Diet selection by vertebrate herbivores in the high arctic of Greenland

Microhistological analysis of fecal droppings indicates that graminoids (sedges, grasses, and rushes) and the only willow present, Salix arctica , are primary food items of the muskox Ovibos moschatus , arctic hare Lepus arcticus , and collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus in northern Greenland...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecography
Main Authors: Klein, David R., Bay, Christian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1991
Subjects:
Arctic
Greenland
Arctic hare
Dicrostonyx groenlandicus
Lepus arcticus
muskox
ovibos moschatus
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1991.tb00646.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1600-0587.1991.tb00646.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1991.tb00646.x
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Summary:Microhistological analysis of fecal droppings indicates that graminoids (sedges, grasses, and rushes) and the only willow present, Salix arctica , are primary food items of the muskox Ovibos moschatus , arctic hare Lepus arcticus , and collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus in northern Greenland (79°‐83°N). Plant biomass available during the peak growing season varied with vegetation types from < 2 g m −2 in polar barrens to 34 g m −2 in sedge fens. The clustered distribution of vegetation minimizes competition among vertebrate herbivores.

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