Response of radio-collared moose to a large burn in central Alaska
Responses of radio-collared moose (Alces alces) to a 500-km 2 burn in central Alaska were described using prefire and postfire movements. Moose with low prefire contact with the burned area increased use following the fire. Increased use resulted from moose shifting home ranges and allocating more t...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
1989
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z89-047 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z89-047 |
| Summary: | Responses of radio-collared moose (Alces alces) to a 500-km 2 burn in central Alaska were described using prefire and postfire movements. Moose with low prefire contact with the burned area increased use following the fire. Increased use resulted from moose shifting home ranges and allocating more time to areas previously used for migration. Moose with high prefire contact decreased use following fire. Moose with no known prefire contact did not use the burn despite their close proximity to the burn. Increased use of the burn and establishment of new annual movement patterns occurred largely during the 1st year following the fire. Increased use of the burn was seasonal (June – September). No relationship was found between age of moose and increased use of the burn. Traditional movement patterns apparently prevented study moose without prefire use, irrespective of age, from finding the burn. Managers should obtain greatest use of burned habitat in areas where moose are abundant and (or) along major migration corridors where density is low but the number of moose passing through is high. |
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