Data from: Harvest and density-dependent predation drive long-term population decline in a northern ungulate ...

• Main Authors: Marrotte, Robby R., Patterson, Brent R., Northrup, Joseph M.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2022
• Subjects: FOS Biological sciences; Alces alces
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2280gb5tt; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.2280gb5tt

The relative effect of top-down versus bottom-up forces in regulating and limiting wildlife populations is an important theme in ecology. Untangling these effects is critical for a basic understanding of trophic dynamics and effective management. We examined the drivers of moose (Alces alces) population growth by integrating two independent sources of observations within a hierarchical Bayesian population model. This analysis used one of the largest existing spatiotemporal datasets on ungulate population dynamics globally. We documented a 20% population decline over the period examined. Moose population growth was negatively density-dependent. Although the mechanisms producing density-dependent suppression of population growth could not be determined, the relatively low densities at which moose populations were documented suggests it could be due primarily to density-dependent predation. Predation primarily limited population growth, except at low density, where it was regulating. Harvest appeared to be ... : See the manuscript for details on how the dataset was collected and processed. ...