Experimental moose reduction lowers wolf density and stops decline of endangered caribou.

ABSTRACT: The expansion of moose into southern British Columbia caused the decline and extirpation of woodland caribou due to their shared predators, a process commonly referred to as apparent competition. Using an adaptive management experiment, we tested the hypothesis that reducing moose to historic levels would reduce apparent competition and therefor recover caribou populations. Nested within this broad hypothesis were three specific hypotheses: (1) sport hunting could be used to substantially reduce moose numbers to an ecological target; (2) wolves in this ecosystem were primarily limited by moose abundance; and (3) caribou were limited by wolf predation. These hypotheses were evaluated with a before-after control-impact (BACI) design that included response metrics such as population trends an

SUBMITTER: Serrouya R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5580390 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature