Elg i nordtrønderske kommuner 2013; en vurdering av elgbestandene i fylket

En faggruppe bestående av representanter fra Nord-Trøndelag fylkeskommune, Fjellstyrene i Steinkjer, Høgskolen i Nord- Trøndelag (HiNT), Miljø- og landbruksforvaltningen i Midtre Namdal og Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) har basert på sett elg-data, fellingsstatistikk og slaktevekter vurdert utviklingen i elgbestandene i Nord-Trøndelag, og gitt anbefalinger om den videre forvaltningen av elgbestandene. I tillegg har gruppen vurdert datakvaliteten og forvaltningsmålene i de forskjellige kommunene. Prosjektet er å betrakte som et pilotprosjekt som forhåpentligvis kan danne grunnlaget for tilsvarende vurderinger i årene som kommer. Elgbestanden i Nord-Trøndelag har stort sett økt i antall siden starten av 1970-tallet, inntil en (foreløpig) topp ble nådd i perioden 2002-2004. Bestanden har siden holdt seg relativt stabil i antall, men med store variasjoner innenfor fylket. Med unntak for Hjorteviltregion 4 ser vi en nedgang i rekrutteringen av kalv i alle hjorteviltregionene, særlig i løpet av de siste 5-10 årene. En tilsvarende negativ trend finner vi i utviklingen av de aldersspesifikke slaktevektene, med unntak for Hjorteviltregion 5. Based on dressed weights and «Sett elg» (Moose seen)-data from Hjorteviltregisteret and hunting statistics from SSB (Statistics Norway) a research group has evaluated the development of moose populations in Nord- Trøndelag in order to give advice to municipal game boards, which are responsible for moose management in Nord- Trøndelag. The moose situation tend to be variable, due to railway lines and main roads in the landscape. Moose population have been increasing in recent years, and the open clear-cuts, which used to produce enough food for an increasing moose population now tend to be to densely forested for the moose to find enough food. The conclusion is that we will have to consider dressed weights and and the food situation in the years to come.Nord- Trøndelag Fylkeskommun

Three approaches to estimate wolf Canis lupus predation rates on moose Alces alces populations

Abstract We employed three different methods to estimate predation rates on moose in a newly colonized wolf territory in Norway. In the first two methods, we estimated predation rates based on the difference in calf/cow ratios outside and inside the wolf pack territory from (1) hunter observations and (2) aerial surveys. In the last method, (3) we estimated loss of calves of radio-collared cows inside and outside the wolf pack territory. The difference in mortality rates estimated between the area subject to predation and the area outside the wolf pack territory essentially constitutes the additive component of predation. We also tested the sensitivity of violating the assumptions of methods 1 and 2 related to equal fecundity and mortality because of other factors than predation inside and outside the wolf pack territory. Predation rates varied considerably between years and methods used, with hunter observations (method 1) giving the lowest and aerial surveys (method 2) giving the highest estimates. Method 3 (radio telemetry) was the most direct assessment of predation and probably the best approach to estimate predation rates in moose. However, all three methods show the same yearly changes and may therefore be appropriate to question trends trough time or between areas

THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ON SUMMER HABITAT USE BY MOOSE

Non-fatal disturbance by humans can be analogous to predation risk because animal response to both directly reduces time available for other fitness-increasing activities such as foraging, maternal care, and reproductive behaviour. We studied the effects of human disturbance on moose (Alces alces) by examining hourly locations and movement patterns of 41 GPS-marked moose relative to human activity in central Norway during summer 2006. Our results indicated that moose moved further from inhabited houses and to areas of lower housing density in periods of high human activity as compared to periods of low human activity, and that this behavioural response was closely related to the level of human activity in the area used by moose. We also detected significant differences between responses of males and females with calves; males were more willing to use areas near houses and with higher housing density during periods of low human activity. This differential response was likely due to the higher perceived risks of foraging associated with maternal protection of non-independent offspring. Our study supports the idea that indirect cost associated with human disturbance is analogous to the influence of perceived predation risk on animals. We suggest that such indirect effects on moose should be accounted for when planning human construction and activity in prime moose habitat

Identifying and correcting spatial bias in opportunistic citizen science data for wild ungulates in Norway

