Uitr Living Resources — Alaska 



M7 



been determined or analysis of data is incom- 

 plete. 



References 



INPFC. 19^2. Statistical yearboe*. 1989. International 

 North Pacific Fisheries Commission. Vancouver. BC. 

 123 pp. 



Ishida. Y. S. Ito. M. Kaeriyama. S. McKinnell. and K. 

 Nagasawa. 1993. Recent changes in age and size of chum 

 salmon {Oncorhyncluis kehi) in the North Pacific Ocean 

 and possible causes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and 

 Aquatic Sciences .S0:290-295. 



Konkel. G.W.. and J.D. Mclntyre. 1987. Trends in spawning 

 populations of Pacific anadromous salmonids. U.S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service Tech. Rep. 9. 25 pp. 



Mills. M.J. 1993. Hiirvest. catch, and participation in Alaska 

 sport fishenes dunng 1992. Fishery Data Series Rep. 



93-42. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Anchorage. 

 228 pp. 



Olsen, J.C. 1994. Alaska salmon resources. Pages 77-89 in 

 L. Low. J. Olsen. and H. Braham. eds. Status of living 

 marine resources off Alaska. 1993. National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration. Tech. Memorandum 

 NMFS-AFSC-27. U.S. Department of Commerce. 

 Alaska Fisheries Science Center Seattle, WA. 



Pennoyer S. 1988. Early management of Alaska fisheries. 

 Marine Fisheries Review 50:194-197. 



Rigby, P., J. McConnaughey, and H. Savikko. 1991. Alaska 

 commercial salmon catches. 1878-1991. Alaska 

 Department of Fish and Game Regional hiformation 

 Rep. 5J9 1-16. 88 pp. 



Wertheimer A.C. Status of Alaska salmon. In D.J. Stounder, 

 PA. Bisson. and R.J. Naiman. eds. Pacific salmon and 

 their ecosystems: status and future options. Chapman 

 and Hall, Inc., New York. 18 pp. In press. 



For further information: 



Carl V. Burger 



National Biological Service 



Alaska Science Center 



1011 East Tudor Rd. 



Anchorage, AK 99503 



Management of gray wolves (Ctiuis lupus) 

 and their prey in interior Alaska has been 

 controversial for three decades (Harho and 

 Dean 1983). Recently, debate was rekindled 

 with renewed interest in wolf control to bolster 

 two populations of caribou (Rangifer tanmdus). 

 Our research in Denali National Park provides 

 insights into the declines in caribou numbers 

 over the last few years that are the basis of 

 recent wolf control proposals. Our observations 

 of fluctuating populations also illustrate the 

 complexity of managing these predator-prey 

 systems to meet a diverse array of public inter- 

 ests. 



Wolves and caribou are two components of 

 the large mammal community of Denali 

 National Park that also includes grizzly bears 

 (UrsHs arctos). moose (Alces alces). and Dall 

 sheep (Ovis dalli). With the 1980 park expan- 

 sion to more than 18.800 km- (7,300 mi-) of 

 central Alaska, this large mammal system 

 became the only one of its kind that is virtually 

 unaffected by human harvest. Therefore. 

 Denali provides a unique opportunity to under- 

 stand the natural interactions of these species 

 and serves as a baseline for comparison with 

 areas where hunting or other active wildlife 

 management occurs. 



We have studied Denali"s wolves and cari- 

 bou since 1986 to detennine their numbers and 

 status and understand their natural interactions 

 in this protected subarctic ecosystem. Our stud- 

 ies began near the end of more than a decade of 

 mostly light winter snowfalls of around 100 cm 

 (39 in)/yr. Since winter 1988-89. we have expe- 

 rienced five consecutive winters with above- 

 average snowfalls, including two record-setting 

 years. During winters 1990-91 and 1992-93, 

 more than 390 cm (154 in) of snow fell, four 

 times as much as in the early years of our study. 

 This change in snowfall had profound effects on 

 the wildlife in central Alaska. The population 

 trends of Denali's caribou and wolves are strong 

 evidence of the natural fluctuations to be 



expected in species inhabiting such dynamic 

 and variable environments. 



Counting Caribou and Wolves 



Our research has relied heavily on 

 radiotelemetry to study the dynamics of the 

 wild caribou and wolf in Denali. We can easily 

 find our radio-collared study animals by using 

 signal-receivers mounted in small airplanes 

 (Mech 1975). Locating radio-collared wolves 

 allows us to count their packmates. determine 

 the number of pups bom to each pack, gain 

 information on survival and dispersal, deter- 

 mine the size and location of each pack's terri- 

 tory, and estimate the total number of wolves in 

 our study area (Mech 1973). Regular monitor- 

 ing of radio-collared caribou provides informa- 

 tion on calf production, survival, and seasonal 

 distribution of the herd, and makes it easier to 

 complete aerial surveys to estimate herd size 

 and composition (Adams et al. in press). 



Population and Weather 



The Denali caribou herd grew from about 

 1,000 in 1975 to 2,500 by 1986, during a decade 

 of mostly below-average snowfalls, and was 

 increasing at about 1% per year in 1986 when 



Wolves and 

 Caribou in 

 Denali 



National Park, 

 Alaska 



by 

 Layne G. Adams 



L. David Mech 



National Biological Service 



Wolf carrying week-old caribou 

 calf 



