Northern Michigan University faculty, graduate students and alumni are represented on a collaborative research project with the DNR and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community titled “Factors limiting moose population growth in the western Upper Peninsula.” Expanding upon traditional DNR winter aerial surveys used to estimate the moose population, this collaborative initiative will begin by fitting 20 moose with GPS collars this winter, with additional moose being collared next year. The precise location data will help researchers better understand challenges the animals confront that impact their survival.
“Our goal is to collar 10 females, five bulls and five yearlings later this month,” said Diana Lafferty, NMU associate professor of Biology and director of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Lab. “And while the moose are anesthetized for collaring, we'll be collecting a variety of biological samples: blood, hair, fecal pellets, and ectoparasites such as winter ticks, lice and mites. All of these biological data will help shed light on the overall health of moose in the U.P.”
The collars will also provide tracking data to enable researchers to see how the moose are using the landscape. For example, how often they cross the roads and how often they are struck by vehicles while crossing, and whether that differs by sex and age class.
“This is exciting information we can't get using other methods besides GPS collars,” Lafferty added. “We'll also be able to see how moose are using different kinds of land cover, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, or deciduous-coniferous mixed forest. Are they using clear cuts? Are they using selectively logged forests? Are they using emergent aquatic vegetation? How are moose responding to different kinds of human disturbance across the landscape that occur throughout the year.
Though much of Lafferty's research is carnivore-focused, she previously contributed to moose research in 2010-2011 with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and said she is excited to embark on another study of the majestic animal. She has been collaborating with the DNR on various projects since joining Northern's faculty eight years ago.
NMU 2010 biology/ecology alumnus Tyler Petroelje is a DNR wildlife research specialist and one of the other principal investigators on the moose study. He and Lafferty were in the same research lab while pursuing their doctorates in Mississippi, and have remained collaborators and friends.
“Michigan's moose are a vital part of the Upper Peninsula's ecosystem and identity,” said Petroelje, in a DNR story showcasing the effort. “Both the presence and absence of moose can affect forest growth, creating cascading effects throughout the habitat, impacting deer, birds, insects and plant life. As a keystone species, moose have a disproportionate impact on their environment compared with most other species. Through this new study of factors limiting moose population growth, we're working to uncover a clearer path for the future moose of Michigan.”
Moose are the largest native deer species in the state. They are also culturally significant as an iconic symbol of the U.P. wilderness and an important species for the traditions and practices of Indigenous communities in the region. Understanding the factors that limit the moose population provides insight into the broader ecological health of the Upper Peninsula.
“As co-stewards of our shared land and natural resources, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community welcomes the opportunity to work with the DNR and NMU to help answer important questions about the Michigan moose population,” said Erin Johnston in the DNR article. She is a 1997 earth science graduate who serves as wildlife and habitat manager for the KBIC Natural Resources Department in Baraga.
The capture operation later this month will cover about a 500-square-mile-block across the Michigamme Highlands. Spotter planes will report moose locations to a nearby helicopter and ground crews. After the animals are sedated, crews will move in to collect biological information and fit them with tracking collars.
Future NMU graduate student Erin Largent will be leading research operations beginning in August. Her thesis will be based on the data collected for the moose vital rate study to better understand moose survival as well as drivers of mortality. Post-baccalaureate student Louis Good, a recent NMU graduate and longtime member of Lafferty's lab, worked with the DNR while pursuing his undergraduate degree and is now an employee with the agency. He will assist with moose captures for this collaborative research initiative.
“I think it's important to bring students together with external collaborators who are contributing to education and advanced knowledge for the next generation of wildlife conservation scientists so that the students are building their professional network,” Lafferty said. “A key component of that is by working with state agencies with very specific objectives. They're managing resources for really diverse stakeholders across the state. Also, working with researchers and managers from the KBIC exposes students to the idea that different ways of seeing, knowing and appreciating our shared resources is critical for building a society that is more empathetic to one another and to the wildlife we share our lands with.”
Moose once roamed much of the state, but European settlement led to unregulated hunting and habitat loss, dwindling their numbers by the early 19th century, according to the DNR. After a failed reintroduction attempt in the 1930s, a new project began in the 1980s, fondly known as the “Moose Lift.” Fifty-nine moose were transported by helicopter and truck from Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, to northwest Marquette County.
The goal of the reintroduction was to produce a self-sustaining population of free-ranging moose in the Upper Peninsula. Nearly 40 years later, the moose population in the western part of the region where the translocation occurred has grown to more than 400, but is still well below an initial projected goal of 1,000 animals by the year 2000.
In addition to the study area in the western U.P., a smaller moose population remains in the eastern U.P., primarily in Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce and Chippewa counties.
“Moose contribute to the U.P. in three fundamental ways,” Lafferty said. “They contribute to the economy by bringing people to the region in the hope they have a chance to view these awesome animals. They are also ecosystem engineers. They have voracious appetites for vegetation, and in doing so, they shape the structure of the forests around them by browsing on their preferred species. And culturally, they're very important across many different demographics, especially our Indigenous communities, who have a long and strong relationship with wildlife, and moose in particular.”
Researchers agree that understanding the factors that limit the moose population is crucial for land and wildlife managers, as it provides insight into the broader ecological health of the Upper Peninsula.