http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org

The Canadian field-naturalist.Ottawa,Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club.

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/39970

v.92 (1978): http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/89184 Page(s): Page 189, Page 190, Page 191, Page 192

Contributed by: Harvard University, MCZ, Ernst Mayr LibrarySponsored by: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

Generated 7 April 2011 5:12 AMhttp://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pdf3/006411400089184

This page intentionally left blank.

The following text is generated from uncorrected OCR.

[Begin Page: Page 189]

1978 Notes 189 Acknowledgments I thank L. Pilon and M. Goudreault of the Quebec Department of Tourism, Fish and Game for their assistance in various segments of the project. 1 also thank Jean-Louis Frechette of le College des Medecins Veterinaires, St-Hyacinthe, for his help in the parasitology work and A. Liebart of le Departe- ment d'Art Dentaire, Universite de Montreal for determining the age of bears by counting annuli in the teeth. Special thanks to D. Heyland, then of the Quebec Department of Tourism, Fish and Game, and to C. J. Jonkel of the University of Montana for their constructive criticism of the manuscript. Literature Cited Anonymous. 1968. The black bear. In Hinterland Who's who. Canadian Wildlife Service R 69-4/8. Information

Canada, Ottawa. 6 pp. Frechette, Jean-Louis and Maurice Panisset. 1973. Con- tribution a Tetude de Fepizootiologie de la trichinose au Quebec. Canadian Journal of Public Health 64(Oct.): 443^44. Hatler, David F. 1972. Food habits of black bears in interior Alaska. Canadian Field-Naturalist 86(1): 17-31. Jonkel, C. J. and L McT. Cowan. 1971. The black bear in the spruce-fir forest. Wildlife Monograph 27. 57 pp. Marks, S. A. and A. W. Erickson. 1966. Age determina- tion in the black bear. Journal of Wildlife Management 30(2): 389-392. Peterson, R. L. 1966. Mammals of eastern Canada. Oxford University Press, Toronto. 465 pp. Rowe, J. S. 1972. Forest regions of Canada. Forestry Service Publication 1300, Information Canada, Ottawa. 172 pp. Spencer, H. E., Jr. and E. Howard. 1966. The black bear and its status in Maine. Department of Inland Fisheries and Game, Game Division 4, Augusta, Maine. 55 pp.

Stoneberg, R. P. and C. J. Jonkel. 1966. Age determina- tion of black bears by cementum layers. Journal of Wild- life Management 30(2): 411-414. Tisch, E. L. 1961. Seasonal food habits of the black bear in the Whitefish Range of Northeastern Montana. M.Sc. thesis. University of Montana. Ix + 108 pp. Willey, Charles H. 1970. The bear season. In Vermont Game Annual, 1970. Edited by Benjamin W. Day, Jr. Vermont Fish and Game Department, Bulletin 70-1. 38 pp. Received 27 June 1977 Accepted 29 December 1977 Late Winter Bedding Practices of Moose in Mixed Upland Cutovers^ John G. McNicol- and Frederick F. Gilbert^ 'Paper presented at the 13th annual North American Moose Conference and Workshop (1977) ^Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7E 6E3 ^University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario NIG 2W1 McNicol, John G. and Frederick F. Gilbert. 1978. Late winter bedding practices of moose in mixed upland cutovers. Canadian Field-Naturalist 92(2): 189-192. Moose (Alces alces andersoni) bedding sites within five northern Ontario mixed upland cutovers were examinedduring

January and February to learn more about criteria affecting the choice of bed sites. Significant (P < 0.05)differences in snow depths in the vicinity of bedding sites, the proximity of potential windbreaking coniferous cover, and meteorologicalrecords concerning prevailing winds during the study period indicated that moose were utilizing immature coniferous treespecies as windscreens and perhaps found snow conditions in the lee of these windbreaks preferable for bedding. Coniferouscover was usually least prevalent in southerly directions at bedding sites indicating that moose chose sites for bedding thatminimized windchill and maximized exposure to solar radiation. Key Words: Moose (Alces alces andersoni), winter bedding, upland cutovers. There has been little investigation into moose bedding sites since the work done by Des Meules (1965). Because adult moose may bed up to seven times a day (Franzmann et al. 1976) and the lack of suitable bedding sites may temporarily be a limiting factor in the utilization of winter range (Des Meules 1 964), the collection of further data on moose bedding practices became a secondary objective of moose habitat investigations (McNicol 1976). Study Area and Methods Data were collected on five 10- to 15-year-old mixed upland cutovers located on or close to the Mott Lake Road, a private secondary timber haul road appro.xi- mately 64 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Soils in the study area are thin basal tills often averaging only a few centimetres to 0.3 m in depth. Bedrock exposures are frequent, as are swamps or poorly drained areas. The topography of the area is

