Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen.
Selective harvest regimes are often focused on males resulting in skewed sex-ratios, and for many ungulate species this strategy is sustainable. However, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are very social and mature bulls (≥4 years old), particularly prime-age bulls (6-10 years old), play important roles i...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:6e42213ccaff4748ad51b256daebe6d4 2023-05-15T17:13:42+02:00 Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. Joshua H Schmidt Tony S Gorn 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067493 https://doaj.org/article/6e42213ccaff4748ad51b256daebe6d4 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3688598?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067493 https://doaj.org/article/6e42213ccaff4748ad51b256daebe6d4 PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 6, p e67493 (2013) Medicine R Science Q article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067493 2022-12-31T05:47:36Z Selective harvest regimes are often focused on males resulting in skewed sex-ratios, and for many ungulate species this strategy is sustainable. However, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are very social and mature bulls (≥4 years old), particularly prime-age bulls (6-10 years old), play important roles in predator defense and recruitment. A year-round social structure incorporating large males into mixed-sex groups could make this species more susceptible to the effects of selective harvest if population composition and sex-ratios influence overall survival and reproductive success. Using detailed data collected on the muskox population occupying the Seward Peninsula, Alaska during 2002-2012, we formulated the hypothesis that the selective harvest of mature bulls may be related to documented changes in population composition and growth rates in this species. In addition, we reviewed existing published information from two other populations in Alaska, the Cape Thompson and Northeastern populations, to compare population growth rates among the three areas under differential harvest rates relative to our hypothesis. We found that on the Seward Peninsula, mature bull:adult cow ratios declined 4-12%/year and short-yearling:adult cow ratios (i.e., recruitment) declined 8-9%/year in the most heavily harvested areas. Growth rates in all 3 populations decreased disproportionately after increases in the number of bulls harvested, and calf:cow ratios declined in the Northeastern population as harvest increased. While lack of appropriate data prevented us from excluding other potential causes such as density dependent effects and changes in predator densities, our results did align with our hypothesis, suggesting that in the interest of conservation, harvest of mature males should be restricted until causal factors can be more definitively identified. If confirmed by additional research, our findings would have important implications for harvest management and conservation of muskoxen and other ungulate species with similar ... Article in Journal/Newspaper muskox ovibos moschatus Seward Peninsula Alaska Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLoS ONE 8 6 e67493 |
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Medicine R Science Q Joshua H Schmidt Tony S Gorn Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
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Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Selective harvest regimes are often focused on males resulting in skewed sex-ratios, and for many ungulate species this strategy is sustainable. However, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are very social and mature bulls (≥4 years old), particularly prime-age bulls (6-10 years old), play important roles in predator defense and recruitment. A year-round social structure incorporating large males into mixed-sex groups could make this species more susceptible to the effects of selective harvest if population composition and sex-ratios influence overall survival and reproductive success. Using detailed data collected on the muskox population occupying the Seward Peninsula, Alaska during 2002-2012, we formulated the hypothesis that the selective harvest of mature bulls may be related to documented changes in population composition and growth rates in this species. In addition, we reviewed existing published information from two other populations in Alaska, the Cape Thompson and Northeastern populations, to compare population growth rates among the three areas under differential harvest rates relative to our hypothesis. We found that on the Seward Peninsula, mature bull:adult cow ratios declined 4-12%/year and short-yearling:adult cow ratios (i.e., recruitment) declined 8-9%/year in the most heavily harvested areas. Growth rates in all 3 populations decreased disproportionately after increases in the number of bulls harvested, and calf:cow ratios declined in the Northeastern population as harvest increased. While lack of appropriate data prevented us from excluding other potential causes such as density dependent effects and changes in predator densities, our results did align with our hypothesis, suggesting that in the interest of conservation, harvest of mature males should be restricted until causal factors can be more definitively identified. If confirmed by additional research, our findings would have important implications for harvest management and conservation of muskoxen and other ungulate species with similar ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Joshua H Schmidt Tony S Gorn |
author_facet |
Joshua H Schmidt Tony S Gorn |
author_sort |
Joshua H Schmidt |
title |
Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
title_short |
Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
title_full |
Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
title_fullStr |
Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
title_sort |
possible secondary population-level effects of selective harvest of adult male muskoxen. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067493 https://doaj.org/article/6e42213ccaff4748ad51b256daebe6d4 |
genre |
muskox ovibos moschatus Seward Peninsula Alaska |
genre_facet |
muskox ovibos moschatus Seward Peninsula Alaska |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 6, p e67493 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3688598?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067493 https://doaj.org/article/6e42213ccaff4748ad51b256daebe6d4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067493 |
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PLoS ONE |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
e67493 |
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