Moose responses to anthropogenic forest disturbance

Moose are an environmentally, economically, and culturally important game species. However, moose numbers have declined rapidly in the central portion of British Columbia. This decline could be related to widespread and rapid forest harvesting. We will study the impact of human-caused changes to forests on how moose select habitat and why they migrate. Monitoring moose numbers is also a critical part of managing their populations, especially given their current, rapid decline. Thus, we will compare three methods for estimating moose numbers. The bulk of this research will be conducted at the co-managed John Prince Research Forest (JPRF). One of the goals of the JPRF is to manage their land for some forest harvesting while maintaining a range of environmental and cultural values. This research will contribute to the JPRF’s knowledge of how forest harvesting impacts the distribution and behavior of moose, and it will provide information for effective and costefficient management of moose populations found across North America.

Faculty Supervisor:

Chris Johnson

Student:

Lisa Koetke

Partner:

John Prince Research Forest

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

University:

University of Northern British Columbia

Program: