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Poquérusse J, Brown CL, Gaillard C, Doughty C, Dalén L, Gallagher AJ, Wooller M, Zimov N, Church GM, Lamm B, Hysolli E. Assessing contemporary Arctic habitat availability for a woolly mammoth proxy. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9804. [PMID: 38684726 PMCID: PMC11058768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60442-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Interest continues to grow in Arctic megafaunal ecological engineering, but, since the mass extinction of megafauna ~ 12-15 ka, key physiographic variables and available forage continue to change. Here we sought to assess the extent to which contemporary Arctic ecosystems are conducive to the rewilding of megaherbivores, using a woolly mammoth (M. primigenius) proxy as a model species. We first perform a literature review on woolly mammoth dietary habits. We then leverage Oak Ridge National Laboratories Distributive Active Archive Center Global Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Carbon Density Maps to generate aboveground biomass carbon density estimates in plant functional types consumed by the woolly mammoth at 300 m resolution on Alaska's North Slope. We supplement these analyses with a NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment dataset to downgrade overall biomass estimates to digestible levels. We further downgrade available forage by using a conversion factor representing the relationship between total biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) for arctic vegetation types. Integrating these estimates with the forage needs of woolly mammoths, we conservatively estimate Alaska's North Slope could support densities of 0.0-0.38 woolly mammoth km-2 (mean 0.13) across a variety of habitats. These results may inform innovative rewilding strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Camille Gaillard
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Chris Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Love Dalén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius Väg 20C, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Matthew Wooller
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Nikita Zimov
- North-East Science Station, Pacific Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chersky, Russia
| | - George M Church
- Colossal Biosciences Inc, Austin, TX, 78701, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Ben Lamm
- Colossal Biosciences Inc, Austin, TX, 78701, USA.
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Brenning M, Longstaffe FJ, Fraser D. Variation in stable carbon (δ 13C) and nitrogen (δ 15N) isotope compositions along antlers of Qamanirjuaq caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11006. [PMID: 38500863 PMCID: PMC10945312 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Annual antler growth begins in the spring and is completed by late summer for male caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) from the Qamanirjuaq herd (Nunavut, Canada), aligned with both the spring migration and a seasonal dietary shift. Antlers may provide a non-lethal means of studying short- and long-term changes in caribou ecology through incorporated isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). We sampled the antlers of 12 male caribou from the Qamanirjuaq herd culled in September 1967. We predicted that serial sampling of antlers would reflect the known seasonal dietary change from lichen to grass-like and shrub diet based on rumen contents from individuals culled during the same period. The δ13C and δ15N were analyzed in food sources and every 3 cm along each antler's length. The carbon isotope compositions of collagen (δ13Ccol) varied by ~0.5‰ among individuals and within antlers, while the carbon isotope compositions of antler bioapatite (δ13CCO3) increased by 1-1.5‰ from pedicle to tip. Values of δ15Ncol increased within antlers by 1-3‰ from pedicle to tip and varied by 3‰ among the individuals sampled. Antler collagen was lower in δ15Ncol by ~1‰ relative to bone collagen. Bayesian mixing models were conducted to test for changes in dietary proportions from antler isotope compositions. Mixing models did not indicate significant dietary shifts for any individual during antler formation, showing consistently mixed diets of fungi, horsetail, lichen, and woody plants. Increases in δ15Ncol in antler tissue could, therefore, correspond to subtle seasonal dietary changes and/or the physiological stress of antler tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Brenning
- Department of Earth SciencesCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- PalaeobiologyCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Fred J. Longstaffe
- Department of Earth SciencesThe University of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada
| | - Danielle Fraser
- Department of Earth SciencesCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- PalaeobiologyCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
- Department of BiologyCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian National Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDCUSA
