Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland
Grey wolf Canis lupus is often the main predator of moose Alces alces. Therefore it can be expected that moose are able to recognize the presence of wolves and react to them to avoid predation. We examined the effect of predation risk by wolves on movement patterns by moose in eastern Finland where...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Other Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nordic Board for Wildlife Research
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://jukuri.luke.fi/handle/10024/546437 |
id |
ftluke:oai:jukuri.luke.fi:10024/546437 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftluke:oai:jukuri.luke.fi:10024/546437 2023-10-09T21:44:20+02:00 Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland Pusenius, Jyrki Kukko, Tuomas Melin, Markus Laaksonen, Sauli Kojola, Ilpo orcid:0000-0003-0450-7530 orcid:0000-0001-7290-9203 4100110810 4100310510 Luonnonvarakeskus 9 p. true https://jukuri.luke.fi/handle/10024/546437 en eng Nordic Board for Wildlife Research Wildlife biology 10.2981/wlb.00685 0909-6396 1903-220X 4 2020 https://jukuri.luke.fi/handle/10024/546437 URN:NBN:fi-fe2021071641551 CC BY 4.0 moose movement predation risk wolf publication fi=A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä|sv=A1 Originalartikel i en vetenskaplig tidskrift|en=A1 Journal article (refereed), original research| fi=Publisher's version|sv=Publisher's version|en=Publisher's version| ftluke 2023-09-12T20:27:42Z Grey wolf Canis lupus is often the main predator of moose Alces alces. Therefore it can be expected that moose are able to recognize the presence of wolves and react to them to avoid predation. We examined the effect of predation risk by wolves on movement patterns by moose in eastern Finland where moose and wolves have co-existed for centuries. The level of wolf predation risk experienced by 20 radio-collared adult moose was classified according to the proportion of their fixes in wolf territories. Our results suggest that moose adjust their movement speed according to the degree they are exposed to the presence of wolves. The adjustment occurred in summer but not in winter. In summer the moose more exposed to wolves moved faster than the moose less exposed to wolves. Season and the structure of the surrounding forests also affected moose movement patterns. Both movement speed and the linearity of movement decreased in winter and with increasing canopy cover. We suggest that by increased moving when exposed to higher risk of predation moose try to keep distance to the predator and/or try to keep themselves spatially and temporally unpredictable to their predator. Our results differ from those obtained in Scandinavia where no response of moose movement to predation risk by wolves has been detected. It might be that wolves’ continuous presence in eastern Finland compared to Scandinavia provide a reason why moose in our study area reacted to the presence of wolves. 2020 Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Canis lupus Natural Resources Institute Finland: Jukuri |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Resources Institute Finland: Jukuri |
op_collection_id |
ftluke |
language |
English |
topic |
moose movement predation risk wolf |
spellingShingle |
moose movement predation risk wolf Pusenius, Jyrki Kukko, Tuomas Melin, Markus Laaksonen, Sauli Kojola, Ilpo Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland |
topic_facet |
moose movement predation risk wolf |
description |
Grey wolf Canis lupus is often the main predator of moose Alces alces. Therefore it can be expected that moose are able to recognize the presence of wolves and react to them to avoid predation. We examined the effect of predation risk by wolves on movement patterns by moose in eastern Finland where moose and wolves have co-existed for centuries. The level of wolf predation risk experienced by 20 radio-collared adult moose was classified according to the proportion of their fixes in wolf territories. Our results suggest that moose adjust their movement speed according to the degree they are exposed to the presence of wolves. The adjustment occurred in summer but not in winter. In summer the moose more exposed to wolves moved faster than the moose less exposed to wolves. Season and the structure of the surrounding forests also affected moose movement patterns. Both movement speed and the linearity of movement decreased in winter and with increasing canopy cover. We suggest that by increased moving when exposed to higher risk of predation moose try to keep distance to the predator and/or try to keep themselves spatially and temporally unpredictable to their predator. Our results differ from those obtained in Scandinavia where no response of moose movement to predation risk by wolves has been detected. It might be that wolves’ continuous presence in eastern Finland compared to Scandinavia provide a reason why moose in our study area reacted to the presence of wolves. 2020 |
author2 |
orcid:0000-0003-0450-7530 orcid:0000-0001-7290-9203 4100110810 4100310510 Luonnonvarakeskus |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pusenius, Jyrki Kukko, Tuomas Melin, Markus Laaksonen, Sauli Kojola, Ilpo |
author_facet |
Pusenius, Jyrki Kukko, Tuomas Melin, Markus Laaksonen, Sauli Kojola, Ilpo |
author_sort |
Pusenius, Jyrki |
title |
Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland |
title_short |
Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland |
title_full |
Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland |
title_fullStr |
Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern Finland |
title_sort |
wolf predation risk and moose movement in eastern finland |
publisher |
Nordic Board for Wildlife Research |
url |
https://jukuri.luke.fi/handle/10024/546437 |
genre |
Alces alces Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Alces alces Canis lupus |
op_relation |
Wildlife biology 10.2981/wlb.00685 0909-6396 1903-220X 4 2020 https://jukuri.luke.fi/handle/10024/546437 URN:NBN:fi-fe2021071641551 |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 |
_version_ |
1779309363125551104 |