Effects of Climatic Stress on Red Deer Browse. Development of bilberry after an extreme weather event during the winter of 2014

De tørre og varme værforholdene med mye vind langs kysten på Vestlandet og i Trøndelag vinteren 2014 førte til en kraftig uttørking av en del plantearter, og det ble observert store områder med inntørka og død vegetasjon. Uttørkingen omfattet spesielt arter med vintergrønne blader (tyttebær), samt løvfellende planter der den overjordiske stengelen er levende (blåbær, og røsslyng). Slike fenomen omtales gjerne som klimastress og viser at planter i nordlige områder kan være sårbare for ekstreme værhendelser, spesielt høye temperaturer vinterstid. Blåbær er ei viktig plante for mange arter, fra store beitedyr til små insekter, og er en basisplante i mange næringskjeder. Endringer i blåbærlyngens biomassse kan derfor ha konsekvenser for mange andre arter..

Effekter av klimastress på hjortens vinterbeiter. Utvikling av blåbærlyngen etter tørkevinteren 2014

De tørre og varme værforholdene med mye vind langs kysten på Vestlandet og i Trøndelag vinteren 2014 førte til en kraftig uttørking av en del plantearter, og det ble observert store områder med inntørka og død vegetasjon. Uttørkingen omfattet spesielt arter med vintergrønne blader (tyttebær), samt løvfellende planter der den overjordiske stengelen er levende (blåbær, og røsslyng). Slike fenomen omtales gjerne som klimastress og viser at planter i nordlige områder kan være sårbare for ekstreme værhendelser, spesielt høye temperaturer vinterstid. Blåbær er ei viktig plante for mange arter, fra store beitedyr til små insekter, og er en basisplante i mange næringskjeder. Endringer i blåbærlyngens biomassse kan derfor ha konsekvenser for mange andre arter..

Performance of hunting statistics as spatiotemporal density indices of moose (Alces alces) in Norway

Wildlife managers are often asking for reliable information of population density across larger spatial scales. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal relationships between moose density as estimated by cohort analysis and the density indices (1) harvest density (HD; hunter kills per km2), (2) moose seen per unit effort (SPUE), seen moose density (SMD; seen moose per km2), and density of moosevehicle accidents (MVA density; e.g., traffic kills per km2) in 16 areas in Norway with 13–42 years of data. HD showed a close positive relationship with moose density both within and between regions. However, the temporal variation in HD was best explained as a delayed reflection of moose density and tended to overestimate its growth and decline. Conversely, SMD and SPUE were unable to predict the spatial variation in moose density with high precision, though both indices were relatively precise temporal reflectors of moose density. However, the SPUE tended to underestimate population growth, probably because of a decrease in searching efficiency with increasing moose density. Compared to the other indices, MVA density performed poor as an index of moose density within regions, and not at all among regions, but may, because of its independent source of data, be used to cross-check population trends suggested by other indices. Our study shows that the temporal trends in moose density can be surveyed over large areas by the use of cheap indices based on data collected by hunters and local managers, and supports the general assumption that the number of moose killed per km2 provides a precise and isometric index of the variation in moose density at the spatial scale of our study. cohort analysis; isometric index; management; monitoring; population reconstruction; precision; saturation; seen per unit effort (SPUE).Performance of hunting statistics as spatiotemporal density indices of moose (Alces alces) in NorwaypublishedVersio

Estimating and managing broad risk of chronic wasting disease spillover among cervid species

The management of infectious wildlife diseases often involves tackling pathogens that infect multiple host species. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease that can infect most cervid species. CWD was detected in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway in 2016. Sympatric populations of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces alces) are at immediate risk. However, the estimation of spillover risk across species and implementation of multispecies management policies are rarely addressed for wildlife. Here, we estimated the broad risk of CWD spillover from reindeer to red deer and moose by quantifying the probability of co-occurrence based on both (1) population density and (2) habitat niche overlap from GPS data of all three species in Nordfjella, Norway. We describe the practical challenges faced when aiming to reduce the risk of spillover through a marked reduction in the population densities of moose and red deer using recreational hunters. This involves setting the population and harvest aims with uncertain information and how to achieve them. The niche overlap between reindeer and both moose and red deer was low overall but occurred seasonally. Migratory red deer had a moderate niche overlap with the CWD-infected reindeer population during the calving period, whereas moose had a moderate niche overlap during both calving and winter. Incorporating both habitat overlap and the population densities of the respective species into the quantification of co-occurrence allowed for more spatially targeted risk maps. An initial aim of a 50% reduction in abundance for the Nordfjella region was set, but only a moderate population decrease of less than 20% from 2016 to 2021 was achieved. Proactive management in the form of marked population reduction is invasive and unpopular when involving species of high societal value, and targeting efforts to zones with a high risk of spillover to limit adverse impacts and achieve wider societal acceptance is important. disease management, host range, moose, multihost pathogens, niche overlap, Norway, population estimation, red deer, reindeerpublishedVersio