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Barboza PS, Shively RD, Thompson DP. Robust Responses of Female Caribou to Changes in Food Supply. ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 97:29-52. [PMID: 38717369 DOI: 10.1086/729668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
AbstractUngulates can respond to changes in food supply by altering foraging behavior, digestive function, and metabolism. A multifaceted response to an environmental change is considered robust. Short seasons of plant growth make herbivores sensitive to changes in food supply because maintenance and production must be accomplished in less time with fewer options in a more fragile response. Caribou live at high latitudes where short summers constrain their response to changes in food supply. We measured the ability of female caribou to resist and tolerate changes in the quality and quantity of their food supply during winter and summer. Caribou resisted changes in food abundance and quality by changing food intake and physical activity with changes in daily temperature within each season. Peak food intake rose by 134% from winter pregnancy to summer lactation (98 vs. 229 g kg-0.75 d-1), as digestible requirements to maintain the body increased by 85% for energy (1,164 vs. 2,155 kJ kg-0.75 d-1) and by 266% for N (0.79 vs. 2.89 g N kg-0.75 d-1). Caribou required a diet with a digestible content of 12 kJ g-1 and 0.8% N in pregnancy, 18 kJ g-1 and 1.9% N in early lactation, and 11 kJ g-1 and 1.2% N in late lactation, which corresponds with the phenology of the wild diet. Female caribou tolerated restriction of ad lib. food intake to 58% of their energy requirement (680 vs. 1,164 kJ kg-0.75 d-1) during winter pregnancy and to 84% of their energy requirement (1,814 vs. 2,155 kJ kg-0.75 d-1) during summer lactation without a change in stress level, as indicated by fecal corticosterone concentration. Conversely, caribou can respond to increased availability of food with a spare capacity to process digestible energy and N at 123% (2,642 vs. 2,155 kJ kg-0.75 d-1) and 145% (4.20 vs. 2.89 g N kg-0.75 d-1) of those respective requirements during lactation. Robust responses to changes in food supply allow caribou to sustain reproduction, which would buffer demographic response. However, herds may decline when thresholds of behavioral resistance and physiological tolerance are frequently exceeded. Therefore, the challenge for managing declining populations of caribou and other robust species is to identify declines in robustness before their response becomes fragile.
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van Beest FM, Schmidt NM, Stewart L, Hansen LH, Michelsen A, Mosbacher JB, Gilbert H, Le Roux G, Hansson SV. Geochemical landscapes as drivers of wildlife reproductive success: Insights from a high-Arctic ecosystem. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166567. [PMID: 37633375 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The bioavailability of essential and non-essential elements in vegetation is expected to influence the performance of free-ranging terrestrial herbivores. However, attempts to relate the use of geochemical landscapes by animal populations directly to reproductive output are currently lacking. Here we measured concentrations of 14 essential and non-essential elements in soil and vegetation samples collected in the Zackenberg valley, northeast Greenland, and linked these to environmental conditions to spatially predict and map geochemical landscapes. We then used long-term (1996-2021) survey data of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) to quantify annual variation in the relative use of essential and non-essential elements in vegetated sites and their relationship to calf recruitment the following year. Results showed that the relative use of the geochemical landscape by muskoxen varied substantially between years and differed among elements. Selection for vegetated sites with higher levels of the essential elements N, Cu, Se, and Mo was positively linked to annual calf recruitment. In contrast, selection for vegetated sites with higher concentrations of the non-essential elements As and Pb was negatively correlated to annual calf recruitment. Based on the concentrations measured in our study, we found no apparent associations between annual calf recruitment and levels of C, Mn, Co, Zn, Cd, Ba, Hg, and C:N ratio in the vegetation. We conclude that the spatial distribution and access to essential and non-essential elements are important drivers of reproductive output in muskoxen, which may also apply to other wildlife populations. The value of geochemical landscapes to assess habitat-performance relationships is likely to increase under future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris M van Beest
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lærke Stewart
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, University of South-Eastern Norway, Gullbringvegen 36, 3800 Bø, Norway
| | - Lars H Hansen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Hugo Gilbert
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Avenue de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Gaël Le Roux
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Avenue de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Sophia V Hansson
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Avenue de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
