“How animals respond to human activity and a changing environment are key questions in ecological research,” writes PhD candidate Anne Randi Græsli to inn.no.
Anne Randi has focused on the moose in her doctoral work in the PhD programme in Applied Ecology and Biotechnology in Evenstad.
She equipped 30 wild moose with so-called biologgers, a type of sensor that can record everything from body temperature to heart rate, movement, and activity data. These data were used to study basal physiology and physiological and behavioural responses of moose to human activity.
“Recent advancements in biologging techniques and the ability to combine different types of biologgers have enabled us to investigate such impacts on free-ranging animals by providing detailed information covering longer periods of time,” says Græsli.
Understanding one of the most important herbivores in the northern ecosystem was a clear goal.
“Understanding the ecophysiology of the moose, and the impact of human activity and climatic changes on both individual and population levels is important for sustainable management of the moose population,” according to Græsli.
The study population consisted of 30 free-ranging adult female moose (≥1.5 years old) in three different study areas in Sweden ranging from 56-67°N.
“I investigated the annual and circadian cycle of body temperature, heart rate and activity, and the thermal patterns during pregnancy and parturition in the basic physiology part. I further used this knowledge to evaluate the physiological and behavioural responses of moose before, during and after two different human activities; hunting with baying dogs and helicopter-based chemical immobilisations,” explains Anne Randi.
According to Anne Randi Græsli her thesis provides an important foundation for further research, management and conservation of moose.
The main findings of the doctoral degree
- Moose display seasonal hypometabolism with lowered body temperature, heart rate and activity in winter compared to summer, representing a 60 % decrease in metabolic rate.
- The body temperature was higher in pregnant compared to non-pregnant moose and there was a drop in the body temperature and activity of the moose when parturition was imminent.
- Human activity increased the energy expenditure of the moose, represented by increased body temperature, movement, activity and heart rate and a decreased resting time during the day of the approach compared to a reference period before the approaches and the period after the approaches.
- The responses were dependent on the duration of the activity and there were individual variations in the responses among the moose.
Contact information
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About the public defence on 9 December
The title of the thesis is: "Ecophysiology of moose – Basic physiology and responses to stressors".
Place: Ferdinand Auditorium at Evenstad campus and digitally via Zoom
Link to Zoom: https://inn.zoom.us/j/61211269324?pwd=bm9URDB6NmY0ZTlzbmJyT3pXdEk2Zz09
Web-ID: 612 1126 9324. Password: 230092
The trial lecture starts at 11:15. The topic of the trial lecture is: “Endotherms and Climate Change.”
The public defence starts at 13:15.
The evaluation committee consists of:
- First opponent: Associate Professor Julia Nowack, Liverpool John Mores University, UK
- Second opponent: Associate Professor Danielle L. Levesque, The University of Maine, USA
- Third opponent / administrator: Associate Professor Torfinn Jahren (INN University).
The Chair of the Evaluation Committee: Vice Dean for Research, Øyvind G. Antonsen (INN University).
The candidate’s main supervisor has been Associate Professor Alina L. Evans (INN University) and her co-supervisor has been Professor Jon Martin Arnemo (INN University).
Guide to using Zoom
The public defence will be streamed via Zoom Webinar.
Join using Zoom Client. All participants must download the program in advance. If you do not have it already, you can obtain it here (free). Select the topmost, "Zoom Client for Meetings".
Log in 5-10 minutes before the start of the session. The people in charge of the sessions are in place 10 minutes before the sessions begin.
Network cable instead of Wi-Fi. It is more reliable to use a fixed network cable than a wireless network, as it minimizes the risk of choppy sound and blurred video.
Using the chat function is not allowed during the trial lecture or public defence. If you have technical questions, these can be sent by e-mail to mehran.amirnejad@inn.no.
If you wish to leave the meeting along the way, press “Leave Meeting” at the bottom of the screen. You will be able to re-join the session by using the same link above.
This public defence was held on 9.12.2022.
This article was translated from Norwegian by Noorit Larsen.