The answer to keeping moose populations healthy? Wolves

Prey populations may be kept healthy by being a force against genetic diseases. A new study shows that wolves choose moose based on age and arthritis. Wolves preferred elderly moose over prime-aged adults. The results show that wolves play an important role in keeping prey populations healthy and have implications for the management of predator and prey populations.

Over the last decade, wolves have been at the center of news. They were once one of the most widely distributed mammals. After decades of habitat destruction and human persecution, wolves only occupy about two thirds of their former range.

Wolves are biodiversity managers.

The wolf is making a comeback. The US has seen an increase in their wolf populations, as well as a comeback in Europe. They have not been well-received by everyone. wolves can pose a threat to livestock and pets, which may lead to human-wildlife conflicts.

The presence of wolves has been shown in multiple case studies to favor the health of the environment. Wolves keep prey populations in check, which benefits vegetation. Wolves leave their carcasses behind to provide food for other animals.

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution found that wolves can be beneficial for the environment. Wolves preyed on prime-aged adult moose with arthritis. Wolves preferred elderly moose over prime-aged adults.

Predation that is different.

A predator's diet is more likely to include a particular type of prey than it is expected. People that are less risky to hunt are more likely to be selected by the predator.

Prey population dynamics can be impacted byselective predation. Prey population growth rates are less affected by predator activity when the predator is a juvenile or elderly adult.

The impact of sick individuals on prey population health is less understood.

The idea that wolves play an important role in regulating the health of prey populations has not been rigorously assessed.

The moose populations are healthy.

Hoy and her colleague looked at the extent that wolves select adult moose based on age-class and arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a disease caused by the degradation of the surface of the joints.

They looked at how temporal variation in kill rates was related to the incidence of osteoarthritis in the moose population.

When it comes to wolves and moose, it makes a lot of sense that wolves would preferentially target moose that are in poorer condition because adult moose weigh between 800 and 900 lbs which is between eight and 10 times as heavy as a wolf.

Wolf selection was strong for elderly moose and avoided prime-aged adults. The vulnerability of prime-aged moose was increased by the presence of severe osteoarthritis.

The situation is different for older moose. Hoy said that the vulnerability of older moose does not depend on whether they have arthritis.

The incidence of osteoarthritis in the moose population declined after years with higher kill rates.

The decline in osteoarthritis is thought to be the result of wolves preferentially removing moose with arthritis from the population.

Wolf conservativism.

The results have implications for wolf management. The management of wolves is controversial among the public. Our results suggest wolves might be an effective, natural, and more ethical way of regulating the health of deer and moose populations, as opposed to using culls or recreational hunting to reduce the incidence of diseases or parasites of concern.

The results are relevant for policy-related arguments about reasons to refrain from hunting wolves.

It is important to consider issues that may be caused by wolves, but also consider the ecological benefits that wolves may provide by removing old and diseased animals from the populations.

More information: Sarah R. Hoy et al, The Role of Wolves in Regulating a Chronic Non-communicable Disease, Osteoarthritis, in Prey Populations, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2022). DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.819137 Journal information: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Citation: The answer to keeping moose populations healthy? Wolves (2022, April 20) retrieved 20 April 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-04-moose-populations-healthy-wolves.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.