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Johnson HE, Lenart EA, Gustine DD, Adams LG, Barboza PS. Survival and reproduction in Arctic caribou are associated with summer forage and insect harassment. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.899585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigators have speculated that the climate-driven “greening of the Arctic” may benefit barren-ground caribou populations, but paradoxically many populations have declined in recent years. This pattern has raised concerns about the influence of summer habitat conditions on caribou demographic rates, and how populations may be impacted in the future. The short Arctic summer provides caribou with important forage resources but is also the time they are exposed to intense harassment by insects, factors which are both being altered by longer, warmer growing seasons. To better understand the effects of summer forage and insect activity on Arctic caribou demographic rates, we investigated the influence of estimated forage biomass, digestible energy (DE), digestible nitrogen (DN), and mosquito activity on the reproductive success and survival of adult females in the Central Arctic Herd on the North Slope of Alaska. We tested the hypotheses that greater early summer DN would increase subsequent reproduction (parturition and late June calving success) while greater biomass and DE would increase adult survival (September–May), and that elevated mosquito activity would reduce both demographic rates. Because the period when abundant forage DN is limited and overlaps with the period of mosquito harassment, we also expected years with low DN and high harassment to synergistically reduce caribou reproductive success. Examining these relationships at the individual-level, using GPS-collared females, and at the population-level, using long-term monitoring data, we generally found support for our expectations. Greater early summer DN was associated with increased subsequent calving success, while greater summer biomass was associated with increased adult survival. Mosquito activity was associated with reductions in adult female parturition, late June calving success, and survival, and in years with low DN, had compounding effects on subsequent late June calving success. Our findings indicate that summer nutrition and mosquito activity collectively influence the demographic rates of Arctic caribou, and may impact the dynamics of populations in the future under changing environmental conditions.
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Leffler AJ, Becker HA, Kelsey KC, Spalinger DA, Welker JM. Short‐term effects of summer warming on caribou forage quality are mitigated by long‐term warming. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Joshua Leffler
- Department of Natural Resource Management South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota USA
| | - Heidi A. Becker
- Department of Natural Resource Management South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota USA
| | - Katharine C. Kelsey
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science University of Colorado‐Denver Denver Colorado USA
| | - Donald A. Spalinger
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska‐Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska‐Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit and UArctic University of Oulu Oulu Finland
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Webber QM, Ferraro K, Hendrix J, Vander Wal E. What do caribou eat? A review of the literature on caribou diet. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Historically the study of diet caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus (Gmelin, 1788)) has been specific to herds and few comprehensive circumpolar analyses of Rangifer diet exist. As a result, the importance of certain diet items may play an outsized role in the caribou diet zeitgeist, e.g., lichen. It is incumbent to challenge this notion and test the relevant importance of various diet items within the context of prevailing hypotheses. We provide a systematic overview of 30 caribou studies reporting caribou diet and test biologically relevant hypotheses about spatial and temporal dietary variation. Our results indicate that in the winter caribou primarily consume lichen, but in warmer seasons, and primary productivity is lower, caribou primarily consume graminoids and other vascular plants. In more productive environments, where caribou have more competitors and predators, consumption of lichen increased. Overall, our description of caribou diet reveals that caribou diet is highly variable, but in circumstances where they can consume vascular plants, they will. As climate change affects Boreal and Arctic ecosystems, the type and volume of food consumed by caribou has become an increasingly important focus for conservation and management of caribou.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M.R. Webber
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 7512, Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- University of Colorado Boulder, 1877, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Boulder, Colorado, United States
| | - Kristy Ferraro
- Yale University, 5755, School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Jack Hendrix
