WINTER UTILIZATION BY MOOSE OF GLYPHOSATE-TREATED CUTOVERS - AN INTERIM REPORT

• Main Authors: Connor, John, McMillan, Laurie
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Lakehead University 1988
• Subjects: Thunder Bay; Alces alces
• Online Access: http://alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/1263

Glyphosate is an important silvicultural tool used in the boreal forest. This study was undertaken to determine if the use of this herbicide for controlling competing shrubs in plantations is seriously reducing forage resources and subsequent overwinter utilization by moose (Alces alces). The Observations were carried out in 4 treated and control paired cutovers near Thunder Bay, Ontario. The numbers of overwinter moose tracks were not significantly different (P > 0.05) at 7 and 19 months post-spray, but they indicated a preference for the non-treated control areas (P < 0.05) at 31 months post-spray. The number of moose track aggregates were similar in control and glyphosate-treated cutovers (P > 0.05), 7 months post-spray, but were more numerous (P < 0.05) on control portions, 19 and 31 months after treatment. Total track aggregate area and average track aggregate size were similar (P > 0.05) in all time periods, post-treatment. Available most browse on control plots was four times greater, and utilized browse was 12 times greater, then that on treated areas at 21 months post-spray. Estimated winter moose presence, calculated from pellet counts, was three times greater on untreated than treated areas after 21 months (P < 0.05).