David Mech

My research involves monitoring wolf-deer relations in the Superior National Forest, determining the degree and manner of influence of each population on the other, and exploring the role of other factors, especially snow conditions and canine parvovirus, that influence the system. With the same system and research techniques, I am also attempting to learn as much as possible about basic life history, movements, and social ecology of both species. Meanwhile, I am conducting complementary research on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, and in Yellowstone National Park. The Ellesmere research concentrates primarily on observing the interactions of pack members with each other and with pups around a den and observing wolf interactions with musk-oxen and arctic hares. The Yellowstone National Park studies concentrate primarily on wolf interactions with prey, including mortality and survival studies of elk.