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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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Béland S, Vuillaume B, Leclerc M, Bernier M, Côté SD. Selection of summer feeding sites and food resources by female migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) determined using camera collars. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294846. [PMID: 38019854 PMCID: PMC10686509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a socioeconomically and culturally key species for northern communities in the Arctic, and most of its populations are experiencing a sharp decline. Female migratory caribou depend on the availability of summer habitat resources to meet the needs associated with lactation and the accumulation of fat reserves to survive when resources are less abundant. Because of the large scales at which habitat and resource data are usually available, information on how female migratory caribou select habitat and resources at fine scales in the wild is lacking. To document selection of summer feeding sites, we equipped 60 female caribou with camera collars from 2016 to 2018. We collected a total of 65,150 10-sec videos between June 1st and September 1st for three years with contrasted spring phenology. We determined the selection at the feeding site scale (3rd scale of Johnson) and food item scale (4th scale of Johnson) using resource selection probability functions. Wetlands were highly selected as feeding sites in June and July while they were avoided in August. Shrublands were mostly selected in July and August. At the resources scale, lichen, birch, willow, and mushrooms were the most strongly selected resources. Our results provide precise and novel information on habitat selection at feeding sites and food resources selected by female caribou in the wild. This information will help understand foraging patterns and habitat selection behavior of female migratory caribou and will contribute to the management and conservation of its declining populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophiane Béland
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Barbara Vuillaume
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Leclerc
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales & Centre d’étude de la Forêt, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Bernier
- Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d’optique, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de Biologie & Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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Trondrud LM, Pigeon G, Król E, Albon S, Ropstad E, Kumpula J, Evans AL, Speakman JR, Loe LE. A Summer Heat Wave Reduced Activity, Heart Rate, and Autumn Body Mass in a Cold-Adapted Ungulate. Physiol Biochem Zool 2023; 96:282-293. [PMID: 37418606 DOI: 10.1086/725363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
AbstractHeat waves are becoming more frequent across the globe and may impose severe thermoregulatory challenges for endotherms. Heat stress can induce both behavioral and physiological responses, which may result in energy deficits with potential fitness consequences. We studied the responses of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), a cold-adapted ungulate, to a record-breaking heat wave in northern Finland. Activity, heart rate, subcutaneous body temperature, and body mass data were collected for 14 adult females. The post-heat wave autumn body masses were then analyzed against longitudinal body mass records for the herd from 1990 to 2021. With increasing air temperature during the day, reindeer became less active and had reduced heart rate and increased body temperature, reflecting both behavioral and physiological responses to heat stress. Although they increased activity in the late afternoon, they failed to compensate for lost foraging time on the hottest days (daily mean temperature ≥20°C), and total time active was reduced by 9%. After the heat wave, the mean September body mass of herd females (69.7±6.6 kg, n=52) was on average 16.4% ± 4.8% lower than predicted (83.4±6.0 kg). Among focal females, individuals with the lowest levels of activity during the heat wave had the greatest mass loss during summer. We show how heat waves impose a thermoregulatory challenge on endotherms, resulting in mass loss, potentially as a result of the loss of foraging time. While it is well known that environmental conditions affect large herbivore fitness indirectly through decreased forage quality and limited water supply, direct effects of heat may be increasingly common in a warming climate.
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4
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Links between individual performance, trace elements and stable isotopes in an endangered caribou population. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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5
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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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6
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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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7
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Watkinson AD, Virgl J, Miller VS, Naeth MA, Kim J, Serben K, Shapka C, Sinclair S. Effects of dust deposition from diamond mining on subarctic plant communities and barren-ground caribou forage. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2021; 50:990-1003. [PMID: 34105162 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dust produced from mining has the potential to reduce plant cover, alter plant communities, and increase metal concentrations in vegetation-changes that may affect the amount, type, and quality of forage for barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). We quantified dust deposition from Diavik Diamond Mine (Northwest Territories, Canada) and investigated the changes on forage quality, type, and quantity for caribou. From 2002 to 2016, dust deposition was measured, and vegetation cover and richness were assessed in permanent plots established adjacent to the mine and in reference areas 1-6 km from the mine. Lichen was collected from areas up to 100 km from the mine to determine metal concentrations. Dust deposition rapidly decreased within 4 km of the mine. Plant communities adjacent to the mine (within 500 m) had disproportionately increased cover of vascular plants and decreased bryophyte and lichen cover. Lichen sampled within 4 km from the mine had greater metal concentrations than those sampled farther afield. Concentrations of Al in lichen collected within 40 km of the mine exceeded safe exposure limits for consumption, assuming lichen comprised 100% of caribou diet. We conclude that dust deposition from mining is altering adjacent vegetation communities but that such changes to forage are unlikely to cause negative effects to caribou due to reduced lichen intake in summer and autumn, their migratory nature, and avoidance of mine-influenced areas. However, minimization and reclamation of mine-related disturbances will be important for maintaining sufficient quality forage and available habitat or space in caribou ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn D Watkinson
- Dep. of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Alberta, 751 General Services Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - John Virgl
- Golder Associates Ltd., 1721 8th St. E., Saskatoon, SK, S7H 0T4, Canada
| | - Valerie S Miller
- Dep. of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Alberta, 751 General Services Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - M Anne Naeth
- Dep. of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Alberta, 751 General Services Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Jaewoo Kim
- Golder Associates Ltd., 102, 2535 3rd Ave. SE, Calgary, AB, T2A 7W5, Canada
| | - Kerrie Serben
- Golder Associates Ltd., 1721 8th St. E., Saskatoon, SK, S7H 0T4, Canada
| | - Chris Shapka
- Golder Associates Ltd., 4905 48 St. NT, Yellowknife, X1A 3S3, Canada
| | - Sean Sinclair
- Rio Tinto-Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc., 5201 50th Ave. NT, Yellowknife, X1A 2P8, Canada
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8
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Heard DC, Zimmerman KL. Fall supplemental feeding increases population growth rate of an endangered caribou herd. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10708. [PMID: 33854825 PMCID: PMC7953878 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Most woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations are declining primarily because of unsustainable predation resulting from habitat-mediated apparent competition. Wolf (Canis lupus) reduction is an effective recovery option because it addresses the direct effect of predation. We considered the possibility that the indirect effects of predation might also affect caribou population dynamics by adversely affecting summer foraging behaviour. If spring and/or summer nutrition was inadequate, then supplemental feeding in fall might compensate for that limitation and contribute to population growth. Improved nutrition and therefore body condition going into winter could increase adult survival and lead to improved reproductive success the next spring. To test that hypothesis, we fed high-quality food pellets to free-ranging caribou in the Kennedy Siding caribou herd each fall for six years, starting in 2014, to see if population growth rate increased. Beginning in winter 2015–16, the Province of British Columbia began a concurrent annual program to promote caribou population increase by attempting to remove most wolves within the Kennedy Siding and the adjacent caribou herds’ ranges. To evaluate the impact of feeding, we compared lambdas before and after feeding began, and to the population trend in the adjacent Quintette herd over the subsequent four years. Supplemental feeding appeared to have an incremental effect on population growth. Population growth of the Kennedy Siding herd was higher in the year after feeding began (λ = 1.06) compared to previous years (λ = 0.91) and to the untreated Quintette herd (λ = 0.95). Average annual growth rate of the Kennedy Siding herd over the subsequent four years, where both feeding and wolf reduction occurred concurrently, was higher than in the Quintette herd where the only management action in those years was wolf reduction (λ = 1.16 vs. λ = 1.08). The higher growth rate of the Kennedy Siding herd was due to higher female survival (96.2%/yr vs. 88.9%/yr). Many caribou were in relatively poor condition in the fall. Consumption of supplemental food probably improved their nutritional status which ultimately led to population growth. Further feeding experiments on other caribou herds using an adaptive management approach would verify the effect of feeding as a population recovery tool. Our results support the recommendation that multiple management actions should be implemented to improve recovery prospects for caribou.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas C Heard
- Tithonus Wildlife Research, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kathryn L Zimmerman
- Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Province of British Columbia, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
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9
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Abstract
Nutritional condition embodies environmental conditions experienced by animals with survival and reproductive consequences. Body fat is often associated with ungulate fecundity; however, other nutritional currencies may limit fecundity. Using data from 129 moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)) monitored over 429 moose-years, we examined the limiting role of multiple nutritional currencies on pregnancy rates while concurrently assessing the influence of age and prior reproduction. Females tended to be pregnant in successive years, suggesting differences in individual or habitat quality. However, probability of pregnancy declined with survival of calves from prior litters, indicating a reproductive cost to rearing offspring. Pregnancy was positively associated with serum iron (Fe), body fat, body mass, and serum protein. The best model predicting pregnancy included serum Fe, body fat, and age class, with serum Fe being the strongest single predictor. Moose with Fe concentrations considered deficient in cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758) had pregnancy rates of 33%–35%, whereas 89%–91% of individuals with sufficient Fe were pregnant. We subsequently evaluated hypotheses concerning factors potentially limiting Fe concentrations, including Fe-deficient diet, chronic infection, parasitism, and malnutrition. The best supported hypothesis was energy and protein malnutrition constrained Fe stores. We conclude that subclinical anemia due to nutritional constraints can limit or indicate limits in moose fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.R. Newby
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 490 North Meridian Road, Kalispell, MT 59901, USA
| | - N.J. DeCesare
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59804, USA
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10
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Redefining physiological responses of moose (Alces alces) to warm environmental conditions. J Therm Biol 2020; 90:102581. [PMID: 32479386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We tested the concept that moose (Alces alces) begin to show signs of thermal stress at ambient air temperatures as low as 14 °C. We determined the response of Alaskan female moose to environmental conditions from May through September by measuring core body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, rate of heat loss from exhaled air, skin temperature, and fecal and salivary glucocorticoids. Seasonal and daily patterns in moose body temperature did not passively follow the same patterns as environmental variables. We used large changes in body temperature (≥1.25 °C in 24hr) to indicate days of physiological tolerance to thermal stressors. Thermal tolerance correlated with high ambient air temperatures from the prior day and with seasonal peaks in solar radiation (June), ambient air temperature and vapor pressure (July). At midday (12:00hr), moose exhibited daily minima of body temperature, heart rate and skin temperature (difference between the ear artery and pinna) that coincided with daily maxima in respiration rate and the rate of heat lost through respiration. Salivary cortisol measured in moose during the morning was positively related to the change in air temperature during the hour prior to sample collection, while fecal glucocorticoid levels increased with increasing solar radiation during the prior day. Our results suggest that free-ranging moose do not have a static threshold of ambient air temperature at which they become heat stressed during the warm season. In early summer, body temperature of moose is influenced by the interaction of ambient temperature during the prior day with the seasonal peak of solar radiation. In late summer, moose body temperature is influenced by the interaction between ambient temperature and vapor pressure. Thermal tolerance of moose depends on the intensity and duration of daily weather parameters and the ability of the animal to use physiological and behavioral responses to dissipate heat loads.
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11
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Paoli A, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Kumpula J. The onset in spring and the end in autumn of the thermal and vegetative growing season affect calving time and reproductive success in reindeer. Curr Zool 2020; 66:123-134. [PMID: 32440272 PMCID: PMC7233615 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A developing trophic mismatch between the peak of energy demands by reproducing animals and the peak of forage availability has caused many species' reproductive success to decrease. The match-mismatch hypothesis (MMH) is an appealing concept that can be used to assess such fitness consequences. However, concerns have been raised on applying the MMH on capital breeders such as reindeer because the reliance on maternal capita rather than dietary income may mitigate negative effects of changing phenologies. Using a long-term dataset of reindeer calving dates recorded since 1970 in a semidomesticated reindeer population in Finnish Lapland and proxies of plant phenology; we tested the main hypothesis that the time lag between calving date and the plant phenology in autumn when females store nutrient reserves to finance reproduction would lead to consequences on reproductive success, as the time lag with spring conditions would. As predicted, the reproductive success of females of the Kutuharju reindeer population was affected by both the onset of spring green-up and vegetative senescence in autumn as calves were born heavier and with a higher first-summer survival when the onset of the vegetation growth was earlier and the end of the thermal growing season the previous year was earlier as well. Our results demonstrated that longer plant growing seasons might be detrimental to reindeer's reproductive success if a later end is accompanied by a reduced abundance of mushrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Paoli
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Robert B Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, PO Box 5003, Norway
| | - Jouko Kumpula
- Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke), Reindeer Research Station, 99910, Finland
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12
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Kaluskar S, Blukacz‐Richards EA, Johnson CA, He Y, Langlois A, Kim D, Arhonditsis G. Development of a model ensemble to predict Peary caribou populations in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samarth Kaluskar
