Analysis of VHF Moose Telemetry Data within the Upper Koyukuk River Drainage, 2008-2013.

摘要

From 2008 – 2013, 119 moose (Alces alces) – 27 males and 92 females – were radio collared and tracked via VHF relocation in the upper Koyukuk Valley of Alaska. We determined 2119 total locations, ranging from 1 – 53 per moose. Home ranges were delineated using 100% Minimum Convex Polygons (MCPs) for those moose with 30 or more locations. Habitat characteristics such as vegetation type, fire history, aspect, elevation, and terrain ruggedness were analyzed for each location. While we calculated the area of MCPs for individuals with 30 or more locations, we were not confident enough in the limited data to draw any conclusions on moose home ranges. Moose were detected most often in coniferous and mixed forests, exhibited a preference for unburned areas but avoided flat terrain. We compared moose habitat use based on visual observations during aerial radio telemetry flights with the habitat type as determined by GIS and satellite land cover imagery for that same location. Habitats classified by visual observation (which assessed the area around the moose) did not correspond well with remotely-sensed classifications (which were based on the exact coordinates for the moose). This could be due to a wide array of factors including differing methodologies. Burn classification showed a stronger agreement between the 2 data sources. While informative for some habitat use characteristics, this VHF data illustrates the point that larger data sets, such as those obtained from GPS collars, are necessary for robust home range and habitat analyses.