Moose Survival and Habitat-Associated Risk of Endoparasites

Parasite-induced morbidity and mortality can alter the trajectories of incidental host populations. Yet, parasites rarely act in isolation and may be one of a multitude of biotic and abiotic stressors that collectively shape mortality risk in vertebrate populations. We quantified sources of mortality in a low-density population of moose (Alces alces) in New York State and investigated factors including parasite infection, nutritional limitation, and thermal stress influencing mortality risk in calf moose. We observed high rates of annual survival (0.81-0.92) in adult (n = 25) and calf (n = 27) moose monitored 2015-2018 and 2022-2024, respectively. The majority of cause-specific mortality was attributed to disease induced by giant liver fluke (Fascioloides magna; 75% in adults, 67% in calves). Calf mortality risk increased by 72% for every unit increase in giant liver fluke infection risk, measured as cumulative monthly proportion of wetlands used by moose, and decreased by 16% with each additional unit of nutritional energy available. The combination of flukes, coinfecting parasites, and available nutritional energy is important to calf survival in this population, highlighting the importance of managing multiple stressors for species conservation, although the effects are hard to disentangle given the high rates of survival observed. Identifying causes of mortality and mechanisms underlying increased mortality risk contributes to the continued conservation of moose in fluctuating populations and highlights the importance of managing parasite-induced disease.