitat characteristics. I estimated browse density, biomass, and summer browse use in a 2005 burn, 1990 burn, 1972 burn, and an unburned area. I revisited each site the following spring to estimate browse availability and removal during winter. In addition to evaluating browse production and use, I estimated proportional habitat use of varying-aged burns by 51 VHF-collared moose. I found that summer browse production and winter browse availability were highest in the 1990 and 2005 burns. I found that summer and winter browse use was highest in the 1990 burn. Collared moose generally avoided recently burned stands and demonstrated preference for >30 year old stands in both summer and winter. Moose demonstrated preference for unburned stands during calving. Although biomass production and availability were highest in 11 – 30 year old stands, disproportionate use of food resources in burns was evident. This disproportionate use of burns and food resources could be due to a variety of reasons including resource type, historic moose distribution patterns, and predation avoidance strategies.

Download or read book Ecology and Management of the North American Moose written by Albert W. Franzmann and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Back in print as a University Press of Colorado edition, this abundantly illustrated volume with field sketch illustrations by William D. Berry fully explains moose biology and ecology and assesses the increasingly complex enterprise of managing moose. Twenty-one of the world's authorities on the species discuss its taxonomy, reproduction and growth, feeding habits, behavior, population dynamics, relationships with predators, incidental mortality, seasonal migration patterns, and habitat and harvest management. Contributors include Warren B. Ballard, Arnold H. Boer, Anthony B. Bubenik, M. E. Buss, Kenneth N. Child, Vincent F.J. Crichton, Albert W. Franzmann, Kris J. Hundertmark, Patrick D. Karns, Murray W. Lankester, Richard E. McCabe, James M. Peek, Henry M. Reeves, Wayne L. Regelin, Lyle A. Renecker, William M. Samuel, Charles C. Schwartz, Robert W. Stewart, Ian D. Thompson, H. R. Timmermann, and Victor Van Ballenberghe. A Wildlife Management Institute book

Download or read book Moose Habitat in Areas of Ongoing and Proposed Agricultural Developments and Moose Populations in Areas of Ongoing and Proposed Agricultural Developments written by Diane J. Preston and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Alaska s Changing Boreal Forest written by F. Stuart Chapin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2006-01-12 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Boreal forest is the northern-most forest in the world, whose organisms and dynamics are shaped by low temperature and high latitude. The Alaskan Boreal forest is warming as rapidly as any place on earth, providing an opportunity to examine a biome as it adjusts to change. This book looks at this issue.