Many publications make use of opportunistic data, such as citizen science observation data, to infer large-scale properties of species’ distributions. However, the few publications that use opportunistic citizen science data to study animal ecology at a habitat level do so without accounting for spatial biases in opportunistic records or using methods that are difficult to generalize. In this study, we explore the biases that exist in opportunistic observations and suggest an approach to correct for them. We first examined the extent of the biases in opportunistic citizen science observations of three wild ungulate species in Norway by comparing them to data from GPS telemetry. We then quantified the extent of the biases by specifying a model of the biases. From the bias model, we sampled available locations within the species’ home range. Along with opportunistic observations, we used the corrected availability locations to estimate a resource selection function (RSF). We tested this method with simulations and empirical datasets for the three species. We compared the results of our correction method to RSFs obtained using opportunistic observations without correction and to RSFs using GPS-telemetry data. Finally, we compared habitat suitability maps obtained using each of these models. Opportunistic observations are more affected by human access and visibility than locations derived from GPS telemetry. This has consequences for drawing inferences about species’ ecology. Models naïvely using opportunistic observations in habitat-use studies can result in spurious inferences. However, sampling availability locations based on the spatial biases in opportunistic data improves the estimation of the species’ RSFs and predicted habitat suitability maps in some cases. This study highlights the challenges and opportunities of using opportunistic observations in habitat-use studies. While our method is not foolproof it is a first step toward unlocking the potential of opportunistic citizen science data for habitat-use studiespublishedVersio

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely due to variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals' 1-hour 95th percentile displacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint, indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors, highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide.acceptedVersio

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely due to variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals' 1-hour 95th percentile displacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint, indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors, highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide.acceptedVersio

Moving in the anthropocene: global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements

Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

DATA AND MATERIALS AVAILABILITY : The full dataset used in the final analyses (33) and associated code (34) are available at Dryad. A subset of the spatial coordinate datasets is available at Zenodo (35). Certain datasets of spatial coordinates will be available only through requests made to the authors due to conservation and Indigenous sovereignty concerns (see table S1 for more information on data use restrictions and contact information for data requests). These sensitive data will be made available upon request to qualified researchers for research purposes, provided that the data use will not threaten the study populations, such as by distribution or publication of the coordinates or detailed maps. Some datasets, such as those overseen by government agencies, have additional legal restrictions on data sharing, and researchers may need to formally apply for data access. Collaborations with data holders are generally encouraged, and in cases where data are held by Indigenous groups or institutions from regions that are under-represented in the global science community, collaboration may be required to ensure inclusion.COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely due to variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals’ 1-hour 95th percentile displacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint, indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors, highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide.The Radboud Excellence Initiative, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the National Science Foundation, Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Dutch Research Council NWO program “Advanced Instrumentation for Wildlife Protection”, Fondation Segré, RZSS, IPE, Greensboro Science Center, Houston Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Nashville Zoo, Naples Zoo, Reid Park Zoo, Miller Park, WWF, ZCOG, Zoo Miami, Zoo Miami Foundation, Beauval Nature, Greenville Zoo, Riverbanks zoo and garden, SAC Zoo, La Passarelle Conservation, Parc Animalier d’Auvergne, Disney Conservation Fund, Fresno Chaffee zoo, Play for nature, North Florida Wildlife Center, Abilene Zoo, a Liber Ero Fellowship, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Teck Coal, and the Grand Teton Association. The collection of Norwegian moose data was funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency, the German Ministry of Education and Research via the SPACES II project ORYCS, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Bureau of Land Management, Muley Fanatic Foundation (including Southwest, Kemmerer, Upper Green, and Blue Ridge Chapters), Boone and Crockett Club, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust, Knobloch Family Foundation, Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Bowhunters of Wyoming, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, Pope and Young Club, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife/Livestock Disease Research Partnership, the US National Science Foundation [IOS-1656642 and IOS-1656527, the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and by a GRUPIN research grant from the Regional Government of Asturias, Sigrid Rausing Trust, Batubay Özkan, Barbara Watkins, NSERC Discovery Grant, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration act under Pittman-Robertson project, the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Rufford Foundation, an American Society of Mammalogists African Graduate Student Research Fund, the German Science Foundation, the Israeli Science Foundation, the BSF-NSF, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and Slovenian Research Agency (CRP V1-1626), the Aage V. Jensen Naturfond (project: Kronvildt - viden, værdier og værktøjer), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy, National Centre for Research and Development in Poland, the Slovenian Research Agency, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, Whitley Fund for Nature, Acton Family Giving, Zoo Basel, Columbus, Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine, Zoo Dresden, Zoo Idaho, Kolmården Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, La Passarelle, Zoo New England, Tierpark Berlin, Tulsa Zoo, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Government of Mongolia, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration act and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the National Science Foundation, Parks Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Alberta Environment and Parks, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International and Alberta Conservation Association, the Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnología (CONACYT) of Paraguay, the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, EU funded Interreg SI-HR 410 Carnivora Dinarica project, Paklenica and Plitvice Lakes National Parks, UK Wolf Conservation Trust, EURONATUR and Bernd Thies Foundation, the Messerli Foundation in Switzerland and WWF Germany, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, NASA Ecological Forecasting Program, the Ecotone Telemetry company, the French National Research Agency, LANDTHIRST, grant REPOS awarded by the i-Site MUSE thanks to the “Investissements d’avenir” program, the ANR Mov-It project, the USDA Hatch Act Formula Funding, the Fondation Segre and North American and European Zoos listed at http://www.giantanteater.org/, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the Yellowstone Forever and the National Park Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant, and State University of New York, various donors to the Botswana Predator Conservation Program, data from collared caribou in the Northwest Territories were made available through funds from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories. The European Research Council Horizon2020, the British Ecological Society, the Paul Jones Family Trust, and the Lord Kelvin Adam Smith fund, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and Tanzania National Parks. The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Fish and Game Department and the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kodiak Brown Bear Trust, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Koniag Native Corporation, Old Harbor Native Corporation, Afognak Native Corporation, Ouzinkie Native Corporation, Natives of Kodiak Native Corporation and the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the Slovenia Hunters Association and Slovenia Forest Service. F.C. was partly supported by the Resident Visiting Researcher Fellowship, IMéRA/Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille. This work was partially funded by the Center of Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS), which is financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and by the Saxon Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK) with tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament. This article is a contribution of the COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative, which is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF9881) and the National Geographic Society.https://www.science.org/journal/sciencehj2023Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Bestandsutvikling og avskytning av elg i Malvik kommune. Evaluering av bestandskondisjon og måloppnåelse i planperioden 2013-2014

