Abstract
1. Site fidelity, the tendency of animals to return to the same areas within or among the years can contribute to maximizing individual fitness by improving survival and reproduction. Seasonal and temporal variation of site fidelity is known, but studies regarding individual variation are rare. Knowledge about the extent of, and variation in, site fidelity is important for effective management of the moose population. For instance, knowing females with calves using the same area year after year can aid in conserving the targeted individuals and the calving site they use.
2. Here, I investigated the individual variation in site fidelity of the moose (Alces alces L.) in a multi-use landscape in Trøndelag, central Norway. I looked at how within and among-year site fidelity is influenced by an individual’s age, sex, reproductive status, and migratory tactics. For this, I calculated the level of site fidelity within seasons across years and among seasons within years of 82 individual GPS-marked moose from 2017 to 2021.
3. Site fidelity, measured both as the distance between seasonal ranges or range overlap, could be explained by individual characteristics, as well as season (between-year site fidelity only). The results of my study suggest that older aged moose exhibited higher site fidelity than younger ones. However, after accounting for age, there was no effect of sex. Also, migratory status (resident or long-distance migratory) did not affect the between-year site fidelity. Females with calves in two consecutive years had stronger site fidelity than females with calves in only one year, but this depended on age. This suggested older females with calves were more faithful than younger females without calves.
4. Synthesis and applications: The importance of age for site fidelity of moose suggests that the population age structure can be a crucial factor for the extent of site fidelity and thus the extent of optimal utilization of the landscape and its resources. Knowing this can help wildlife managers in the identification of important sites that certain age group use and provide guidance for future land use management. However, there is a need to evaluate how variations in environmental conditions including anthropogenic factors, affect the site fidelity of moose.
