Work

Wolf population density: prey biomass limits via intrinsic factors

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Whether gray wolf Canis lupus population density is limited intrinsically or extrinsically has occupied researchers for decades. Since 1983, prey biomass, an extrinsic factor, has been accepted as limiting, but that conclusion was recently challenged for unusually high wolf densities which were then said to be limited by behavioral, or intrinsic, factors such as intraspecific strife, dispersal, etc., below prey‐biomass constraints. That contention has been disputed, so disagreement remains. This article discusses the models involved, presents revised models that shed new light, and offers evidence that supports the conclusion that at least at densities below 79 wolves 1000 km − 2 , wolf numbers per area are limited by prey biomass. As wolf density increases, behavioral factors limit the density to the number of wolves the prey biomass will support. Extra wolves disperse, and wolf range expands. Thus, while wolf density is self‐limiting, the population is not.

Source: Wildlife Biology

DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01358

Author: L. David Mech

Institutions: United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Language: English

Topic: Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,200

Funder: U.S. Geological Survey