Aspen Bibliography

Distribution and Habitats of Moose in Alaska

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Naturaliste Canadien

Volume

101

First Page

143

Last Page

178

Publication Date

1974

Abstract

Moose (Alces alces) have been present in Alaska since mid- to late-pleistocene times. They probably survived in relatively small, disjunct groups wherever suitable habitat could be found throughout this period, when a tundra-steppe community dominated much of the Alaska refugium. With the close of the glacial period and proliferation of shrub and forest communities, they spread throughout much of Alaska. In more recent times riparian and subalpine willow communities have provided a means of maintaining minimal populations able to exploit new range produced by fire and other disturbances: this pattern persists today. Very recent extensions of moose distribution have occurred in the geographic extremes of Alaska: Southeastern Alaska, where glacial recessions have allowed moose to expands along major rive valley crossing the coastal range and in northwestern Alaska, where moose have become established on the western Seward Peninsula and north of the Noatak River. On the Arctic Slope moose seem to have been established for a longer time than on the western tundra area, but are currently increasing in numbers. In most of Alaska, moose numbers have risen and declined dramatically in local areas over the last 150 years, largely in response to creation and maturation of fire-caused seral range. Historical accounts that moose were absent from a particular locale most likely reflect only a period of very low moose numbers resulting from a prolonged absence of fires in that area. Extremely low densities of moose presently exist in some areas where extensive spruce stands are dominant. Thus in most of Alaska the purported variations in moose distribution have in reality been only variations in relative abundance.

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