Annual report on vital signs monitoring of wolf (Canis lupus) distribution and abundance in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Central Alaska Network: 2008 report
Burch J. 2008. Annual report on vital signs monitoring of wolf (Canis lupus) distribution and abundance in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Central Alaska Network: 2008 report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/CAKN/NRTR—2008/149. National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, Colorado
Executive Summary• Wolf populations have been monitored in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (YUCH) from March 1993 to present (Burch 2002). Beginning October 2005 the project was incorporated into CAKN Vital signs monitoring program. • Wolves throughout the greater Yukon-Charley Rivers area are targeted for monitoring of abundance and distribution. This past winter, wolf captures were conducted in November 2007 and February 2008. Monitoring radiocollared packs via radio telemetry flights will occur throughout the year with a concentrated period of flights each year in March – April and again in September – October. All field work is conducted using 1 or 2 biologists and 1 - 3 pilots.• In winter 07-08, 14 more wolves in 9 packs were captured and collared. We had fair to good snow conditions for searching for uncollared packs in 3 areas in February 2008, but no targeted uncollared packs were found. Furthermore, no old tracks were seen in these areas, indicating that wolf packs may not exist in areas where they once did (at least for winter 07-08). At least 3 areas where packs once lived remain without collared wolves and we hope to find and capture wolves from these packs in winter 08-09. Light snowfall and poor snow conditions throughout most of winter 06-07 severely hampered finding any uncollared packs.• Fall 2006 wolf density = 3.5 wolves/1000km2 (or about 33 wolves in the preserve) Spring 2007 wolf density = 1.6 wolves/1000km2 (or about 16 wolves in the Preserve). The spring 2007 density is the lowest density ever measured since the project began in 1993. Fall 2007 (3.84 wolves/1000 km2) and spring 2008 (2.68 wolves/1000 km2) densities indicate a slight rebound in YUCH’s wolf population over the past winter.• Fall 2007 mean pack size was 5.8 wolves/ pack.• Average litter size was 3.9 pups/ pack.• At least Five wolves were trapped within YUCH in winter 2006-07. No harvest data is yet available for 07-08. • No substantial changes in protocol are anticipated for the upcoming field season for biological year 08-09 (May 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Burch, John
- Date of Issue
- 2008
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center
- Units
- NRSS , YUCH
- Keywords
- Canis lupus, density estimation., Population Dynamics, Radiotelemetry, Wolves, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve