She maps the movement of moose in the managed forest landscape
How are moose movement patterns affected by our managed forests? This is what PhD student Desirée Guidobaldi Stenbacka is trying to find out and hopes that this understanding can support a more sustainable coexistence between moose and forestry.
In her PhD project, Desirée has used GPS data from over 800 moose from different ecological regions in Sweden, to map how these large herbivores move through the forest landscape. The goal is to create a deeper understanding of how moose utilize and adapt to the forest landscape.
With a background in environmental engineering, she combines ecology with systems thinking. She is not only interested in animal behaviour, but also how their choices are influenced by human impacts - such as roads, forest types and fragmentation.
- Moose are more intelligent than we think, and that's what fascinates me the most, says Desirée and continues:
- They prefer larger and more coherent forest areas, especially during winter and summer in the inland zones. In coastal areas, however, they choose smaller patches of habitat, which may be due to increased human impact.
One pattern she has seen in moose behaviour is that they consistently avoid proximity to roads - a finding that shows how human infrastructure can affect the natural behaviour of wildlife.
- By better understanding moose behaviour, we can create more sustainable landscapes that accommodate both forestry and wildlife, says Desirée and continues:
- With this understanding, we hope to guide more wildlife-aware forest management practices that align ecological needs with economic objectives