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 7512, Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 7512, Biology, 232 Elizabeth Ave, Saint John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, A1B 3X9,
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Ehlers L, Coulombe G, Herriges J, Bentzen T, Suitor M, Joly K, Hebblewhite M. Critical summer foraging tradeoffs in a subarctic ungulate. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17835-17872. [PMID: 35003643 PMCID: PMC8717276 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Summer diets are crucial for large herbivores in the subarctic and are affected by weather, harassment from insects and a variety of environmental changes linked to climate. Yet, understanding foraging behavior and diet of large herbivores is challenging in the subarctic because of their remote ranges. We used GPS video-camera collars to observe behaviors and summer diets of the migratory Fortymile Caribou Herd (Rangifer tarandus granti) across Alaska, USA and the Yukon, Canada. First, we characterized caribou behavior. Second, we tested if videos could be used to quantify changes in the probability of eating events. Third, we estimated summer diets at the finest taxonomic resolution possible through videos. Finally, we compared summer diet estimates from video collars to microhistological analysis of fecal pellets. We classified 18,134 videos from 30 female caribou over two summers (2018 and 2019). Caribou behaviors included eating (mean = 43.5%), ruminating (25.6%), travelling (14.0%), stationary awake (11.3%) and napping (5.1%). Eating was restricted by insect harassment. We classified forage(s) consumed in 5,549 videos where diet composition (monthly) highlighted a strong tradeoff between lichens and shrubs; shrubs dominated diets in June and July when lichen use declined. We identified 63 species, 70 genus and 33 family groups of summer forages from videos. After adjusting for digestibility, monthly estimates of diet composition were strongly correlated at the scale of the forage functional type (i.e., forage groups composed of forbs, graminoids, mosses, shrubs and lichens; r = 0.79, p < .01). Using video collars, we identified (1) a pronounced tradeoff in summer foraging between lichens and shrubs and (2) the costs of insect harassment on eating. Understanding caribou foraging ecology is needed to plan for their long-term conservation across the circumpolar north, and video collars can provide a powerful approach across remote regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libby Ehlers
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - Gabrielle Coulombe
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | | | | | | | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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Lemay E, Côté SD, Tremblay JP. How will snow retention and shading from Arctic shrub expansion affect caribou food resources? ECOSCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2021.1917859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Lemay
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Tremblay
- Département de Biologie, Centre d’études Nordiques and Caribou Ungava, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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Severson JP, Johnson HE, Arthur SM, Leacock WB, Suitor MJ. Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4546-4563. [PMID: 33993595 PMCID: PMC8456794 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Annual variation in phenology can have profound effects on the behavior of animals. As climate change advances spring phenology in ecosystems around the globe, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how animals respond to variation in the timing of seasonal events and how their responses may shift in the future. We investigated the influence of spring phenology on the behavior of migratory, barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a species that has evolved to cope with short Arctic summers. Specifically, we examined the effect of spring snow melt and vegetation growth on the current and potential future space-use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH), which exhibits large, inter-annual shifts in their calving and post-calving distributions across the U.S.-Canadian border. We quantified PCH selection for snow melt and vegetation phenology using machine learning models, determined how selection resulted in annual shifts in space-use, and then projected future distributions based on climate-driven phenology models. Caribou exhibited strong, scale-dependent selection for both snow melt and vegetation growth. During the calving season, caribou selected areas at finer scales where the snow had melted and vegetation was greening, but within broader landscapes that were still brown or snow covered. During the post-calving season, they selected vegetation with intermediate biomass expected to have high forage quality. Annual variation in spring phenology predicted major shifts in PCH space-use. In years with early spring phenology, PCH predominately used habitat in Alaska, while in years with late phenology, they spent more time in Yukon. Future climate conditions were projected to advance spring phenology, shifting PCH calving and post-calving distributions further west into Alaska. Our results demonstrate that caribou selection for habitat in specific phenological stages drive dramatic shifts in annual space-use patterns, and will likely affect future distributions, underscoring the importance of maintaining sufficient suitable habitat to allow for behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen M. Arthur
