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https://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/3259
Title: | Core areas of habitat use : the influence of spatial scale of analysis on interpreting summer habitat selection by moose (Alces alces) |
Authors: | Vander Wal, Eric |
Keywords: | Moose Habitat Ontario, Northwestern;Habitat selection Ontario, Northwestern;Moose Summering Ontario, Northwestern |
Issue Date: | 2005 |
Abstract: | I investigated summer habitat selection patterns within the home ranges of 60 GPS-collared adult female moose (Alces alces) in northwestern Ontario. I developed a model that identified the ‘summer’ period for moose and I suggest and test a new approach for objectively delineating areas of intense use, or ‘core’ areas. Once summer and core areas were established, I tested two competing hypotheses to identify differences in habitat selected between the core areas and home range peripheries; (1) core areas represent superior spatial configurations of habitats when compared to home range peripheries; and (2) core areas are selected to contain a subset of ‘preferred’ forage species with higher individual densities or a higher total density of all forage species than home range peripheries. The study was conducted in 2 landscapes characterized by different disturbance patterns created by different timber harvesting systems: modified “guidelines” cut (MGC); and progressive, contiguous clear cut (PCC). Moose move more and faster during the summer than the winter to exploit available forage. I defined moose ‘summer’ as the period during the calendar year when an animal maintains a rate of movement greater than the annual mean. Using a sub-sample (n=32) of animals collared in 2000,1 determined 1 May 2000 as the median date for the ‘winter-summer’ transition (range: 2 April-24 May) and the median transition from ‘summer-winter’ was 25 August 2000 (range: 1 Aug-23 October). Moose home ranges were designated using a 90% adaptive kernel. Within the home range, moose devote a disproportionate amount of time to a fraction of the total area. |
URI: | http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/3259 |
metadata.etd.degree.discipline: | Biology |
metadata.etd.degree.name: | Master of Science |
metadata.etd.degree.level: | Master |
metadata.dc.contributor.advisor: | Rodgers, Art |
metadata.dc.contributor.committeemember: | Lankester, Murray W. Lee, Peter Rempel, Rob |
Appears in Collections: | Retrospective theses |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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VanderWalE2005m-1a.pdf | 2.58 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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