Moose monitoring protocol for the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network

Sorum, Mathew; Joly, Kyle; Miller, Scott

This document describes the moose (Alces alces) monitoring protocol for the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network (ARCN) in Alaska. The network contains five units of the U.S. National Park Service: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (GAAR); Noatak National Preserve (NOAT); Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR), Kobuk Valley National Park (KOVA) and Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA). This protocol provides the monitoring methods and objectives for monitoring moose in this network. Specific instructions for implementing the monitoring methodology are found in the six Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The ARCN has adopted a holistic view of network ecosystems and will track the major physical drivers of ecosystem change. Moose are considered good indicators of long-term habitat change within network ecosystems. Moose are crucial to many subsistence communities as a source of food that may be harvested on most National Park Service (NPS) land in Alaska, and are harvested by the general public on NPS Preserve lands. It is the responsibility of the NPS to monitor moose populations throughout the ARCN. People travel from all over the world to visit national parks in Alaska to view and photograph wildlife, particularly the large mammals found in northwest Alaska. The non-consumptive value of wildlife is difficult to estimate, and it is the responsibility of the NPS to ensure opportunities like these remain unimpaired for future generations. Various survey techniques have been used for estimating moose populations in the past. The stratified random sample design developed by Gasaway et al. (1986) and modified by ver Hoef (2001) was initially used in Alaska. Since its development in the late 1990s, the Geo-Spatial Population Estimator (GSPE; ver Hoef 2002) has been used by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), NPS, and ARCN parks. Details are given in the form of SOPs. The measurable objective is to determine changes in abundance, distribution and composition of moose in ARCN. Among the five parks, eight survey areas have been defined based on historical, ecological, and economic considerations, which vary in size from 4,000 mi2 (10,360 km2) to 6,500 mi2 (17,834 km2). Surveys occur every four to eight years depending on moose densities and subsistence use of the management area. Throughout most of Alaska, the majority of moose surveys are conducted during the early winter (mid-October to early-December) when both population abundance and sex composition data can be attained. Unfortunately, unreliable snow conditions and poor weather during early winter often prevent accurate population estimation within ARCN parks during this period. Thus, surveys will be conducted in the spring to estimate population abundance only. To estimate population abundance four or five aircraft, with pilots experienced in wildlife surveys and an experienced observer in each aircraft, are needed for approximately four or five days to survey a 4,000 mi2 (10,360 km2) area of western arctic Alaska. Data are collected, analyzed and stored according to SOPs outlined in this paper.

Moose monitoring protocol for the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network

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