Solberg, E. J. & Rolandsen, C. M. 2016. Bestandsutvikling og avskytning av elg i Malvik kommune. Evaluering av bestandskondisjon og måloppnåelse i planperioden 2013-2014. – NINA Kortrapport 18. 26 s. Omleggingen til lokalbasert viltforvaltning innbefatter at mye av ansvaret for den praktiske hjortevilt-forvaltningen nå er overført til jaktrettshaverne under forutsetning av at disse har en kommunalt god-kjent bestandsplan. Som et ledd i denne prosessen er det meningen at valdet etter planperiodens slutt gjennomfører en evaluering av måloppnåelsen i planperioden. I denne rapporten har vi evaluert elgbestanden og forvaltningen av denne innenfor de valdene i Malvik kommune med bestandsplan: Malvik grunneierlag – Malvik statsallmenning (MgMs) og Meraker Brug AS (MB). Elgbestanden i Malvik er i rimelig god kondisjon. Slaktevektene er noe lavere enn i nabokommunene Stjørdal og Trondheim, mens rekrutteringsratene befinner seg et sted imellom. De relativt høye tvil-lingratene er typisk for elgbestandene i Trøndelag og medfører at bestandene her er jevnt over mer produktive enn bestandene lenger sør i Norge. Til tross for relativt god kondisjon fant vi at både rekrutteringsratene og slaktevektene for kalv og åringsdyr i Malvik har sunket de siste 10-15 årene. Dette kan være en indikasjon på at bestandstettheten nå er for høy til at alle dyrene kan vokse seg så store som de har potensiale til. Forvaltningsmålene til Malvik kommune ble for det meste nådd i planperioden 2013-2014, men ikke alle. Det siste skyldes at noen av målene var relativt ambisiøse, og i tillegg er enkelte mål bare delvis under forvaltningens kontroll. I siste planperioden (2013-2014) var det et mål å redusere bestanden til et nivå der 0,5 eller færre elg ble sett pr. jegerdag og samtidig redusere kjønnsraten til rundt 2 kyr sett pr. okse. Målene ble stort sett nådd for bestandstettheten, men i liten grad for kjønnsraten (3 kyr sett pr. okse). Årsaken var at jakttrykket ble for lavt og i for liten grad rettet mot hunndyr. For å få bestanden under forvaltningsmålet bør jakttrykket i en overgangsperiode økes og/eller kjønnsraten i bestanden må dreies mot flere okser. Foruten de primære forvaltningsmålene hadde Malvik kommune en rekke sekundære forvaltningsmål med hensyn til fallvilt, slaktevekter og rekrutteringsrater. I planperioden utgjorde antallet registrerte fallvilt av elg ca. 5,1 % av jaktuttaket, som er på linje med forvaltningsmålet (5 %). Tilsvarende var rekrutteringsratene stort sett i samsvar med forvaltningsmålene, mens slaktevektene jevnt over var lavere enn målsetningen. Både fallvilt, rekrutteringsrater og slaktevekter kan imidlertid variere uav-hengig av de tiltakene som blir iverksatt av forvaltningen, og det er derfor lite hensiktsmessig å ha sterke forventinger til slike sekundære forvaltningsmål på kort sikt For neste periode anbefaler vi at bestanden reduseres noe fra dagens nivå. Bestandsreduksjon vil redusere sannsynligheten for at slaktevekter og rekrutteringsrater synker ytterligere, men samtidig vil det på sikt bli færre elg å høste. Stor nedgang i jaktuttaket kan skape misnøye blant jegerne og i tillegg kan det være vanskelig å tilpasse jaktinnsatsen og jakttrykket til den lavere bestanden. Som en mellomløsning foreslår vi derfor at Malvik først fokuserer på å redusere bestanden, for deretter å bedre kjønnsraten ved å dreie avskytningen mer over på ku. Det er imidlertid viktig at kjønnsraten ikke forverres ytterligere, noe som er fort gjort i en nedskytingsfase. En stabilisering av bestanden under 0,5 elg sett pr. jegerdag vil sannsynligvis kreve et jaktuttak i 2016 på samme nivå eller noe høyere som i 2015, gitt den samme strukturen i avskytningen. Hvorvidt uttaket er tilstrekkelig må evalueres i etterkant av hver jaktsesong.© Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Publikasjonen kan siteres fritt med kildeangivelse