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
| | - William B. Leacock
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
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11
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Variation in winter site fidelity within and among individuals influences movement behavior in a partially migratory ungulate. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258128. [PMID: 34591944 PMCID: PMC8483381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals migrate to take advantage of temporal and spatial variability in resources. These benefits are offset with costs like increased energetic expenditure and travel through unfamiliar areas. Differences in the cost-benefit ratio for individuals may lead to partial migration with one portion of a population migrating while another does not. We investigated migration dynamics and winter site fidelity for a long-distance partial migrant, barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd in northern Alaska. We used GPS telemetry for 76 female caribou over 164 annual movement trajectories to identify timing and location of migration and winter use, proportion of migrants, and fidelity to different herd wintering areas. We found within-individual variation in movement behavior and wintering area use by the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd, adding caribou to the growing list of ungulates that can exhibit migratory plasticity. Using a first passage time–net squared displacement approach, we classified 78.7% of annual movement paths as migration, 11.6% as residency, and 9.8% as another strategy. Timing and distance of migration varied by season and wintering area. Duration of migration was longer for fall migration than for spring, which may relate to the latter featuring more directed movement. Caribou utilized four wintering areas, with multiple areas used each year. This variation occurred not just among different individuals, but state sequence analyses indicated low fidelity of individuals to wintering areas among years. Variability in movement behavior can have fitness consequences. As caribou face the pressures of a rapidly warming Arctic and ongoing human development and activities, further research is needed to investigate what factors influence this diversity of behaviors in Alaska and across the circumpolar Arctic.
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12
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Johnson HE, Golden TS, Adams LG, Gustine DD, Lenart EA, Barboza PS. Dynamic selection for forage quality and quantity in response to phenology and insects in an Arctic ungulate. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11664-11688. [PMID: 34522332 PMCID: PMC8427565 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatiotemporal variation in forage is a primary driver of ungulate behavior, yet little is known about the nutritional components they select, and how selection varies across the growing season with changes in forage quality and quantity. We addressed these uncertainties in barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), which experience their most important foraging opportunities during the short Arctic summer. Recent declines in Arctic caribou populations have raised concerns about the influence of climate change on summer foraging opportunities, given shifting vegetation conditions and insect harassment, and their potential effects on caribou body condition and demography. We examined Arctic caribou selection of summer forage by pairing locations from females in the Central Arctic Herd of Alaska with spatiotemporal predictions of biomass, digestible nitrogen (DN), and digestible energy (DE). We then assessed selection for these nutritional components across the growing season at landscape and patch scales, and determined whether foraging opportunities were constrained by insect harassment. During early summer, at the landscape scale, caribou selected for intermediate biomass and high DN and DE, following expectations of the forage maturation hypothesis. At the patch scale, however, caribou selected for high values of all forage components, particularly DN, suggesting that protein may be limiting. During late summer, after DN declined below the threshold for protein gain, caribou exhibited a switch at both spatial scales, selecting for higher biomass, likely enabling mass and fat deposition. Mosquito activity strongly altered caribou selection of forage and increased their movement rates, while oestrid fly activity had little influence. Our results demonstrate that early and late summer periods afford Arctic caribou distinct foraging opportunities, as they prioritize quality earlier in the summer and quantity later. Climate change may further constrain caribou access to DN as earlier, warmer Arctic summers may be associated with reduced DN and increased mosquito harassment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trevor S. Golden
