Moose (Alces alces) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) at winter feeding stations : interspecific avoidance in space and time?

• Main Author: Johnsen, Kaja
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: winter feeding stations; moose; red deer; spatial and temporal avoidance; vinterfôringsstasjon; elg; hjort; møkktaksering; pellet count; fôringsperioder; VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480; Norway; Alces alces
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/132235

Master i anvendt økologi. Evenstad 2012 A recent increase in the red deer (Cervus elaphus) population in Eastern Norway has raised concern among hunters and landowners that the red deer may outcompete and suppress the economically important moose (Alces alces). Moose has been fed supplementary in winter time in Eastern Norway for many years, and in the recent years red deer has been observed more and more on the feeding stations. In this study, I have tested if these two species show a mutual spatiotemporal avoidance at winter feeding stations. I have used both pellet count data from feeding stations and GPS data from animals that use feeding stations. Moose and red deer tracks were documented at all of the 12 feeding stations visited during the pellet count. There was a significant negative relation between the density of moose pellet groups and the density of red deer pellet groups at the feeding station on a weekly basis (p<0.001). On a day-to-day basis, density of red deer pellet groups on feeding stations was related to volume of silage bale and feeding station region, while none of the factors seemed related with the density of moose pellet groups. There was no difference between the two species in proportion of time spent <100m from the feeding station (moose 25.1 % ± 2.4 %, red deer 22.4 % ± 3.4 %). Feeding station use occurred mostly during night hours for both species, but the red deer had a more distinct pattern for feeding station use than the moose: Red deer changed more abrupt from high-use to low-use periods. Feeding bouts for both species were longest if they entered the feeding station in the afternoon, but there was no significant difference in length of feeding bouts between the species. After having left the feeding station, red deer moved quicker away and stayed at slightly longer distances from the closest feeding station during daytime than moose did. Norsk: De siste års økning i hjortepopulasjonen (Cervus elaphus) på Østlandet i Norge uroer mange jegere og grunneiere. De er ...