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Movements of moose are caused by variations in resource availability such as food, shelter and the energetic cost of foraging. These variables are important in forest and population management. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to estimate the influence of forest site types on the distribution of the non hunted moose population in February and March 2020 in the Augustów Forest, a 1102.0 km2 forest complex in north-eastern Poland. In the study area, 20 sampling plots were distributed over a total area of 91.4 km2, where six teams, each consisting of 30 people, observed moose to estimate population numbers. The average population density was 1.22 ± 0.19 moose per km2 and ranged from 0.21 to 3.40 animals/km2. The total population number estimated this way amounted to 1344 animals. Non-linear regression demonstrated a positive relationship between the percentage of hygric-wet forest site types in the sampling plot area and the moose population distribution (r = 0.735, n = 20, p = 0.0096). In winter, these habitats are a critical refuge for moose. For this reason, tree harvesting and hunting in hygric-wet forest site types should be limited during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunting statistics showed that moose (Alces alces) numbers in Poland declined from 5,400 animals in 1991 to 1,718 in 2000. A nation-wide ban on moose hunting was imposed in 2001 in response to this decline in moose abundance. The main purpose of this paper is to outline a moose recovery plan in Poland by using verification of hunting records related to moose population numbers, collecting data on population demographic variables, and understanding moose habitat preferences. During 1998–2002 in the forest habitat of north-eastern Poland (total area: 311,400 ha) a line intercept snow track index and plot sampling were used to estimate moose population numbers at 276 animals. It was shown that the population census in this area carried out by hunters in this period through a guess-estimate method overestimated the moose population by 46.0%. Research in Augustowska Forest (110,200 ha) shows that the autumn recruitment rate was 64.4 calves per 100 cows, and the ratio of cows to bulls was 1.34. Analysis of moose population dynamics during 4 hunting seasons (1998–2001) shows that the maximum sustainable harvest is about 30% of population numbers estimated in February. Habitat selection by moose was tested using Bailey's 95% simultaneous confidence intervals. Moose preferred habitats in bog and wet sites dominated by deciduous and mixed forests. The decline in moose populations in Poland over 20 years was caused by overestimation of population numbers and over-harvest. It is suggested that a moose recovery program in Poland should be started by locating 2 large moose management/conservation units where moose population numbers should be estimated by reliable methods, and sustained harvest would then maintain a viable moose population. At the same time, forestry in moose wintering areas should stimulate deciduous browse production as well as providing estimates of forest damage caused by moose using different standards than those applied in lowland commercial forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]