David Mech, PhD
L. David Mech (“Dave”) is a Senior Research Scientist with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and works at the St. Paul, Minnesota duty station.
Dr. Mech
Wolf Information
Dr. Mech has studied wolves since 1958 in Isle Royale National Park (1958-1961), Minnesota (1964 to present), Yellowstone National Park (1995 to Present) , Denali National Park (1986-1995). Each summer from 1986 through 2010, he lived with, and studied, a pack of wolves tolerant to humans on Ellesmere Island, in Canada’s High Arctic. He chaired the IUCN Wolf Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union from 1978 to 2013 when the group was absorbed into the Canid Specialist Group (CSG). Dr. Mech is now an advisor on wolves to the chair of the CSG. He is continuing his research on wolf ecology and behavior, predator-prey relations, population regulation, and social ecology.
Professional Experience
Senior Research Scientist, 1999 to present; U.S. Geological Survey
Research Wildlife Biologist, 1969 to 1999; Biological Resources Division of the USGS (formerly Division of Endangered Species Research, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Degree, Wildlife Ecology, Purdue University, 1962, Lafayette, IN
B.S. Degree, Conservation, Cornell University, 1958, Ithaca, NY
Honors and Awards
Aldo Leopold Memorial Award - The Wildlife Society
Science and Products
A proposed ethogram of large-carnivore predatory behavior, exemplified by the wolf
Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha values in elk neonates
Defining space use and movements of Canada lynx with global positioning system telemetry
A 3-decade dearth of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a wolf (Canis lupus)-dominated ecosystem
Age-related body mass and reproductive measurements of gray wolves in Minnesota
Prediction failure of a wolf landscape model
Estimated age structure of wolves in Northeastern Minnesota
A 3-decade dearth of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a wolf (Canis lupus)-dominated ecosystem
Urine-marking and ground-scratching by free-ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis lupus arctos, in summer
Survival of adult female elk in yellowstone following wolf restoration
Wolf population persistence in real life
Decline and recovery of a high Arctic wolf-prey system
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A proposed ethogram of large-carnivore predatory behavior, exemplified by the wolf
Although predatory behavior is traditionally described by a basic ethogram composed of 3 phases (search, pursue, and capture), behavioral studies of large terrestrial carnivores generally use the concept of a "hunt" to classify and measure foraging. This approach is problematic because there is no consensus on what behaviors constitute a hunt. We therefore examined how the basic ethogram could beAuthorsD.R. MacNulty, L. D. Mech, D.W. SmithInterleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha values in elk neonates
Serological indicators of general condition would be helpful for monitoring or assessing ungulate wildlife. Toward that end, we report the 1st reference values for 2 cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-??), in neonatal elk (Cervus elaphus). We obtained blood samples from 140 calves ??? 6 days old in Yellowstone National Park during summer 2003-2005. TL-6 values ranAuthorsS. M. Barber-Meyer, C. R. Johnson, M.P. Murtaugh, L. D. Mech, P.J. WhiteDefining space use and movements of Canada lynx with global positioning system telemetry
Space use and movements of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are difficult to study with very-high-frequency radiocollars. We deployed global positioning system (GPS) collars on 11 lynx in Minnesota to study their seasonal space-use patterns. We estimated home ranges with minimum-convex-polygon and fixed-kernel methods and estimated core areas with area/probability curves. Fixed-kernel home ranges ofAuthorsC.L. Burdett, R.A. Moen, G.J. Niemi, L. D. MechA 3-decade dearth of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a wolf (Canis lupus)-dominated ecosystem
Some 30 years after wolves (Canis lupus) were implicated in decimating wintering white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a 3000-km2 area of northeastern Minnesota, winter deer still have not recolonized the area. Although habitat in the study area generally remains poor, some regeneration has taken place, and deer have increased adjacent to the area. However, wolf numbers have persisted by pAuthorsM.E. Nelson, L. D. MechAge-related body mass and reproductive measurements of gray wolves in Minnesota
Based on 65 free-ranging gray wolves (Canis lupus) of known age and 25 of estimated age examined during summers of 1970-2004 in northeastern Minnesota, body mass of both males and females peaked at 5 or 6 years of age, with mean masses of 40.8 kg and 31.2 kg, respectively. Testis size varied as a function of age and month through at least 8 years of age, with length plus width ranging from 1.9 toAuthorsL. D. MechPrediction failure of a wolf landscape model
I compared 101 wolf (Canis lupus) pack territories formed in Wisconsin during 1993-2004 to the logistic regression predictive model of Mladenoff et al. (1995, 1997, 1999). Of these, 60% were located in putative habitat suitabilities 50% remained unoccupied by known packs after 24 years of recolonization. This model was a poor predictor of wolf re-colonizing locations in Wisconsin, apparently becauAuthorsL. D. MechEstimated age structure of wolves in Northeastern Minnesota
[No abstract available]AuthorsL. D. MechA 3-decade dearth of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a wolf (Canis lupus)-dominated ecosystem
Some 30 y after wolves (Canis lupus) were implicated in decimating wintering white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a 3000-km2 area of northeastern Minnesota, wintering deer still have not recolonized the area. From 1976 to 2004, we aerially radio-tracked wolves there during 250 h and recorded 2 deer (in 1985 and 2000) killed or eaten by wolves during February and March. We observed no otheAuthorsMichael E. Nelson, L. David MechUrine-marking and ground-scratching by free-ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis lupus arctos, in summer
Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and scratching was greatest when non-pack wolves were present. Observations of urine-marking of food remaiAuthorsL. D. MechSurvival of adult female elk in yellowstone following wolf restoration
Counts of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) in northwestern Wyoming and adjacent Montana, USA, have decreased at an average rate of 6-8% per year since wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced in 1995. Population growth rates of elk are typically sensitive to variations in adult female survival; populations that are stable or increasing exhibit high adult female survival. We used survival reAuthorsS.B. Evans, L. D. Mech, P.J. White, G.A. SargeantWolf population persistence in real life
Wolf (Canis lupus) populations tend to be resilient and to persist for long periods, and several characteristics contribute to their resilience and persistence: (1) age of first reproduction (2-3 years), (2) high annual litter size (mean = 6), (3) low dispersal age (1-3 years), and (4) long potential dispersal distance (< 880 km). The only documented factor leading to extinction of well establisheAuthorsL. D. MechDecline and recovery of a high Arctic wolf-prey system
A long-existing system of wolves (Canis lupus), muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), and arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) in a 2600 km2 area of Canada’s High Arctic (80° N latitude) began collapsing in 1997 because of unusual adverse summer weather but recovered to a level at which all three species were reproducing by 2004. Recovery of wolf presence and reproduction appeared to be more dependent on muskox iAuthorsL. David Mech