Factors predicting migration patterns in the world’s northernmost moose population in Finnmark

Abstract

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to investigate factors predicting migration pattern in moose in Finnmark. Moose has earlier been most numerous in the central and southern part of Norway, but the moose population in Finnmark increased in the 1990’s, and has now reached a more stable state. This makes a study on how the moose behaves in a relatively new habitat of particular interest.

Methods. Using a movement data set of 53 moose (Alces alces) from the project “Elg i Finnmark” (The Moose in Finnmark) collected in the period 2016-2021, migratory and stationary moose were analysed. Seasonal environmental factors were estimated from 95% Minimum convex polygons. Effects of age, sex, elevation, population density, snow depth, vegetation productivity, proportion of woody canopy, semi-domestic reindeer summer pastures and geometrid moth outbreaks were tested using a logistic regression model.

Results. Increasing mean elevation in summer areas had a positive effect on the propensity to be migratory (p-value 0,027), increasing mean elevation in winter areas had a negative effect on the propensity to be migratory (p-value: 0,048), and increasing range in elevation in winter areas had a negative effect on the propensity to be migratory (p-value: 0,023).

Conclusions. The results point towards elevation and range as important factors explaining migration patterns in moose in Finnmark. These results are in support of the forage maturation hypothesis, but other mechanisms can also provide an explanation of the results. Further research on movement behaviour is encouraged, as human activities and climate change are likely to influence how moose move through the landscape.

Keywords: Ungulates, cervids, moose, Alces alces, climate change, Arctic, browsing, geometrid moths, Varanger, Finnmark, animal movement, migration, spatial data