10.5061/DRYAD.K0503C7
Ditmer, Mark A.
University of Minnesota
Fieberg, John R.
University of Minnesota
Moen, Ron A.
University of Minnesota
Windels, Steven K.
Minnesota Zoo
Stapleton, Seth P.
University of Minnesota
Harris, Tara R.
University of Minnesota
Data from: Moose movement rates are altered by wolf presence in two ecosystems
Dryad
dataset
2019
predicted wolf resource selection values
resource selection function
first-passage time
Alces alces
moose movement
Canis lupus
2019-07-03T00:00:00Z
2019-07-03T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4402
224535139 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Predators directly impact prey populations through lethal encounters, but
understanding non-lethal, indirect effects is also critical because
foraging animals often face tradeoffs between predator avoidance and
energy intake. Quantifying these indirect effects can be difficult even
when it is possible to monitor individuals that regularly interact. Our
goal was to understand how movement and resource selection o a predator
(wolves; Canis lupus) influences the movement behavior of a prey species
(moose; Alces alces). We tested whether moose avoided areas with high
predicted wolf resource use in two study areas with differing prey
compositions, whether avoidance patterns varied seasonally, and whether
daily activity budgets of moose and wolves aligned temporally. We deployed
GPS-collars on both species at two sites in northern Minnesota. We created
seasonal resource-selection functions (RSF) for wolves and modeled the
relationship between moose first-passage time (FPT), a method that
discerns alterations in movement rates, and wolf RSF values. Larger FPT
values suggest rest/foraging, whereas shorter FPT values indicate
travel/fleeing. We found that the movements of moose and wolves peaked at
similar times of day in both study areas. Moose FPTs were 45% lower in
areas most selected for by wolves relative to those avoided. The
relationship between wolf RSF and moose FPT was nonlinear and varied
seasonally. Differences in FPT between low and high RSF values were
greatest in winter (-82.1%) and spring (-57.6%) in northeastern Minnesota
and similar for all seasons in the Voyageurs National Park ecosystem. In
northeastern Minnesota, where moose comprise a larger percentage of wolf
diet, the relationship between moose FPT and wolf RSF was more pronounced
(ave. across seasons: -60.1%) than the Voyageurs National Park ecosystem
(-30.4%). These findings highlight the role wolves can play in determining
moose behavior, whereby moose spend less time in areas with higher
predicted likelihood of wolf resource selection.
Wolf movement rate dataWolf movement rates from GPS-collared wolves in
northeastern Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park ecosystem. Data also
contain other values used in movement rate analysis portion of the
manuscript.WolfMove_data_Ditmer_070218.csvWolf resource selection function
dataData used to create resource selections functions for wolf packs in
northern Minnesota.RSF_data_Ditmer_070218.csvMoose first-passage time
dataData used to model moose first passage time
estimates.MooseFPT_data_Ditmer_070218.csv
USA
northern Minnesota