- Ecological Modelling Laboratory Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - E. Agnes Blukacz‐Richards
- Ecological Modelling Laboratory Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
- Climate Research Division Environment and Climate Change Canada Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Cheryl Ann Johnson
- Landscape Science & Technology Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Yuhong He
- Department of Geography University of Toronto Mississauga Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Alexandre Langlois
- Centre d’Applications et Recherches en Télédétection Université de Sherbrooke Quebec Quebec Canada
- Centre d’études Nordiques Université Laval Quebec Quebec Canada
| | - Dong‐Kyun Kim
- Ecological Modelling Laboratory Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - George Arhonditsis
- Ecological Modelling Laboratory Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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13
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Adams LG, Farnell R, Oakley MP, Jung TS, Larocque LL, Lortie GM, Mclelland J, Reid ME, Roffler GH, Russell DE. Evaluation of Maternal Penning to Improve Calf Survival in the Chisana Caribou Herd. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.1044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Layne G. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Richard Farnell
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Michelle P. Oakley
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 5429 Haines Junction YT Y0B 1L0 Canada
| | - Thomas S. Jung
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Lorne L. Larocque
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 5429 Haines Junction YT Y0B 1L0 Canada
| | | | - Jamie Mclelland
- Yukon Department of Environment Fish and Wildlife Branch P. O. Box 2703 Whitehorse YT Y1A 2C6 Canada
| | - Mason E. Reid
- U.S. National Park Service Wrangell‐St. Elias National Park and Preserve, P. O. Box 439, Copper Center, AK 99573 USA
| | - Gretchen H. Roffler
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Don E. Russell
- Canadian Wildlife Service 91782 Alaska Highway Whitehorse YT Y1A 5B7 Canada
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14
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Campeau AB, Rickbeil GJM, Coops NC, Côté SD. Long-term changes in the primary productivity of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) calving grounds and summer pasture on the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula (Northeastern Canada): the mixed influences of climate change and caribou herbivory. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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15
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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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16
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Barboza PS, Van Someren LL, Gustine DD, Bret‐Harte MS. The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (
Rangifer tarandus
). Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Perry S. Barboza
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Lindsay L. Van Someren
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
| | - David D. Gustine
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - M. Syndonia Bret‐Harte
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
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Climate influences body condition and synchrony of barren-ground caribou abundance in Northern Canada. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Wheeler HC, Høye TT, Svenning JC. Wildlife species benefitting from a greener Arctic are most sensitive to shrub cover at leading range edges. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:212-223. [PMID: 28731522 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Widespread expansion of shrubs is occurring across the Arctic. Shrub expansion will substantially alter arctic wildlife habitats. Identifying which wildlife species are most affected by shrubification is central to predicting future arctic community composition. Through meta-analysis, we synthesized the published evidence for effects of canopy-forming shrubs on birds and mammals in the Arctic and Subarctic. We examined variation in species behaviour, distribution and population dynamics in birds and mammals in response to shrub cover (including shrub cover indicators such as shrub occurrence, extent, density and height). We also assessed the degree of heterogeneity in wildlife responses to shrub cover and synthesized the remaining literature that did not fit the criteria for our quantitative meta-analyses. Species from higher green vegetation biomass habitats (high Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI, across their distribution) were more likely to respond positively to shrub cover, demonstrating the potential for species to expand from boreal to arctic habitats under shrubification. Wildlife populations located in the lowest vegetation biomass (low NDVI) areas of their species' range had the greatest proportion of positive responses to shrub cover, highlighting how increases in performance at leading edges of invaders distributions may be particularly rapid. This demonstrates the need to study species at these leading edges to accurately predict expansion potential. Arctic specialists were poorly represented across studies (limited to 5 bird and 0 mammal species), this knowledge gap potentially explains the few reported negative effects of shrub cover (3 of 29 species). Species responses to shrub cover showed substantial heterogeneity and varied among sites and years in all studies with sufficient replication to detect such variation. Our study highlights the importance of responses at species range edges in determining outcomes of shrubification for arctic birds and mammals and the need for greater examination of potential wildlife losers under shrubification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C Wheeler
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Canada
| | - Toke T Høye
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Bioscience, Kalø, Aarhus University, Rønde, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Department of Bioscience, Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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19
