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Spatio-Temporal Constraints on Moose Habitat and Carrying Capacity in Coastal Alaska: Vegetation Succession and Climate
Author
Stephenson, Thomas R.
Ballenberghe, Victor Van
Peek, James M.
MacCracken, James G.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2006-07-01
Body

We used a geographic information system and a Markov chain analysis to model vegetation succession on the Copper River Delta, Alaska, relative to moose (Alces alces) habitat availability and nutritional carrying capacity. Between 1959 and 1986 vegetation predominantly shifted from pioneer to later successional communities as a result of glacial retreat and earthquake uplift. Hypothesized vectors of vegetation composition in future decades indicate a trend toward an increase in late-successional communities. A decline in glacier-related disturbance has reduced the level of retrogression that maintains early successional communities in the outwash plain. In addition, landscape heterogeneity increased significantly between 1959 and 1986, particularly in the uplifted marsh. Winter severity was highly variable among years and was correlated with a shift in the location of moose wintering areas. As winter severity increased, there was increased use of the glacial outwash plain landform and its associated plant communities. Successional modeling suggests a decline in the availability of vegetation types impor- tant to moose during severe winters with deep snow. Low willow (Salix spp.) communities are expanding in the uplifted marsh, a landform used primarily during summer and mild winters. However, tall willow communities that provide winter forage are declining and are being replaced by Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis [Bong] Carr) forest in the glacial outwash plain. Consequently, nutritional carrying capacity of moose on the outwash plain during winter will decline by 42% during 1959-2013.   The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020 Legacy DOIs that must be preserved: 10.2458/azu_jrm_v59i4_stephenson

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2111/04-063.1
Additional Information
Stephenson, T. R., Van Ballenberghe, V., Peek, J. M., & MacCracken, J. G. (2006). Spatio-temporal constraints on moose habitat and carrying capacity in coastal Alaska: vegetation succession and climate. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 59(4), 359-372.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/643083
Journal Volume
59
Journal Number
4
Journal Pages
359-372
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Rangeland Ecology & Management
Keywords
Alces alces
habitat selection
landscape heterogeneity
Markov chain
winter severity