Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/06
Outputs
During the current reporting period (1 October 2005 to 31 January 2006) field work was concentrated in January 2006, when annual counts of wolves and moose in Isle Royale National Park were initiated. As of this writing the results are not yet available. Analysis and work on publications proceeded during on-campus work, and several additional publications became available
Impacts
The long-term chronology of wolf and moose populations in Isle Royale National Park continue to inform government agencies and academic audiences, as well as the general public, about the ecological implications of wolf recovery. This is especially pertinent as the federal government prepares to remove the gray wolf from the list of species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Publications
- Potvin, M.J., R.O. Peterson, and J.A. Vucetich. 2004. Wolf homesite attendance patterns. Canadian Journal of Zoology 82:1512-1518.
- Vucetich, JA, & RO Peterson. 2004. The influence of top-down, bottom-up, and abiotic factors on the moose (Alces alces) population of Isle Royale. Proceeding Royal Soc Lond, B 271:183-189.
- Potvin, MJ, D Beyer, TD Drummer, RO Peterson, JA Vucetich, & J Hammill. 2005 Monitoring and habitat analysis for wolves in Upper Michigan. J. Wildlife Management, in press
- Jost, C, G Devulder, JA Vucetich, RO Peterson, R Arditi. 2005. The wolves of Isle Royale display scale-invariant satiation and density dependent predation on moose. J. Anim. Ecol., in press
- Weise, JW, C Nagaswami, RO Peterson. 2005. River otter hair structure facilitates interlocking to impede penetration of water and allow trapping of air. Canadian Journal of Zoology 83:649-655.
- Peterson, RO, JA Vucetich, RE Page, & A Chouinard. 2003. Temporal and spatial aspects of predator-prey dynamics. Alces 39:215-232.
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
During the current reporting period (1 October 2004 to 31 January 2005) field work was concentrated in May-August, 2004 and January-February, 2005, when annual counts were made of wolves and moose in Isle Royale National Park and remains of dead moose were examined in the field. Analysis and work on publications proceeded during on-campus work, and several additional publications became available. During 2005, there were thirty wolves on Isle Royale, up one from 2004, and moose, estimated to number 540, continued to decline for the third straight year. There are now only eighteen moose alive for each wolf, a ratio seen only twice before at Isle Royale. Three territorial wolf packs raised a total of eleven pups, offsetting a high mortality rate of 34 percent in the past year. Wolves preyed heavily on moose, but they exhibited no territorial trespassing that might indicate food shortage. Moose calves were relatively numerous in 2004, but few remained alive in winter
2005.The effect of moose ticks continued to increase, and this parasite may be an important factor in the moose decline. Winter severity in the past two years and chronic food shortage in winter have also impacted the moose population. However, wolf predation is presently the major direct cause of moose mortality and should hold moose at a low level over the next year.
Impacts
The long-term chronology of wolf and moose populations in Isle Royale National Park continue to inform government agencies and academic audiences, as well as the general public, about the ecological implications of wolf recovery. This is especially pertinent as the federal government prepares to remove the gray wolf from the list of species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/29/04
Outputs
During 2003-2004, the wolf population surged from 19 to 29 individuals, while the moose population declined from an estimated 900 to 750. During the year, wolves exhibited high survival (89%), and all three territorial packs each raised at least four pups. Both the Chippewa Harbor Pack and the Middle Pack pushed their territories to the northeast, effectively squeezing the East Pack into an even smaller space. The moose population declined for the second year in a row, to an estimated 750 animals. Poor moose calf survival in 2002 and 2003 seems to explain the population decline, and predation loss was high in winter 2004 for both calves and adults. Winter ticks have been implicated in recent years of high mortality and poor reproduction for Isle Royale moose. The moose population faltered during a period of unusually high heat and drought (1998-2002)in North America that has been linked to human-caused global warming. Increased vulnerability of moose to predation may
explain the moose decline and the resurgence of the wolf population.
Impacts
Several observations indicate that our work has broader significance among ecological educators. Our research findings are featured in: 1)at least 9 books used as texts for university courses, 2)lecture material for graduate and undergraduate courses taught in at least 11 universities, 3)popular education software such as Ecobeaker (Simbiotic Software, Ithaca, NY) and Wolf Adventures (Bowling Green State Univ.), and 4)more than 11 books or book chapters published by scientific presses (e.g., Chicago, Princeton, Blackwell, Sinauer, etc). These books and university courses are detailed on our website: www.isleroyalewolf.org/textbooks.htm Other observations indicate that our work has broader significance for society. For example: 1) our collection of moose bones and has been featured in work by at least four professional artists and a major art exhibition in Minneapolis, MN; 2) our work has been featured in at least 10 national print and radio news articles during the
five years; 3)the webpage that we maintain, which includes information for the general public, received over 200,000 "page hits" during the past year; 4) primary investigators are widely recognized for their contributions to resolving natural resource management issues and conflicts.
Publications
- Eberhardt, L.L., R.A. Garrott, R.O. Peterson, D.W. Smith, and P.J. White. 2003. Assessing the impact of wolves on ungulate prey. Ecological Applications 13:776-783.
- Peterson, R.O. and P. Ciucci. 2003. The wolf as a carnivore. Pages 104-130 in L.D. Mech and L. Boitani (eds.). Wolves: behavior, ecology, and conservation. University of Chicago
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