Terrestrial Mammal Ecology Research Active
Understanding the population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology of terrestrial mammals, such as caribou and muskoxen, is critical for the management of these species and their habitats in Alaska.
Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems
Research conducted by the USGS Alaska Science Center on terrestrial mammals is focused on informing Department of Interior management decisions across Alaska. Our work provides timely and highly relevant scientific information for management issues such as the response of caribou to a warming climate and human development, future possible changes in distribution and abundance, and the effects of changing habitats used for forage.
Population dynamics
Why do caribou populations fluctuate? Why do their migration patterns change year after year? How healthy is the herd? Working in collaboration with multiple partners in Alaska, the USGS is addressing these common questions for caribou populations in Alaska. Read more here: Improving calf survival of the Chisana Caribou Herd
Response of caribou to industrial infrastructure
Are Arctic caribou habituated to energy development on the North Slope? Do caribou use habitats near and within the oilfields in northern Alaska? Read more here:
- Effects of vehicle traffic on space use and road crossings of caribou in the Arctic
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
Forage and weather
Will caribou be impacted by changes in weather, insects and plant forages? Are their habitats changing?
Read more here: Resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Simulating the influences of various fire regimes on caribou winter habitat
Interspecific resource partitioning in sympatric ursids
Interrelationships of Denali's large mammal community
Tracking the movements of Denali's wolves
Extraordinary movements of the Denali caribou herd following the perfect storm
Effects of maternal characteristics and climatic variation on birth masses of Alaskan caribou
Evaluation of wolf density estimation from radiotelemetry data
Demography of Dall's sheep in northwestern Alaska
Marrow fat deposition and skeletal growth in caribou calves
Winter habitat use by female caribou in relation to wildland fires in interior Alaska
Evaluating the impacts of wildland fires on caribou in interior Alaska
Serologic survey for canine coronavirus in wolves from Alaska
- Overview
Understanding the population dynamics, predator/prey relationships and habitat ecology of terrestrial mammals, such as caribou and muskoxen, is critical for the management of these species and their habitats in Alaska.
Return to Ecosystems >> Terrestrial Ecosystems
Research conducted by the USGS Alaska Science Center on terrestrial mammals is focused on informing Department of Interior management decisions across Alaska. Our work provides timely and highly relevant scientific information for management issues such as the response of caribou to a warming climate and human development, future possible changes in distribution and abundance, and the effects of changing habitats used for forage.
Population dynamics
Why do caribou populations fluctuate? Why do their migration patterns change year after year? How healthy is the herd? Working in collaboration with multiple partners in Alaska, the USGS is addressing these common questions for caribou populations in Alaska. Read more here: Improving calf survival of the Chisana Caribou Herd
Response of caribou to industrial infrastructure
Are Arctic caribou habituated to energy development on the North Slope? Do caribou use habitats near and within the oilfields in northern Alaska? Read more here:
- Effects of vehicle traffic on space use and road crossings of caribou in the Arctic
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
Forage and weather
Will caribou be impacted by changes in weather, insects and plant forages? Are their habitats changing?
Read more here: Resilience of caribou to climatic shifts in the Arctic - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 24No results found. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 47Simulating the influences of various fire regimes on caribou winter habitat
Caribou are an integral component of high‐latitude ecosystems and represent a major subsistence food source for many northern people. The availability and quality of winter habitat is critical to sustain these caribou populations. Caribou commonly use older spruce woodlands with adequate terrestrial lichen, a preferred winter forage, in the understory. Changes in climate and fire regime pose a sigAuthorsT. Scott Rupp, Mark Olson, Layne G. Adams, Bruce W. Dale, Kyle Joly, Jonathan Henkelman, William B. Collins, Anthony M. StarfieldInterspecific resource partitioning in sympatric ursids
The fundamental niche of a species is rarely if ever realized because the presence of other species restricts it to a narrower range of ecological conditions. The effects of this narrower range of conditions define how resources are partitioned. Resource partitioning has been inferred but not demonstrated previously for sympatric ursids. We estimated assimilated diet in relation to body conditionAuthorsJerrold L. Belant, Knut Kielland, Erich H. Follmann, Layne G. AdamsInterrelationships of Denali's large mammal community
