Such large territories are not defended with the exception of cows with calves that object to neighbours close to their territory. In the mid 20th century the usual movement to the winter habitats had ended by mid-November, but more recently changes in the winter duration are reflected in later arrival at winter habitats (from mid-November to the mid- December) (Belova 2013, 2015) The individual territory of males (bulls) extends to 5,500 ha with female groups more restricted to is 500-1,000 ha (Baleisis et al. in Lithuania daily movements of moose within their habitats comprise up to 5 km (Baleisis et al. Simultaneously with long distances, short-distance movements (diffusion dispersal, Pielou 1979) into the suitable habitats and their parts as are characteristic to moose, e.g. 2003 Belova 2013) and 100 km in Norway (Andersen et al. Elk annual seasonal migration from summer to winter habitats is e.g., near 20-30 km and up to 50 km in Lithuania (Baleisis et al. forests with pine and aspen plantations, clear-cuts and wetlands) (Fauna of Lithuania 1988 Miller and Litvaitis 1992 Heikkilä and Härkönen 1996 Belova 2013). In winter, animals select habitats with higher food supply (e.g. In the growing season (from May to October), elk prefer forest edges, wet deciduous stands, marshes and bogs and even in the small groves and shrubs. Elk are adapted to cold environments and are intolerant to high temperatures, however, moose can adapt to climate changes using both physiological and behavioural mechanisms to reduce thermal stress (Belova 2013). It prefers damp habitats close to water bodies. Within this area it ranges from sea level up to at least 1,500 m in Europe (IUCN 2016) and generally spends the summer at higher altitudes or latitudes and concentrates in forest for the winter.Įlk is found in a range of coniferous and deciduous forest habitats, from the northern forest biomes (tundra and taiga) southwards through boreal to temperate zones. Since the 1960’s it has been slowly extending its range southwards along the rivers into the northern Caucasus lowlands. Three isolated sub-populations are found in the southern Czech Republic, and the species is occasionally recorded in Germany, Croatia, Hungary and Romania. European elk are found in Scandinavia, the Baltic states, European Russia (up to the Yenissei river), Belarus, Poland and northern Ukraine and was formerly widely distributed in Central Europe. alces is generally regarded as medium-sized with males weighing about 320 to 475 kg and females between 275 to 375 kg with shoulder height ranging from 1.7 to 2.1 m. The European subspecies of elk Alces alces spp. The name “Moose” come from the Algonquin word “ moosu” for “twig biter” or “he strips off young tree bark” (Rea and Child 2007). The word elk, like the Swedish word älg (pronounced /elj/), is taken from the Latin alces and this is derived from the Greek word “alké” which means strength (Bjärvall and Ullström 1986). European elk which is a sub-species Alces alces alces should not be confused with North American elk, Cervus canadensis, which are a different species with Alces alces commonly called moose in North America. found in the vicinity of a terrestrial pole) distribution in the boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. The Elk or Moose ( Alces alces Linnaeus, 1758) is a large ungulate belonging to the order Artiodactyla, family Cervidae which has a circumpolar (i.e. Elk also cause a significant number of road traffic accidents. However, despite extensive control of elk populations, numbers are increasing with a considerable impact on commercial forestry. Its recreational value and meat are inherent components of recreational hunting that prevails in comparison with subsistence hunting. Recently, trophy hunting has increasingly replaced traditional meat hunting. ![]() This damage causes significant losses to forestry and in most of its European range population levels are monitored and controlled through regulated hunting.Įlk is an important game species and provides an economically viable alternative to more ecologically destructive land uses, and could help accomplish the overall goals of biodiversity conservation. It is a browser and in the winter moves into the forest to feed on young shoots of conifers and the twigs and bark of deciduous shrubs and trees. ![]() It is one of the largest wild animals in Europe and is mostly restricted to the boreal zone of north-east Europe. Alces alces is a circumpolar species which is known as European elk in Europe and Moose in North America.
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