The declining occurrence of moose (Alces alces) at the southernmost edge of its range raise conservation concerns

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62156489%3A43410%2F21%3A43919446" target="_blank" >RIV/62156489:43410/21:43919446 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/60077344:_____/21:00541615 RIV/68081766:_____/21:00541615 RIV/00027073:_____/21:N0000126 RIV/00216208:11310/21:10427254 RIV/60460709:41330/21:85857

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7441" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7441</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7441" target="_blank" >10.1002/ece3.7441</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The declining occurrence of moose (Alces alces) at the southernmost edge of its range raise conservation concerns

Original language description

The border region between Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany harbors the most south-western occurrence of moose in continental Europe. The population originated in Poland, where moose survived, immigrated from former Soviet Union or were reintroduced after the Second World War expanded west- and southwards. In recent years, the distribution of the nonetheless small Central European population seems to have declined, necessitating an evaluation of its current status. In this study, existing datasets of moose observations from 1958 to 2019 collected in the three countries were combined to create a database totaling 771 records (observations and deaths). The database was then used to analyze the following: (a) changes in moose distribution, (b) the most important mortality factors, and (c) the availability of suitable habitat as determined using a maximum entropy approach. The results showed a progressive increase in the number of moose observations after 1958, with peaks in the 1990s and around 2010, followed by a relatively steep drop after 2013. Mortality within the moose population was mostly due to human interactions, including 13 deadly wildlife-vehicle collisions, particularly on minor roads, and four animals that were either legally culled or poached. Our habitat model suggested that higher altitudes (ca. 700-1,000 m a.s.l.), especially those offering wetlands, broad-leaved forests and natural grasslands, are the preferred habitats of moose whereas steep slopes and areas of human activity are avoided. The habitat model also revealed the availability of large core areas of suitable habitat beyond the current distribution, suggesting that habitat was not the limiting factor explaining the moose distribution in the study area. Our findings call for immediate transboundary conservation measures to sustain the moose population, such as those aimed at preventing wildlife-vehicle collisions and illegal killings. Infrastructure planning and development activities must take into account the habitat requirements of moose.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

<a href="/en/project/TA02031259" target="_blank" >TA02031259: Creating a genetic database of selected species of mammals in Czech Republic to be used for sustainable transport development.</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Ecology and Evolution

ISSN

2045-7758

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

11

Issue of the periodical within the volume

10

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

16

Pages from-to

5468-5483

UT code for WoS article

000634932700001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85103410011