Moose of the Adirondacks

How GIS can inform a citizen science campaign in the largest protected wilderness of the contiguous United States

Introduction

The Adirondacks

New York State holds the largest area of protected wilderness within the contiguous United States. This area is known as the Adirondack Park.

Location of the Adirondacks

Comprised of over 6 million acres, half of which are publicly owned and protected, the park is an oasis for wildlife and the 12.4 million tourists who visit each year (About the Adirondack Park, n.d.).

Wildlife, landscapes, and tourists of the Adirondacks

The Adirondack wilderness is made up of varying habitats, allowing for rich biodiversity across plant and animal species. For this research, our species of interest was the moose.

 Male moose enters a body of water where they can often be found cooling down and foraging during summer months  

What is significant about moose in the Adirondacks?

Although moose are present in the Adirondacks today, their population was once extirpated from the Park.

In the late 19th century, due to destructive logging practices and poor hunting regulations, moose were no longer present throughout New York State (Adirondack Moose - facts about the region’s iconic animal, 2021)

However, in the 1980's the moose naturally returned!

As previously mentioned, the Adirondacks are vast.

An "all hands on deck" approach to studying moose could greatly benefit the New York Moose Project.

Footpaths offer a unique opportunity for citizens science research. With 12 million tourists visiting the Adirondacks each year, and over 2,000 miles of hiking trails in the park, researchers have an opportunity to gather additional documentation of moose occurrences, demographics, and behaviors.

Over half of the 2,000+ hiking trails in the park are managed by the DEC

Trail (left), and citizens scientists (right)

Research Question

What DEC Trails intersect with suitable moose habitat in Hamilton County?

Methods

Results

Discussion

Our study indicates great opportunity to supplement current moose research with citizens science

A closer look at the process...

References

Literature

Adirondack Moose - facts about the region’s iconic animal. Adirondack.net. (2021, September 13). https://www.adirondack.net/wildlife/moose/

Leblond, M., Dussault, C., & Ouellet, J. (2010). What drives fine‐scale movements of large herbivores? A case study using moose. Ecography, 33(6), 1102–1112.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.06104.x 

Moose. Department of Environmental Conservation. (n.d.).  https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/moose 

New York Moose. (n.d.-b).  https://ny-moose.weebly.com/ 

Peterson, S., Kramer, D., Hurst, J., Spalinger, D., & Frair, J. (2022). Foraging and habitat limitations for moose in the Adirondack Park, New York . Alces: Journal Devoted to the Biology & Management of Moose, 58, 1–30.

Return of the moose. Earth Island Journal. (n.d.). https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/return-of-the-moose/#:~:text=The%20Adirondacks%20region%20is%20welcoming,sightings%20continue%20to%20be%20elusive.&text=JIM%20STICKLES%2C%20A%20BIG%20GAME,Adirondacks%2C%20outside%20his%20annual%20surveys.

Data

Adirondack Park Agency GIS Data (21 March, 2024) 1993 ADK Park Boundary Shapefile  https://apa.ny.gov/gis/ApaData.html 

New York State GIS Clearinghouse (20 March, 2024) 2022 DEC Hiking Trails Download https://data.gis.ny.gov/datasets/ab5d56644a404b41bac8d72f32017e4e_1/about

NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway (20 March, 2024) 2019 NLCD NYS, Raster Download  https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/GDGHome_CheckOrder.aspx 

NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway (21 March, 2024) 2009 NRCS Counties by State, Shapefile Download  https://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/GDGHome_CheckOrder.aspx 

USGS Earth Explorer (4 April, 2024) 2023 Landsat 8-9 Product Bundle, ID: LC08_L1TP_015029_20230706_20230717_02_T1, LC08_L1TP_015030_20230706_20230717_02_T1,  https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ 

Images/Video

Adirondack Habitats: Mixed forest along the Heron Marsh Trail. (2012). Paul Smiths College. Retrieved from https://www.adirondackvic.org/HeronMarsh.html.

Adirondack Moose survey. YouTube. (2023, January 31). https://youtu.be/US_aYSBrq_E?si=l4a7Cz7tNTqA9H7c

Adirondack Wetlands: Heron Marsh north from the floating bridge. (2013). Adirondacks Forever Wild. Retrieved from https://wildadirondacks.org/woods-and-waters-trail.html.

Aerial View Landscape Adirondacks. (n.d.). Adobe Stock. Retrieved from https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=adirondack+aerial&asset_id=278429674.

Citizen scientists learn how to conduct a mountain goat survey during a High Country Citizen Science training. (2020). National Park Service. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/rlc/crown/citizen-science.htm.

Corridors and Connectivity. (n.d.). USDA National Agroforesrty Center. Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/buffers/guidelines/2_biodiversity/3.html.

Hannon, A. (n.d.). Citizens Scientists Play Key Role in Tracking Bighorn Sheep. The Durango Herald. Retrieved from https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/citizen-scientists-play-key-role-in-tracking-bighorn-sheep/.

Lemmo, G. (n.d.). The Black Bear. Adirondack.net.

Loon. (n.d.-a). Adirondack Mountain Land. Retrieved from https://adirondackmtland.com/adirondack-wildlife-an-overview/.

Moose. (n.d.). Great Sacandaga Lake. Retrieved from https://www.visitsacandaga.com/moose/.

New York Moose Project Team . (n.d.). New York Moose. Retrieved from https://ny-moose.weebly.com/.

 Schuman, M. (n.d.). Mount Jo, Adirondack Mountains. Go World Travel Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.goworldtravel.com/summer-in-the-adirondacks/.

Slater, S. (2021). Moose scat with foot. Yukon Wildlife Preserve. Retrieved from https://yukonwildlife.ca/wildlife/whats-that-scat/.

Swimming beaver. (n.d.-b). Adirondack Mountain Land. Retrieved from https://adirondackmtland.com/adirondack-wildlife-an-overview/.

Templar, R. (n.d.-a). Male moose enters body of water. Adirondack.net. Retrieved from https://www.adirondack.net/wildlife/moose/.

Tourists on summit in the Adirondacks. (n.d.). Adirondack Council. Retrieved from https://www.adirondackcouncil.org/page/overuse-in-the-adirondack-park-298.html.

 

 

 Male moose enters a body of water where they can often be found cooling down and foraging during summer months