Social organization, spatial distribution, and population density of wolves in relation to moose density

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Abstract
This 4-yr study compared population density and related behavioral attributes of wolves (14 packs) at 2 different moose densities; 0.23 (LP, low prey density), and 0.37 (HP, high prey density) moose .cntdot. km-2. Wolf densities in Jan. averaged 0.8 and 1.4 animals .cntdot. 100 km-2, packs consisted of 3.7 and 5.7 individuals, year-long territory sizes were 255 and 390 km2 and interstices between territories represented 30 and .simeq. 0% of available area, for the LP and HP areas, respectively. Territory size increased significantly with pack size. The LP wolf population suffered from a higher mortality rate owing to a higher occurrence of deaths from malnutrition and intraspecific strife, and from a lower success in producing pups (61% of the possible occasions, compared with 93% in HP). When no other ungulate species is present, a density of 0.2 moose .cntdot. km-2 would approximate the density threshold below which a pack could not subsist and (or) reproduce successfully. Naturally regulated moose-wolf systems may stabilize at low prey and low predator densities.

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