Along with its sweeping mountain landscapes, Denali National Park and Preserve (Denali) is probably best known for opportunities to observe the large mammals common to Interior Alaska. Locally known as the “Big Five,” gray wolves (Canis lupus), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos),moose (Alces alces), caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) have coexisted in the region for millennia. WhileAuthorsLayne G. Adams, Thomas J. Meier, Patricia Owen, Gretchen H. RofflerTracking the movements of Denali's wolves
The wolves of Denali National Park (formerly Mount McKinley National Park) were the subject of some of the earliest research on wolf ecology. From 1939 to 1941, Adolph Murie performed groundbreaking studies of wolves, observing wolves and their prey and collecting wolf scats and prey remains. His work resulted in one of the first major scientific publications about wolves, The Wolves of Mount McKiAuthorsT.J. Meier, John W. Burch, Layne G. AdamsExtraordinary movements of the Denali caribou herd following the perfect storm
Although historic literature is replete with anecdotes about atypical and far-reaching movements of caribou(Rangifer tarandus granti) herds in Alaska, very few such events have been described since the late 1970s proliferation of radio telemetry studies in the region. In September 1992, several herds in Alaska made unusual movements away from their typical year-round ranges as a result of highly uEffects of maternal characteristics and climatic variation on birth masses of Alaskan caribou
Understanding factors that influence birth mass of mammals provides insights to nutritional trade-offs made by females to optimize their reproduction, growth, and survival. I evaluated variation in birth mass of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in central Alaska relative to maternal characteristics (age, body mass, cohort, and nutritional condition as influenced by winter severity) during 11 years withAuthorsLayne G. AdamsEvaluation of wolf density estimation from radiotelemetry data
Density estimation of wolves (Canis lupus) requires a count of individuals and an estimate of the area those individuals inhabit. With radiomarked wolves, the count is straightforward but estimation of the area is more difficult and often given inadequate attention. The population area, based on the mosaic of pack territories, is influenced by sampling intensity similar to the estimation of indiviAuthorsJohn W. Burch, Layne G. Adams, Erich H. Follmann, Eric A. RexstadDemography of Dall's sheep in northwestern Alaska
Dall’s sheep in northwestern Alaska declined in the early 1990s following the severe 1989-90 and 1990-91 winters. In the Baird Mountains of Noatak National Preserve, estimates of adult sheep declined by 50% from 800 in 1989 to under 400 in 1991. Population counts remained low throughout 1991 to 1996, reaching a minimum of 244 adult sheep in 1996. Few lambs were observed during annual midsummer aerAuthorsChristopher Kleckner, Mark S. Udevitz, Layne G. Adams, Brad S. ShultsMarrow fat deposition and skeletal growth in caribou calves
I evaluated rates of marrow fat deposition and skeletal growth of caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) calves through 20 days of age at Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. Both were negatively correlated with late winter snowfall, indicating the prolonged effects of maternal undernutrition following severe winters. Using regression analyses, I found that the rates of marrow fat deposition and hindfooAuthorsLayne G. AdamsWinter habitat use by female caribou in relation to wildland fires in interior Alaska
The role of wildland fire in the winter habitat use of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) has long been debated. Fire has been viewed as detrimental to caribou because it destroys the slow-growing climax forage lichens that caribou utilize in winter. Other researchers argued that caribou were not reliant on lichens and that fire may be beneficial, even in the short term. We evaluated the distribution ofAuthorsKyle Joly, Bruce W. Dale, William B. Collins, Layne G. AdamsEvaluating the impacts of wildland fires on caribou in interior Alaska
Caribou are found throughout the boreal forests of interior Alaska, a region subject to chronic and expansive wildland fires. Fruticose lichens, if available, constitute the majority of the winter diet of caribou throughout their range and are common in mature boreal forests but largely absent from early successional stages. Fire, the dominant ecological driving force, increases vegetative diversiAuthorsKyle Joly, Layne G. Adams, Bruce W. Dale, William CollinsSerologic survey for canine coronavirus in wolves from Alaska
Wolves (Canis lupus) were captured in three areas of Interior Alaska (USA). Four hundred twenty-five sera were tested for evidence of exposure to canine coronavirus by means of an indirect fluorescent antibody procedure. Serum antibody prevalence averaged 70% (167/240) during the spring collection period and 25% (46/185) during the autumn collection period. Prevalence was 0% (0/42) in the autumn pAuthorsRandall L. Zarnke, Jim F. Evermann, Jay M. Ver Hoef, Mark E. McNay, Rodney D. Boertje, Craig L. Gardner, Layne G. Adams, Bruce W. Dale, John W. Burch - News