Reproductive success and failure: the role of winter body mass in reproductive allocation in Norwegian moose

This is the postprint version of the article. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comA life-history strategy that favours somatic growth over reproduction is well known for long-lived iteroparous species, especially in unpredictable environments. Risk-sensitive female reproductive allocation can be achieved by a reduced reproductive effort at conception, or the subsequent adjustment of investment during gestation or lactation in response to unexpected environmental conditions or resource availability. We investigated the relative importance of reduced investment at conception compared with later in the reproductive cycle (i.e. prenatal, perinatal or neonatal mortality) in explaining reproductive failure in two high density populations in southern Norway. We followed 65 multiparous GPS-collared moose (Alces alces) throughout the reproductive cycle and focused on the role of maternal nutrition during gestation in determining reproductive success using a quasi-experimental approach to manipulate winter forage availability. Pregnancy rates in early winter were normal (≥0.8) in all years while spring calving rates ranged from 0.4 to 0.83, with prenatal mortality accounting for most of the difference. Further losses over summer reduced autumn recruitment rates to 0.23-0.69, despite negligible predation. Over-winter mass loss explained variation in both spring calving and autumn recruitment success better than absolute body mass in early or late winter. Although pregnancy was related to body mass in early winter, overall reproductive success was unrelated to pre-winter body condition. We therefore concluded that reproductive success was limited by winter nutritional conditions. However, we could not determine whether the observed reproductive allocation adjustment was a bet hedging strategy to maximise reproduction without compromising survival or whether females were simply unable to invest more resources in their offspring

ACCELERATED LEARNING BERBANTUAN SOFTWARE MAPLE SEBAGAI UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN KOMUNIKASI MATEMATIS DAN MINAT BELAJAR SISWA SMA

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh pentingnya kemampuan komunikasi matematis dan minat belajar. Namun kenyataan di lapangan menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan komunikasi matematisdan minat belajarsiswa masih rendah. Agar permasalahan tersebut dapat diatasi, diperlukan sebuah model pembelajaran yang dapatmeningkatkankemampuan komunikasi matematis dan minat belajarsiswa.Olehkarenaitu, dipilih modelAccelerated Learning Berbantuan Software Maple. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menelaahpeningkatan kemampuan komunikasi matematis dan minat belajarsiswa, danmenelaahhubunganantara kemampuan komunikasi dan minat belajar.Penelitianinimerupakanpenelitiankuasieksperimendenganpretest-postest control group design. Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas X pada salah satu SMA Negeri di Kota Purwokerto. Sampel terdiri dari dua kelas yang dipilih secara purposive sampling.Instrumen yang digunakan berupa tes kemampuan komunikasi matematis dan angket minat belajar, lembar observasi, serta pedoman wawancara. Analisis data dilakukan secara kuantitatif.Analisis data tersebutmenggunakanMann-Whitney U Testdan uji asosiasi Chi Square. Berdasarkan analisis data, ditemukan bahwa: (1)pencapaian kemampuan komunikasi matematis siswa yang memperoleh Accelerated LearningBerbantuanSoftware Maplelebih baik daripada siswa yang memperoleh pembelajaran biasa;(2) peningkatan kemampuan komunikasi matematis siswa yang memperoleh Accelerated LearningBerbantuanSoftware Maplelebih baik daripada siswa yang memperoleh pembelajaran biasa, (3) pencapaian kemampuan minat belajar siswa yang memperoleh Accelerated LearningBerbantuanSoftware Maplelebih baik daripada siswa yang memperoleh pembelajaran biasa; (4) peningkatan kemampuan minat belajar siswa yang memperoleh Accelerated LearningBerbantuanSoftware Maplelebih baik daripada siswa yang memperoleh pembelajaran biasa; dan(5) terdapat asosiasi antara kemampuan komunikasi dan minat belajarsiswadengan kategori rendah. ---------- This research was motivated by the importance of mathematical communication learning interest of students. Mathematical communication ability and learning interest of students is still low. In order that this problemscan be solved, alearning modelthatcan enhancemathematical communication and learning interest ofstudents is required.In this research, Maple-Assisted Accelerated Learning was selected. This studyaims to analyzetheenhancement of mathematical communication learning interest of students, and to analyzetheassociationbetween mathematical communication ability andlearning interest of students. This research was aquasi-experimentalwithpretest-posttest control group design. The population was students at tenth gradein one of senior high schools in Purwokerto, Central Java. The sample consisted oftwoclasses which wasselected bypurposivesampling. This research used fourinstruments: testof mathematicalcommunication ability, learning interestquestionnaire, observation sheets, and interview guide.Data analyzed was done quantitatively. The data were analyzed by usingMann-Whitney U TestandChi Squaren test. Based on the data analyze, it is found that: (1) the achievement of mathematical communication ability of students who receivedthe Maple-Assisted Accelerated Learning is betterthan the achievement of students who receivedconventionallearning;(2) The enhancement of mathematical communication ability of students who receivedthe Maple-Assisted Accelerated Learning is betterthan the enhancement of students who receivedconventionallearning; (3)the achievement oflearning interestability of students who receivedthe Maple-Assisted Accelerated Learning is betterthan the achievement of students who receivedconventionallearning; (4)the enhancement oflearning interestof students who receivedthe Maple-Assisted Accelerated Learning is betterthan the enhancement of students who receivedconventionallearning; and(5) there is anassociation between students’ mathematical communication ability and learning interest of student