[Begin Page: Page 190]

190 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 92 depth and depth of bed beneath the snow's surface, direction of the most (and least) potentially effective windbreaking cover, the species composition of the cover and diameter at breast height, and snow depth 3.1 m from the bed site in the direction of the most as well as the least potentially effective windbreaking cover. "Cover" was arbitrarily defined as coniferous species that would provide a barrier to the wind. On occasions when a snowfall had occurred after a moose bed was made, the depth of fresh snow in the bottom of the bed was deducted from the depth of bed measurement and all snow depth measurements. Where a moose bed was located in uneven snowcover,

the depth of bed and snow depth at bed site measurements were an average of the greatest and least snow depth associated with the moose bed. Results and Discussion Snow depths on the study cutovers during 1975 reached 61.0 cm by 21 January and remained at that approximate depth until the end of February. On 10 January, a 2.5-cm rainfall resulted in a substantial crust at the 46.0-cm level of the snow cover. The crust was composed of 0.6 cm of ice lying between two 1.9- cm layers of less dense ice crystals. Complete sets of data were collected on 48 of the 73 moose beds encountered. Approximately 8 1 .0% of the moose bed sites were associated with immature coniferous clumps averaging from 2.5 to 7.6 cm in diameter at breast height (Table 1) when the mean snow depth at bedding sites was 67.3 cm (Table 2). Des Meules (1965) found that when snow depths ranged from 61 to 76 cm, 64.0% of the moose beds were found in association with immature coniferous clumps of less than 10.2 cm in diameter at breast height. He also noted that with snow depths of approximately 66 cm at bed sites, the mean distance from the center of the bed to the nearest "large" coniferous stem was 1.5 m. In this study, with identical snow depths, the most effective potential

Table 2— Snow gradients in the vicinity of 48 moose beds recorded 13 January - 28 February 1975 on the Spruce River Road cutovers characterized by low gently rolling hills and by rocky ridge systems oriented in a northeast-to-southwest direction. The study area was situated in the boreal forest biome. The coniferous species distribution in the area of study was black spruce {Picea mariana), 51.0%; white spruce {Picea glauca), 10.0%; balsam fir {Abies balsamea), 13.0%; and jack pine {Pinus banksiana), 26.0%. White birch {Betula papyrifera) and trembling aspen {Populus tremuJoides) represented 12.0 and 13.0% respectively, of the total inventory of all species. The mean annual precipitation is approximately 760 mm and during the winter season up to 203 cm of snow may fall, but average snow depths are approximately 76.0 cm. Data were collected at each moose bed location encountered while we were following moose tracks (1-3 days old) on mixed upland cutovers during January and February 1975. These included snow

Table 1 — Tree species used for cover at bedding sites and their diameter at breast height in the Spruce River Road cutovers, 13 January - 28 February 1975 Date (1975) Mean depth of snow Mean depth at Mean depth of snow Difference in mean No. beds 3.1 m in direction bed site, in 3.1 m in direction snow depths over 6.2 m in sample of least cover, in cm of best cover, in in vicinity of bed, in cm cm cm 13 Jan. 25 Jan. 31 Jan. 4. 5 Feb. 12 Feb. 28 Feb. Total Means

1 7 3 16 18 3 48 61.0 76.4 77.0 68.6 76.4 73.7 72.2 63.5 64.0 66.3 68.1 72.6 69.3

67.3 52.3 65.0 62.2 48.0 64.3 70.1 60.3 8.6 11.4 14.7 20.6 12.2 3.6

[Begin Page: Page 191]

1978 Notes 191

Table 3 — Mean distances to the most effective wind- breaking coniferous cover from the edge of moose beds in the Spruce River Road cutovers, 13 January - 28 February 1975 windbreaking immature coniferous cover was an average of 1.5 m away from the edge of beds (Table 3). No direct data were collected to determine whether immature coniferous clumps were being used by moose as windscreens. In about 60% of the cases, however, the most effective cover was found either N, NE, NW, or W of the moose bed sites (Table 4). Weather records from the meteorological office in Thunder Bay reveal that prevailing winds were from these same directions approximately 63% of the days from 13 January to 28 February 1975, the period when bedding data were collected. Table 2 data illustrate the usual relationship involving potential windbreaking cover, depth of snow at bed site, and depth of snow 3.1 m in the direction of the most effective coniferous cover for the moose beds in this study. Moen (1973) studied the movement of air in the lee of a windbreak, and his findings suggest that turbulence develops in the lee of a windbreak. One main result is that air movement, instead of being directed horizontally, is directed

