Summary

Description

Snowshoe hares Lepus americanus are a keystone herbivore in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, and are cyclical over an approximately 8 to 11 year period. Monitoring hare populations can provide predictive information for other species. We monitored snowshoe hare abundance and trend during two time periods 19901994 and 20002004 at permanent pellet transects within the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Tetlin Refuge in eastern Alaska. Data gathered during 19901994 coincided with other information suggesting the population density peaked in 19901991; results from the 20002004 time period did not demonstrate a similar pattern. Recommendations are made for future survey efforts.