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

Airborne laser scanning reveals increased growth and complexity of boreal forest canopies across a network of ungulate exclosures in Norway

Large herbivores are often classed as ecosystem engineers, and when they become scarce or overabundant, this can alter ecosystem states and influence climate forcing potentials. This realization has spurred a call to integrate large herbivores in earth system models. However, we lack a good understanding of their net effects on climate forcing, including carbon and energy exchange. A possible solution to this lies in harmonizing data across the myriad of large herbivore exclosure experiments around the world. This is challenging due to differences in experimental designs and field protocols. We used airborne laser scanning (ALS) to describe the effect of herbivore removal across 43 young boreal forest stands in Norway and found that exclusion caused the canopy height to increase from 1.7 0.2 to 2.5 0.2 m (means SE), and also causing a marked increase in vertical complexity and above-ground biomass. We then go on to discuss some of the issues with using ALS; we propose ALS as an approach for studying the effects of multiple large herbivore exclosure experiments simultaneously, and producing area-based estimates on canopy structure and forest biomass in a cheap, efficient, standardized and reproducible way. We suggest that this is a vital next step towards generating biome-wide predictions for the effects of large herbivores on forest ecosystem structure which can both inform both local management goals and earth system models biomass, herbivory, large herbivores, LiDAR, moose, remote sensingpublishedVersio

Hematology and serum chemistry reference ranges of free-ranging moose (Alces Alces) in Norway

This article is also available here: http://www.jwildlifedis.org/Baseline reference ranges of serum chemistry and hematology data can be important indicators for the status of both individuals or populations of wild animals that are affected by emerging pathogens, toxicants, or other causes of disease. Frequently, reference ranges for these values are not available for wildlife species or subspecies. We present hematologic and serum chemistry reference ranges for moose (Alces alces) adults, yearlings, and calves in Norway sampled from 1992–2000. Additionally, we demonstrated that both induction time and chase time were correlated with initial rectal temperature, although they were not significantly correlated with cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, or creatine kinase. Overall, the reference ranges given here are similar to those given for American moose, with a few differences that can be attributed to environment, testing methodology, or subspecies or species status. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of reference ranges for moose in Norway

Red and melanized focal changes in white skeletal muscle in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): Comparative analysis of farmed, wild and hybrid fish reared under identical conditions

Selective breeding plays a vital role in the production of farmed Atlantic salmon and has shown success in many aspects. Still, challenges related to fish health and welfare continue to result in significant economic losses. One such challenge is red and melanized focal changes (RFC/MFC), which result from acute and chronic inflammation, respectively, in the skeletal muscle. Importantly, RFC/MFC has not been observed in wild Atlantic salmon, suggesting that both external and genetic factors may contribute to the development of inflammation. To investigate the underlying cause of RFC/MFC, we conducted a study involving 1854 Atlantic salmon of farmed, wild and hybrid origin. All fish were reared under identical conditions to minimize the influence of external factors. Throughout the production cycle, the fish was monitored for growth parameters and examined for RFC/MFC using macroscopic and histological analysis. We found no association between the experimental groups and the presence of RFC/MFC. Histological investigations revealed melano-macrophages in the soft tissue in freshwater smolt, although no macroscopic discoloration was observed. MFC showed granulomas in various stages, suggesting a complex progression of the condition. In summary, we conclude that RFC/MFC is primarily caused by external factors found in the rearing facilities of farmed Atlantic salmon.publishedVersio