- Alaska Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAnchorageAlaska
- Present address:
Axiom Data Science1016 West 6th AvenueAnchorageAlaska99501
| | - Layne G. Adams
- Alaska Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAnchorageAlaska
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Srivastava T, Kumar A. Seasonal forage and diet quality in two subtropical ungulates in the Himalaya. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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14
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Snowier winters extend autumn availability of high‐quality forage for caribou in Arctic Alaska. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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15
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Cook RC, Crouse JA, Cook JG, Stephenson TR. Evaluating indices of nutritional condition for caribou (Rangifer tarandus): which are the most valuable and why? CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Body composition studies are critical for evaluating the accuracy of nutritional condition indices for predicting body components. We evaluated >40 indices of nutritional condition for caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) using 29 female caribou captured from three populations in Alaska (USA) that ranged in condition from 2.3% to 11.2% ingesta-free body fat (IFBF) and 6 captive female caribou that ranged in condition from 8.1% to 26.0% IFBF. Estimates of body fat, protein, and gross energy were regressed against each index of nutritional condition. Generally, indices with linear or slightly curvilinear relations to body fat and those based on multiple fat depots were the most accurate in predicting nutritional condition and the most useful over the full range of nutritional condition. A scaledLIVINDEX (a combination of subcutaneous fat thickness and a condition score), CONINDEX (a combination of kidney fat and marrow fat), and a subset of the Kistner score (pericardium and kidneys only) had the strongest relationship with body fat (r2 > 0.86) and were useful over the entire range of nutritional condition. If used properly and with adequate training, indices of nutritional condition can be a critical tool for understanding the severity and seasonality of nutritional limitations in wild caribou populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - John A. Crouse
- Kenai Moose Research Center, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite B, Soldotna, AK 99669, USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - Thomas R. Stephenson
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 787 North Main Street, Suite 220, Bishop, CA 93514, USA
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16
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Srivastava T, Kumar A, Kumar V, Umapathy G. Diet Drives Differences in Reproductive Synchrony in Two Sympatric Mountain Ungulates in the Himalaya. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.647465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance and quality. In response, ungulates show varying degrees of synchrony in reproduction. Diet type has been hypothesized to be a determinant of differences in reproductive synchrony. Analyses at global scales using proxies of plant phenology such as climate, latitude and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have found no evidence in support because such proxies do not capture differences in phenology among plant taxa at local scales. We compared seasonal variations in diet quality with reproductive synchrony in the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), a browser, and the Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), a grazer, in mid-altitude Himalaya. We also compared seasonal variations in physiological stress using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM). We identified different stages of female reproductive cycle using fecal concentrations of metabolites of estradiol, pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) and testosterone and used fecal crude protein (CP) as an indicator of diet quality. In musk deer, fecal estradiol and PdG concentrations showed a dispersed estrous and parturition, respectively. Goral had a more synchronized estrous and parturition. Estrous cycles in both species occurred when diet quality was poor, but parturition occurred when diet quality was high. Greater seasonality in reproduction in goral is driven by sharp phenological changes in graminoids on which it feeds, compared to slow changes in browse on which musk deer feeds. Thus, we show that diet type drives the differences in reproductive synchrony in these two sympatric species. Spring and summer with highest diet quality were times of highest stress in both the ungulates. We hypothesize predation pressure from feral dogs and resource competition with livestock as plausible explanations for this, which need to be tested in future. Our findings also highlight the need for studying relationships among plant phenology, diet type and reproductive biology of ungulates at local scales if we are to understand species responses to global phenomena such as climate change.
