Snow Wildlife Track Observations in Washington and Alaska

Washington and Alaska field data from 707 sites across three seasons (January 2021 to March 2023) investigates snow's effect on predator-prey interactions. Observations include track sink depth, dimensions, animal species, gait, and detailed snow properties like density and hardness. The dataset was produced by ORNL_CLOUD.

Use Cases

• Analyzing correlations between snow density/hardness and predator or ungulate track sink depth.
• Comparing track dimensions (width, length) and gait patterns across species like wolves, coyotes, moose, and deer.
• Modeling how snow surface temperature and total ice content influence wildlife movement and habitat use.
• Investigating age-class differences in moose based on visual confirmation or track measurements.

Strengths

• Data spans 707 distinct observation sites, providing a substantial spatial sample.
• Covers three full field seasons from January 2021 to March 2023 for temporal analysis.
• Includes detailed snow measurements like density, hardness, and total ice alongside biological observations.
• Tracks are identified as relatively fresh (usually <24 hours old), improving data reliability.

Limitations

• Age class data is only specified for moose; it is uncertain or not recorded for deer, caribou, and sheep.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2023-03-13 and 2026-03-12).
• Exact row count and complete column list are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Field observations of relatively fresh (<24h) wildlife tracks and concurrent snow property measurements.

Time Range

January 2021 to March 2023

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:16:16.734260

Geography

Washington and Alaska, USA