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Thompson DP, Barboza PS. Seasonal energy and protein requirements for Siberian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Zamin TJ, Côté SD, Tremblay JP, Grogan P. Experimental warming alters migratory caribou forage quality. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:2061-2073. [PMID: 28653471 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Global declines in caribou and reindeer (Rangifer) populations have drawn attention to the myriad of stressors that these Arctic and boreal forest herbivores currently face. Arctic warming has resulted in increased tundra shrub growth and therefore Rangifer forage quantity. However, its effects on forage quality have not yet been addressed although they may be critical to Rangifer body condition and fecundity. We investigated the impact of 8 yrs of summer warming on the quality of forage available to the Bathurst caribou herd using experimental greenhouses (n = 5) located in mesic birch hummock tundra in the central Canadian Low Arctic. Leaf forage quality and digestibility characteristics associated with nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), phenolics, and fiber were measured on the deciduous shrub Betula glandulosa (an important Rangifer diet component) at six time points through the growing season, and on five other very common vascular plant and lichen species in late summer. Experimental warming reduced B. glandulosa leaf nitrogen concentrations by ~10% in both late June and mid-July, but not afterwards. It also reduced late summer forage quality of the graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum by increasing phenolic concentrations 38%. Warming had mixed effects on forage quality of the lichen Cetraria cucullata in that it increased nutrient concentrations and tended to decrease fiber contents, but it also increased phenolics. Altogether, these warming-induced changes in forage quality over the growing season, and response differences among species, highlight the importance of Rangifer adaptability in diet selection. Furthermore, the early season reduction in B. glandulosa nitrogen content is a particular concern given the importance of this time for calf growth. Overall, our demonstration of the potential for significant warming impacts on forage quality at critical times for these animals underscores the importance of effective Rangifer range conservation to ensure sufficient appropriate habitat to support adaptability in forage selection in a rapidly changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J Zamin
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie, and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Tremblay
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie, and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Paul Grogan
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
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21
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Denryter KA, Cook RC, Cook JG, Parker KL. Straight from the caribou’s (Rangifer tarandus) mouth: detailed observations of tame caribou reveal new insights into summer–autumn diets. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
High-quality habitats for caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) are associated primarily with lichens, but lichens alone fail to satisfy summer nutritional requirements. To evaluate the summer forage value of plant communities across northeastern British Columbia (BC), where populations of northern and boreal ecotypes of caribou are declining, we observed foraging by tame, female caribou. We compared diet composition with forage abundance to determine forage selection and to quantify forage availability. Deciduous shrubs, not lichens, largely dominated summer diets. Caribou were highly selective foragers, with 28 species comprising 78% of diets. Caribou avoided ≥50% of understory vegetation in all communities, especially conifers, evergreen shrubs, mosses, and two genera of terrestrial lichens. Availability of accepted forage (species not avoided) was strongly heterogeneous across landscapes. Alpine shrub areas and mid-elevation spruce–fir stands in the mountains, as well as treed rich fens and white spruce communities in the boreal forests, provided the greatest quantities of accepted forage for caribou. Dry alpine sites and unproductive black spruce communities provided the least accepted forage. Our work has direct implications to caribou conservation by contributing to a greater understanding of the forage value of summer habitats, with implications to habitat selection, seasonal movements, and distribution ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin A. Denryter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Rachel C. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - John G. Cook
- National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Forestry and Range Sciences Laboratory, 1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, USA
| | - Katherine L. Parker
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Non-Invasive Assessment of the Interrelationships of Diet, Pregnancy Rate, Group Composition, and Physiological and Nutritional Stress of Barren-Ground Caribou in Late Winter. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127586. [PMID: 26061003 PMCID: PMC4464525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The winter diet of barren-ground caribou may affect adult survival, timing of parturition, neonatal survival, and postpartum mass. We used microhistological analyses and hormone levels in feces to determine sex-specific late-winter diets, pregnancy rates, group composition, and endocrine-based measures of physiological and nutritional stress. Lichens, which are highly digestible but contain little protein, dominated the diet (> 68%) but were less prevalent in the diets of pregnant females as compared to non-pregnant females and males. The amount of lichens in the diets of pregnant females decreased at higher latitudes and as winter progressed. Pregnancy rates (82.1%, 95% CI = 76.0 – 88.1%) of adult cows were within the expected range for a declining herd, while pregnancy status was not associated with lichen abundance in the diet. Most groups (80%) were of mixed sex. Male: female ratios (62:100) were not skewed enough to affect the decline. Levels of hormones indicating nutritional stress were detected in areas of low habitat quality and at higher latitudes. Levels of hormones indicated that physiological stress was greatest for pregnant cows, which faced the increasing demands of gestation in late winter. These fecal-based measures of diet and stress provided contextual information for the potential mechanisms of the ongoing decline. Non-invasive techniques, such as monitoring diets, pregnancy rates, sex ratios and stress levels from fecal samples, will become increasingly important as monitoring tools as the industrial footprint continues to expand in the Arctic.
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Worker S, Kielland K, Barboza P. Effects of geophagy on food intake, body mass, and nutrient dynamics of snowshoe hares (Lepusamericanus). CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Geophagy is thought to have several physiological benefits to animals, including mineral supplementation and adsorption of toxins. However, these benefits have rarely been demonstrated experimentally. Using soil from a known lick in northern Alaska, we investigated the effect of geophagy on food intake and mass loss in captive snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777) fed a formulated ration of feltleaf willow leaves (Salix alaxensis (Andersson) Coville), a preferred forage of snowshoe hares. Lick soil contained 4.8% clay, 12.5% carbonates, and had more available Na (72.7 mg·kg−1) than willow leaves. Hares fed willow leaves consumed more soil (15.2 ± 2.0 g·kg–0.75·d−1) than those fed formulated ration (9.3 ± 1.3 g·kg–0.75·d−1). Hares had higher willow intake when offered soil (45.8 ± 2.0 g·kg–0.75·d−1) than those without soil (35.0 ± 2.1 g·kg–0.75·d−1), and willow-fed hares offered soil lost less body mass (P < 0.001) than those without soil. Soil availability resulted in higher digestible intakes of N, Ca, Mg, Na, and K, but not P. These results suggest that the availability of mineral licks may alter forage use and functional response of this generalist herbivore in interior Alaska.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.B. Worker
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - K. Kielland
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - P.S. Barboza
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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VanSomeren L, Barboza P, Thompson D, Gustine D. Monitoring digestibility of forages for herbivores: a new application for an old approach. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ruminant populations are often limited by how well individuals are able to acquire nutrients for growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Nutrient supply to the animal is dictated by the concentration of nutrients in feeds and the efficiency of digesting those nutrients (i.e., digestibility). Many different methods have been used to measure digestibility of forages for wild herbivores, all of which rely on collecting rumen fluid from animals or incubation within animals. Animal-based methods can provide useful estimates, but the approach is limited by the expense of fistulated animals, wide variation in digestibility among animals, and contamination from endogenous and microbial sources that impairs the estimation of nutrient digestibility. We tested an in vitro method using a two-stage procedure using purified enzymes. The first stage, a 6 h acid–pepsin treatment, was followed by a combined 72 h amylase–cellulase or amylase–Viscozyme treatment. We then validated our estimates using in sacco and in vivo methods to digest samples of the same forages. In vitro estimates of dry matter (DM) digestibility were correlated with estimates of in sacco and in vivo DM digestibility (both P < 0.01). The in vitro procedure using Viscozyme (r2 = 0.77) was more precise than the in vitro procedure using cellulase (r2 = 0.59). Both procedures can be used to predict in sacco digestibility after correcting for the biases of each method. We used the in vitro method to measure digestibility of nitrogen (N; 0.07–0.95 g/g), which declined to zero as total N content declined below 0.03–0.06 g/g of DM. The in vitro method is well suited to monitoring forage quality over multiple years because it is reproducible, can be used with minimal investment by other laboratories without animal facilities, and can measure digestibility of individual nutrients such as N.
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Affiliation(s)
- L.L. VanSomeren
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756100, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA
| | - P.S. Barboza
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA
| | - D.P. Thompson
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Kenai Moose Research Center, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite B, Soldotna, AK 99669, USA
| | - D.D. Gustine
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508-4626, USA
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