Cederlund, Göran
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
We measured winter and spring loss of body mass among moose (Alces alces) calves in a population in southcentral Sweden (Grimso). The sample consisted of 522 calves of both sexes killed during October-May from 1973 to 1988. Males were consistently heavier than females (P < 0.05). Body masses of moose calves were significantly associated with both winter severity (P < 0.05) and the date of kill (P < 0.001). Mean loss of body mass was highest in hard winters (13% from Nov to Feb-Mar). Conversely, average net gain in body mass from autumn (Nov) to spring (Apr-May) (20%) was highest in mild winters. Snow depth, but not temperature and precipitation, was significantly associated with loss of body masses during winter (P < 0.02). During winter, small calves lost not only a larger proportion of their body mass, but also more kilograms than large calves.
Published in
The Journal Of Wildlife Management
1991, volume: 55, number: 4, pages: 675-681
Publisher: WILDLIFE SOC
SLU Authors
Sand, Håkan
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Pehrson, Åke
- Department of Wildlife Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Wildlife Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Zoology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3809517
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/146338