Cascading effects of moose (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alces alces</Emphasis>) management on birds |
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Authors: | Karen Marie Mathisen Christina Skarpe |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management,Hedmark University College,Elverum,Norway;2.Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences,Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Ume?,Sweden |
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Abstract: | Large herbivores often have key functions in their ecosystems, and may affect ecosystem processes with cascading effects on
other animals. The mechanisms often involve relocations of resources of various kinds, including reduction in resource availability
following foraging and increase in resources from animal excreta. As large herbivore populations in Europe generally are intensely
managed, management activities may interact with the activities of the herbivores themselves in the effect on other ecosystem
components. We investigated the effects of moose (Alces alces) winter browsing, together with the effect of net nutrient input via supplementary winter feeding of moose on functional
composition and species richness of birds in a boreal forest. Supplementary feeding stations for moose had a net zero effect
on bird species richness and abundance, because negative effects of moose browsing were balanced by positive effects of nutrient
input. Sites with a similar browsing intensity as at feeding stations but without nutrient input had lower abundance and species
richness than feeding stations. Functional groups of bird species showed differing responses: birds nesting at or below browsing
height were negatively affected by moose browsing, whereas species nesting above the browsing zone were positively affected
by moose browsing. Insect-eating species responded negatively to moose browsing on birch but positively to nutrient input
at feeding stations, whereas seed-eating species responded positively to birch browsing and negatively to feeding stations.
This study showed that both high levels of cervid activity and human management interventions influence bird communities. |
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