The Significance of Limiting and Regulating Factors on the Demography of Moose and White-Tailed Deer
Messier F. 1991. The Significance of Limiting and Regulating Factors on the Demography of Moose and White-Tailed Deer. Journal of Animal Ecology. 60(2):377-393
Uses long-term data on the demography of moose (Alces alces) on Isle Royale and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Superior National Forest, north-eastern Minnesota and assesses the contribution of food competition, wolf predation, and snow accumulation as limiting or regulating factors in creating year-to-year variations in animal abundance, or in generating density dependence. Wolf predation and food competition explained 80% of the interannual variation of moose abundance. Snow accumulation had no quantifiable effect on moose numbers. Competition for food, but not wolf predation and snow, had a regulatory impact on moose. Significant inverse relationships were found between deer population growth and relative wolf density, as well as with deer density. Snow had no measurable effect on deer numbers, possibly because of extremely low deer densities and the predominant impact of wolf predation. A previous suggestion that snow accumulation during consecutive winters creates a cumulative impact on the nutritional status of deer and moose was not supported.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Messier, François
- Units
- ISRO
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Ecology, Moose (Alces alces)