title: Mobility of moose-comparing the effects of wolf predation risk, reproductive status, and seasonality.
abstract: In a predator-prey system, prey species may adapt to the presence of predators with behavioral changes such as increased vigilance, shifting habitats, or changes in their mobility. In North America, moose (Alces alces) have shown behavioral adaptations to presence of predators, but such antipredator behavioral responses have not yet been found in Scandinavian moose in response to the recolonization of wolves (Canis lupus). We studied travel speed and direction of movement of GPS-collared female moose (n= 26) in relation to spatiotemporal differences in wolf predation risk, reproductive status, and time of year. Travel speed was highest during the calving (May-July) and postcalving (August-October) seasons and was lower for females with calves than females without calves. Similarly, time of year and reproductive status affected the direction of movement, as more concentrated movement was observed for females with calves at heel, during the calving season. We did not find support for that wolf predation risk was an important factor affecting moose travel speed or direction of movement. Likely causal factors for the weak effect of wolf predation risk on mobility of moose include high moose-to-wolf ratio and intensive hunter harvest of the moose population during the past century.
authors.affiliation: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wikenros
authors.affiliation: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden.
authors.forename: Gyöngyvér
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balogh
authors.affiliation: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden.
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sand
authors.affiliation: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden.
authors.forename: Kerry L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.affiliation: Grimsö Wildlife Research Station Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Riddarhyttan Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Månsson
keywords: carnivore; linearity; movement pattern; predator–prey interaction; speed of movement; ungulate