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17
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Collins CG, Elmendorf SC, Hollister RD, Henry GHR, Clark K, Bjorkman AD, Myers-Smith IH, Prevéy JS, Ashton IW, Assmann JJ, Alatalo JM, Carbognani M, Chisholm C, Cooper EJ, Forrester C, Jónsdóttir IS, Klanderud K, Kopp CW, Livensperger C, Mauritz M, May JL, Molau U, Oberbauer SF, Ogburn E, Panchen ZA, Petraglia A, Post E, Rixen C, Rodenhizer H, Schuur EAG, Semenchuk P, Smith JG, Steltzer H, Totland Ø, Walker MD, Welker JM, Suding KN. Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3442. [PMID: 34117253 PMCID: PMC8196023 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23841-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our knowledge of experimental warming effects on tundra plant phenology from the International Tundra Experiment. We examine the effect of warming on a suite of season-wide plant phenophases. Results challenge the expectation that all phenophases will advance in unison to warming. Instead, we find that experimental warming caused: (1) larger phenological shifts in reproductive versus vegetative phenophases and (2) advanced reproductive phenophases and green up but delayed leaf senescence which translated to a lengthening of the growing season by approximately 3%. Patterns were consistent across sites, plant species and over time. The advancement of reproductive seasons and lengthening of growing seasons may have significant consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem function across the tundra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney G Collins
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Sarah C Elmendorf
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Robert D Hollister
- Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, USA
| | - Greg H R Henry
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karin Clark
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, NT, Canada
| | - Anne D Bjorkman
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | - Isabel W Ashton
- National Park Service, Inventory & Monitoring Division, Rapid City, SD, USA
| | | | - Juha M Alatalo
- Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Michele Carbognani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Chelsea Chisholm
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth J Cooper
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, The Arctic University of Norway UiT, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Chiara Forrester
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir
- Department of Life- and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
| | - Kari Klanderud
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Christopher W Kopp
- Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Marguerite Mauritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Jeremy L May
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ulf Molau
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Steven F Oberbauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Emily Ogburn
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Zoe A Panchen
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Eric Post
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christian Rixen
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Heidi Rodenhizer
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Edward A G Schuur
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Philipp Semenchuk
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, The University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jane G Smith
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Heidi Steltzer
- Department of Environment and Sustainability, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, USA
| | - Ørjan Totland
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Jeffrey M Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, The University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Katharine N Suding
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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18
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Ayotte P, Le Corre M, Côté SD. Synergistic Population Density and Environmental Effects on Deer Body Condition. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Ayotte
- Université Laval 1045 avenue de la Médecine Québec (QC) Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Mael Le Corre
- Université Laval 1045 avenue de la Médecine Québec (QC) Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Université Laval 1045 avenue de la Médecine Québec (QC) Canada G1V 0A6
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19
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Barboza PS, Shively RD, Gustine DD, Addison JA. Winter Is Coming: Conserving Body Protein in Female Reindeer, Caribou, and Muskoxen. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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20
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Johnson HE, Golden TS, Adams LG, Gustine DD, Lenart EA. Caribou Use of Habitat Near Energy Development in Arctic Alaska. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Johnson
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Trevor S. Golden
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Layne G. Adams
- U.S. Geological SurveyAlaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
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21
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Is summer food intake a limiting factor for boreal browsers? Diet, temperature, and reproduction as drivers of consumption in female moose. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223617. [PMID: 31596894 PMCID: PMC6785127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Food intake may limit the ability of browsing mammals to gain body mass during the growing season when the leaves and stems of woody plants are most abundant. Moose are highly productive browsers with high demands for energy and nutrients, particularly during lactation. Using an indigestible marker, we estimated dry matter intake of free ranging adult female moose with and without calves over three growing seasons. During the same period, we analyzed forage quality. Intakes were highest in late spring (280 ± 19 g·kg-0.75·d-1) when forage quality peaked; however, intakes declined by 39% throughout the summer as temperatures increased and as acid detergent fiber content of browse increased. Digestibility of dry matter declined over summer from 71% to 57% among browse. Intakes were similar for moose with and without calves. Heat loads may impair the ability of moose to consume sufficient energy and nutrients. Warming and habitat change can adversely affect browser populations when poor forage qualities and low dry matter intakes combine to suppress digestible intakes of energy and nutrients.