STATUS OF MOOSE POPULATIONS AND CHALLENGES TO MOOSE MANAGEMENT IN FENNOSCANDIA

In the Fennoscandian countries, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, moose (Alces alces) populations began to increase rapidly in the 1960s and have since then been among the most productive and heavily harvested moose populations in the world. At the start of the 20th century, the total annual harvest was < 10,000 moose, whereas in 2000, the annual kill reached about 200,000. The winter population was estimated to be about 500,000. In Sweden and Finland, the highest harvest numbers (and presumably population density) were recorded in the first half of the 1980s and in Finland again in the late 1990s and during the beginning of the 2000s. In Norway, the 1990s was the decade of the highest harvest numbers. The current regional moose density during winter varies from < 0.2 to about 2 moose/km2 within Fennoscandia. Locally, the density may far exceed this level in typical wintering areas (e.g., 5-6 moose/km2). In general, the current densities are lower in the north than in the south and higher in Norway and Sweden than in Finland. The strong increase in harvest and the present high densities are explained by several factors. First, modern forestry clear-cutting practices have provided Fennoscandian moose with prime habitats in the form of early succession stages. Accordingly, the current carrying capacity is likely to be relatively high compared to the situation 50-100 years ago. The current trend, however, is towards less activity in the forest and a decreasing proportion of forests found at an early successional stage. This may increase the food limitation already seen in several populations; i.e., in all three countries, body mass and recruitment rates have been found to decrease with increasing density. Second, the introduction of sex and age-specific harvesting in the early 1970s has increased the general productivity of the populations. By focusing the harvest on calves, yearlings, and adult males, the proportion of productive females, the mean age of females, and the annual recruitment rate have increased. Simultaneously, the proportion and mean age of males have decreased, and in some populations, this has been associated with delayed parturition dates and lower fecundity; i.e., due to inadequate number of males for timely reproduction. Third, mortality other than hunting is low, and only near the eastern border of Finland with Russia has predation by wolves and bears had a notable effect on productivity figures. This situation is about to change with increasing populations of large carnivores in all of Fennoscandia during the 1990s. The management principles have been quite similar within Fennoscandia, although differences in legislation have resulted in national and regional differences in management performance. In general, moose managers take advantage of data collected by hunters during the hunting season (e.g., hunting statistics, number, sex, and age of moose observed) to monitor population development and determine hunting quotas. Moreover, in all three countries, the issues of traffic accidents and damage to forestry and agriculture play a central role in moose management and discussions concerning optimum population sizes