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Modeling Moose Habitat Use And Fitness Consequences Of Habitat Selection In Vermont, Usa, Joshua Alexander Blouin
Modeling Moose Habitat Use And Fitness Consequences Of Habitat Selection In Vermont, Usa, Joshua Alexander Blouin
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
The moose (Alces alces) population has been declining across the northeastern US largely due to the impacts of winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus). In epizootic years, an individual moose can host a staggering number of ticks (> 60,000), affecting both survival and reproduction. Habitat management may be used to improve the status of the moose population and health of individuals, but this requires knowledge of key habitat types used by moose and their spatial distribution. We investigated 1) habitat use by moose and 2) the fitness consequences of habitat selection during two critical winter tick life stages in northeastern Vermont. To …