Evaluation of Competitive Moose-Beaver Herbivory on Isle Royale National Park ...

• Main Authors: Crane, Austin, December, Krysta, Dowker, Theresa, Skowronek, Luke
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: My University 2022
• Subjects: herbivory; competition; beaver; moose; Alces alces
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/4336; http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/172187

Beavers (Castor canadensis) play a key role in creating aquatic habitat and sustaining aquatic biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems across North America, including in Isle Royale National Park (ISRO). The National Park Service (NPS) hypothesize that competitive pressure from moose (Alces alces) in ISRO will drive beavers to forage at greater distances from their lodges, which may place them at greater risk for predation and ultimately have negative implications for the park’s aquatic ecosystems. Determining whether this occurs in ISRO, and if so, the degree to which it occurs, is an important research goal for NPS. The objective of this study is to identify common foraging preferences for beavers and moose and to investigate whether competition from moose leads to changes in beaver foraging behavior. Using forest structure, beaver herbivory, and moose herbivory survey data provided by NPS, we developed a predictive model forecasting beaver foraging behavior in response to moose herbivory pressure. While the ...