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Ahlberg, Jakob, 2022. With neighbours like these : what influences the size of Scandinavian wolf territories. Second cycle, A2E. Uppsala: SLU, Dept. of Ecology

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Abstract

The home-range of an animal and what factors influence it’s size and appearance is vital information when it comes to understanding and protecting a species. One of these factors can be intraspecific competition over resources, especially amongst territorial species like large carnivores. The intensity of this competition can vary depending on geography, resource abundance and population density
In this study over 20 years of telemetry-location data from wolves belonging to the Scandinavian population were used along with data on social and environmental factors to analyse variation in territory size, building on an already existing study published in 2013. The goal was to observe potential changes within the Scandinavian population and if it has grown to a point where intraspecific competition had become a significant factor in territory size variation.
I identified three factors that correlated with wolf territory size. Wolf territories increased in size with latitude, most likely due to different variables and processes that are correlated with latitude, such as decreasing landscape productivity and decreasing densities of agricultural fields and human density. Meanwhile, territories shrank in size as packs grew larger in numbers. Finally, territories grew smaller as the Scandinavian wolf population increased in size, possibly hinting at increased competition between packs over territory.

Main title:With neighbours like these
Subtitle:what influences the size of Scandinavian wolf territories
Authors:Ahlberg, Jakob
Supervisor:Sand, Håkan and Zimmerman, Barbara
Examiner:Andren, Henrik
Series:UNSPECIFIED
Volume/Sequential designation:UNSPECIFIED
Year of Publication:2022
Level and depth descriptor:Second cycle, A2E
Student's programme affiliation:None
Supervising department:(S) > Dept. of Ecology
Keywords:wolves, home-range size, intraspecific competition
URN:NBN:urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-18136
Permanent URL:
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-18136
Subject. Use of subject categories until 2023-04-30.:Animal ecology
Language:English
Deposited On:17 Aug 2022 08:12
Metadata Last Modified:18 Aug 2022 01:01

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