Zusammenfassung: | Moose (Alces alces) utilization of 16 upland mixed-species cutovers, 10-15 years old and varying in size from about 49 to 2,830 ha, was examined from mid-January to the end of February in 1974 and 1975. The cutovers were 60-120 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The scattered-residual cover type was preferred by moose during both winters over the dense-conifer, open, and open-planted cover types. The scattered-residual type had an average of 52% more browse stems/ha available, greater diversity of browse (46% more browse species with 300 or more stems/ha), and the largest number of preferred browse stems. Residual dense-conifer edge within the cutovers appeared to influence use of cutovers more than border coniferous edge. The size and number of areas used by moose on the cutovers decreased from 1974 to 1975, when mobility of moose was restricted by snow conditions. The number of use areas/ha increased with decreasing size of cutover regardless of hunting pressure or snow conditions on the cutover. The size of areas used on cutovers that were hunted heavily appeared to be correlated negatively with increasing cutover size, in contrast to a positive correlation for cutovers that were lightly hunted or not hunted at all.
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