Date of Award
8-17-1999
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The effects of plant architecture on browse selection and the extent of use of Salix alaxensis and Salix plantifolia by moose foraging in winter in Interior Alaska were studied during 1997 and 1998. Three sampling techniques were employed to estimate forage availability and utilization. Sampling forage availability prior to use (in autumn) provided the best estimates of forage use in spring. In Salix plantifolia, selection of current annual growth (CAG) twigs was significantly related to basal diameter of CAG, diameter of nearest neighbor, distance to nearest neighbor, and number of leaders per cluster. In contrast, CAG selection in Salix alaxensis was related only to basal diameter. The proportion of CAG biomass removed from stems of either species was not related to any measured plant architecture variables. Because plant architecture affects browse use by moose, it is an important factor in determining food availability, and thereby in assessing moose habitat
Recommended Citation
Mallek, Edward Joseph, "Plant architecture and forage selection by moose" (1999). Biological Sciences. 515.
https://ualaska.researchcommons.org/uaf_grad_bio_sciences/515
Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15739