Maritme College of Forest Technology students have assisted Fundy National Park biologists over the past three years monitoring the 80 to 100 Moose who call the Park home...................One of the smallest of Canada's National Parks at 206 km,, FUNDY was established to protect a remnant of the Maritime Acadian Highlands of Eastern Canada in New Brunswick...........................Moose density in and around Fundy National Park to be approximately 0.174 moose/km2........... Given that a 'healthy' population density is around 0.2-0.4 individuals/km2, one might feel that there is a healthy Wolf population preying on Moose..............Wolves are absent in this part of Canada and it is the lack of young vegetation in the Park that depresses the Moose population..................Moose use the protected forest of FUNDY as a refuge, but forage outside the Park where younger foilage is available for their feeding needs.

http://www.cbc.ca/1.2548641

Aerial moose survey conducted at Fundy Park

CBC News Posted: Feb 27, 2012 1:06 PM AT Last Updated: Feb 27, 2012 2:27 PM AT

Researchers counted the number of moose in Fundy National Park on Sunday. (Parks Canada)

Fundy National Park staff and students from the Maritime College of Forest Technology conducted an aerial moose survey on Sunday.
The weekend snow storm forced the researchers to conduct the entire moose survey on Sunday, instead of using both days to count the local moose population.
While the snowfall reduced the survey to a single day, a Parks Canada news release said the timing was ideal.



"The snowfall was perfect timing. Moose are much easier to track if there is fresh snow within 72 hours prior to the survey. Fresh tracks can then be followed to the current location of the moose," the release said.

The aerial moose survey is the second in a three-year initiative.
The researchers fly around the southern New Brunswick park in a helicopter, which is normally flying 100 metres in the air. Once moose tracks are spotted, the helicopter flies lower so the researchers can determine if the moose is male, female, young or old.

In 1993, the last time a three-year survey was conducted, there were between 80 and 100 moose in the park.

It's too early to determine any trends in the moose population, according to the The Parks Canada statement. But a similar number of moose were seen in the last survey, compared to the 2011 portion of the current survey, the agency said.

Fundy National Park
Directions
Fundy National Park is located on the Bay of Fundy, near the village of Alma, New Brunswick. The Park showcases a rugged coastline which rises up to the Acadian Highlands, the highest tides in the world, and more than 25 waterfalls. Wikipedia
Address: Headquarters Campground Rd, Alma, NB, Canada
Area: 79.54 sq miles (206 km²)
Province: New Brunswick
Phone: +1 506-887-6000
Management: Parks Canada

Fundy National Park was established in 1948, not so much to preserve an ecosystem, as to rescue one. The landscape represents the Maritime Acadian Highlands Natural Region of Canada, and offers a number of recreational activities as well as natural pursuits.

 

At 206 square kilometres, it may be small for a National Park, but it encapsulates the history of the Fundy Shore in New Brunswick, when early settlers struggled to eke out a living from the stony soil, and shipbuilding was in its heyday.

 

The park has two distinct faces: the Fundy coastline with its world famous giant tides and inter-tidal zones rich with marine life, and its interior backcountry of Acadian forests, once sacrificed to the needs of civilization, now on the road to recovery and criss-crossed with hiking trails.

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Collaborative aerial moose surveys in the Fundy Biosphere

If it seems like the answer to most moose-related questions is "we don't know", you're right! Despite our love of moose, there are many basic questions that remain unanswered. The Fundy Biosphere Reserve is trying to answer at least one good question: how many moose are in the Fundy Biosphere region? Since aerial surveys were last conducted by DNR in our region in 1995, there is a need for a current, up-to-date estimate.
Working together with the Maritime College of Forest Technology8, Fundy National Park9, and with funding through the New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund10, we have been conducting aerial moose surveys within and around Fundy National Park. These surveys are important for several reasons: they will help us to generate accurate moose density data; they will allow us to test and refine protocol for future aerial moose surveys; and they help to build the research and communication capacity of our future biologists and resource managers. This year (2012-2013) will be our third and final year of aerial moose surveying, and we are eager to get back up in the air this winter.

Through our aerial surveys, we estimate the moose density in and around Fundy National Park to be approximately 0.174 moose/km2. Given that a 'healthy' population density is around 0.2-0.4 individuals/km2, this estimate might seem a little low; especially since National Parks are supposed to provide protection to wildlife and their habitat. Does this mean that our moose population is unhealthy? In short, no! There are several factors that are important for the interpretation of this density estimate.

First, since logging activities are prohibited in Fundy National Park, and forest fires have been suppressed for over 60 years, much of the Park is mature forest cover. Mature forest cover provides moose with essential habitat for thermoregulation in both the summer and winter months (7); however, it does not provide the quantity of young, regenerating forage necessary to feed high densities of moose. Given the Park's close proximity to large, industrial clear cuts, it is likely that moose use the Park as a sort of home base: they feed in nearby clear cuts, but return to the dense, old-growth forest when needed. 

Thus on any given day, the moose density in the Park may be low, but its importance or value as a refuge for the Fundy biosphere's moose population cannot be underestimated. In fact, access to large tracts of mature wilderness like Fundy National Park may be one of the differences between the health of Nova Scotia's and New Brunswick's moose populations.

The future of moose

The future of moose in the Fundy biosphere depends on the balance that we strike between our own interests, and the biological (e.g. habitat) needs of the moose population. If we collectively decide that moose are important to us, for their value as a game species, a provincial icon, or simply because we like having them around, then the future of moose looks bright. Public interest fuels political interests in funding research and preserving habitat. By staying informed and by engaging younger generations, we are ensuring the future of our moose.

For more information

1. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2009. Moose Biology. Ministry of Natural Resources, Wildlife Management. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/FW/2ColumnSubPage/STDPROD_090559.html
2. Parker, G. 2003. Status report on the Eastern Moose (Alces alces americana Clinton) in Mainland Nova Scotia. Report prepared for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
3. Risenhoover, K.L., Maas, S.A. 1987. The influence of moose on the composition and structure of Ilse Royale forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 17(5): 357-364.
4. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2009. Moose Population Objectives Setting Guidelines. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@fw/documents/document/263993.pdf
5. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources. Big Game Harvest Reports 2011. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Branch, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
6. Think Moose. 2011. New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. www.gnb.ca/0113/moose/think-moose-e.asp
7. Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resrouces. 2007. Recovery Plan for Moose (Alces alces Americana) in Mainland Nova Scotia
8. Maritime College of Forest Technology. 2012. www.mcft.ca/en
9. Fundy National Park. 2012. www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/fundy/index.aspx
10. New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund. 2012. www.nbwtf.ca/eindex.asp
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Students from the Maritime College of Forest Technology used helicopters on Saturday to try and find out how many moose are in Fundy National Park.

The students said it was good hands-on experience for a future career, but it also yields vital information for Parks Canada.

“It's part of the long-term monitoring that the parks are interested in and it's real life experience for our students, so they get that technical training,” said Gerry Redmond, director of the Maritime College of Forest Technology.

Fifteen students poured over aerial grids of the 200 square kilometre park hoping to spot and document moose below.

They said the animals are an important indicator of the health of the ecosystem so their data is crucial to finding out how Fundy is doing.

“Over the past three years we're starting to get a pretty good picture that the moose density here in the park is at a healthy level,” said park official Livia Goodbrand.

The students also set up about 20 remote cameras to check on predators in the region.