downwards, sometimes perpendicular to the ground. Snowflakes following this pattern of air movement would tend to build up much more quickly in the area of the bed site and behind it than immediately adjacent to the windbreak where air movement is calm. It would seem likely that the significant (P<0.05, Duncan's multiple range test) snow-depth differences in the area of the conifer cover where moose bedded was created in a similar manner. For this to occur, the prevailing winds would have to be from the conifer cover towards the bed site, indicating that moose were bedding in the lee of conifer cover for protection from prevailing winds. Since there is no wind crust, the softer, more compressible snow may also provide a more attractive bedding medium for moose (Des Meules 1965). The snow gradient in the lee of coniferous cover also allows the moose a choice of snow depths in which to bed. The data suggests that moose bed in a manner that allows them to utilize radiant energy from the sun. Least effective coniferous cover was recorded in the direction of S, SE, or SW in 59% of the cases at bed sites (Table 5). Moose bedded at these sites could receive sunlight unobstructed by coniferous cover. The dark coat of the moose would absorb much of the solar radiation available. Moen (1973) pointed out that this solar radiation could reduce the thermal

gradients in an animal's hair layer, thus reducing heat Table 4 — Directions from which moose received the best windbreaking protection while bedded, 13 January -28Februarv 1975 Table 5 — Directions from which moose received the least windbreaking protection while bedded, 1 3 January - 28February 1975

[Begin Page: Page 192]

192 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 92 loss through conduction. In summary, it appears that residual coniferous cover may be an important component of the moose's winter range in northern Ontario mixed upland cutovers, as it provides thermal advantages to the animal when bedding. This in turn would lower the species' energy requirements and perhaps have survival value during severe winters.

Acknowledgments We gratefully acknowledge the assistance in the field of H. R. Timmermann, Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay Regional Office. Financial support for this project was provided through the Conjoint Programme of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Literature Cited Des Meules, P. 1964. Theinfluenceof snow on the behavior of moose. Transactions of the Northeastern Wildhfe Conference 21: 51-73. Des Meules, P. 1965. Hyemal food and shelter of moose in Laurentides Park, Quebec. M.Sc. thesis. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. 138 pp. Franzmann, A.W., P.D. Arneson, and J.L. Oldemeyer. 1976. Daily winter pellet groups and beds of Alaskan moose. Journal of Wildlife Management 40(2): 374-375. McNicol, J. G. 1976. Late winter utilization of mixed upland cutovers by moose. M.Sc. thesis. University of

Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. 134 pp. Moen, A. N. 1973. Wildlife ecology. W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco. 458 pp. Received 30 August 1977 Accepted 21 December 1977 Spring and Summer Food Habits of an Ermine (Mustela erminea) in the Central Arctic David A. Simms Department of Biology, York University, Downsview, Ontario M3J 1P3 Simms, David A. 1978. Spring and summer food habits of Field-Naturalist 92(2): 192-193. Few quantitative data are available on the diet of the Ermine (Mustela erminea) in North America. The only studies of which I am aware are those of Hamilton (1933), Aldous and Manweiler (1942), Maher (1967), and Fitzgerald (1977). The following data are therefore of interest. While conducting a preliminary ecological in- vestigation of lemmings on the island of Igloolik

(69°24'N, 81°49'W), off the Melville Peninsula, I discovered, on 9 August 1977, the active den site of an Ermine. After a thorough inspection of the site, 102 scats and 13 portions of lemming bodies were obtained for analysis. Prey items were identified on the basis of hairs and feathers found in the scats and on dental and skeletal remains from scats and body parts. No attempt was made to identify bird remains to species and each scat was presumed to represent one individual prey item, unless it could be proven otherwise. The den site, measuring approximately 20 by 45 m, was located on a small ridge near the top of a 450-m, gently inclined, east-facing slope. It was quite rocky with numerous small limestone cavities. Vegetation on the site was sparse, consisting mainly of Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia) and lichen patches, with an Ermine {Mustela erminea) in the central Arctic. Canadian some mosses. Surrounding the den area was an extensive expanse of poorly-to-moderately developed Dryas-Salix and Dryas-Mchtn heath, intermixed with bare stretches of limestone and gravel. The nearest wet meadows of Carex stans and Eriophorum angusti- folium were, with the exception of a small patch near to the den measuring roughly 60 by 100 m, some 450 m removed from the den site.

Analysis of the fecal material and body parts yielded the following numbers of individual prey items: Collared Lemmings {Dicrostonyx torquatus), 106; Brown Lemmings {Lemmus sibiricus), 9; birds, 26; and insects, 1. In addition to these items, some plant material was found. But as this material occurred in such small amounts and only in some scats, and as none of it appeared to have been digested, I suspect that it had been ingested unintentionally. In many cases the bone fragments of lemmings were poorly ossified, indicating that juveniles constituted a substantial portion of the diet. Considering the availability of nestlings in the area, many of the birds taken by this weasel may also have been young. The most common small birds in the area were Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus). Snow Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis), Baird's