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22
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Freezer meals: comparative value of muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) push-ups as late-winter forage for a northern ungulate. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1301-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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23
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Assmann JJ, Myers-Smith IH, Phillimore AB, Bjorkman AD, Ennos RE, Prevéy JS, Henry GHR, Schmidt NM, Hollister RD. Local snow melt and temperature-but not regional sea ice-explain variation in spring phenology in coastal Arctic tundra. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2258-2274. [PMID: 30963662 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is undergoing dramatic environmental change with rapidly rising surface temperatures, accelerating sea ice decline and changing snow regimes, all of which influence tundra plant phenology. Despite these changes, no globally consistent direction of trends in spring phenology has been reported across the Arctic. While spring has advanced at some sites, spring has delayed or not changed at other sites, highlighting substantial unexplained variation. Here, we test the relative importance of local temperatures, local snow melt date and regional spring drop in sea ice extent as controls of variation in spring phenology across different sites and species. Trends in long-term time series of spring leaf-out and flowering (average span: 18 years) were highly variable for the 14 tundra species monitored at our four study sites on the Arctic coasts of Alaska, Canada and Greenland, ranging from advances of 10.06 days per decade to delays of 1.67 days per decade. Spring temperatures and the day of spring drop in sea ice extent advanced at all sites (average 1°C per decade and 21 days per decade, respectively), but only those sites with advances in snow melt (average 5 days advance per decade) also had advancing phenology. Variation in spring plant phenology was best explained by snow melt date (mean effect: 0.45 days advance in phenology per day advance snow melt) and, to a lesser extent, by mean spring temperature (mean effect: 2.39 days advance in phenology per °C). In contrast to previous studies examining sea ice and phenology at different spatial scales, regional spring drop in sea ice extent did not predict spring phenology for any species or site in our analysis. Our findings highlight that tundra vegetation responses to global change are more complex than a direct response to warming and emphasize the importance of snow melt as a local driver of tundra spring phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anne D Bjorkman
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Janet S Prevéy
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, Department of Agriculture - Forest Service, Olympia, Washington
| | | | - Niels M Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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24
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Johnson HE, Gustine DD, Golden TS, Adams LG, Parrett LS, Lenart EA, Barboza PS. NDVI
exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | | | - Trevor S. Golden
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Layne G. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Lincoln S. Parrett
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks Alaska 99701 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Lenart
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks Alaska 99701 USA
| | - Perry S. Barboza
- Wildlife, Fisheries & Ecological Sciences Texas A & M University 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard College Station Texas 77843 USA
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25
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Ungerfeld EM, Leigh MB, Forster RJ, Barboza PS. Influence of Season and Diet on Fiber Digestion and Bacterial Community Structure in the Rumen of Muskoxen ( Ovibos moschatus). Microorganisms 2018; 6:microorganisms6030089. [PMID: 30127327 PMCID: PMC6165511 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6030089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the relationship between fiber digestion and the composition of the bacterial community in the rumen of muskoxen at the start and the end of the annual window of plant growth from spring to fall. Eight ruminally cannulated castrated males were fed brome hay or triticale straw (69.6% vs. 84.6% neutral detergent fiber, respectively) that were similar in fiber content to the sedges consumed by wild muskoxen (64.5 to 71.7% neutral detergent fiber). Muskoxen digested fiber from both forages faster and to a greater extent when straw rather than hay was consumed. Fiber digestion was therefore inducible by diet 4 in each season. We used 16S rRNA sequences from ruminal contents to study how season and diet affected the bacterial community and how the latter related to fiber digestion. We found that Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes accounted for 90% of the sequences at the level of Phylum, which is typical for the mammal gut microbiome. Using partial least square regressions, it was found that between 48% and 72% of the variation in fiber digestion was associated with 36–43 genera of bacteria. The main fibrolytic bacteria typical of domestic ruminants were generally not among the most important bacteria associated with fiber digestion in muskoxen. This reveals that muskoxen rely upon on a large suite of bacterial genera that are largely distinct from those used by other ruminants to digest the cell walls of plants that vary widely in both abundance and nutritional quality through the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio M Ungerfeld
- Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada.
| | - Mary Beth Leigh
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
| | - Robert J Forster
- Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada.
| | - Perry S Barboza
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
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26
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Oster KW, Barboza PS, Gustine DD, Joly K, Shively RD. Mineral constraints on arctic caribou (
Rangifer tarandus
): a spatial and phenological perspective. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- K. W. Oster
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - P. S. Barboza
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - D. D. Gustine
- Alaska Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - K. Joly
- National Park Sejrvice Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
| | - R. D. Shively
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
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