Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba
Summer diets of a confined herd of wood bison, as indicated by fecal analyses, showed sedges and grasses to dominate each month, but vary in proportion of total plant composition. However, observations of the herd indicated that forbs were the dominant plants grazed, and were taken in successively d...
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ftcanadathes:oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:MWU.1993/3583 2023-05-15T18:44:17+02:00 Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba Berezanski, Dean James 2009-12-02T16:56:07Z http://hdl.handle.net/1993/3583 en_US eng http://hdl.handle.net/1993/3583 The reproduction of this thesis has been made available by authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research, and may only be reproduced and copied as permitted by copyright laws or with express written authorization from the copyright owner. 2009 ftcanadathes 2014-03-30T00:50:28Z Summer diets of a confined herd of wood bison, as indicated by fecal analyses, showed sedges and grasses to dominate each month, but vary in proportion of total plant composition. However, observations of the herd indicated that forbs were the dominant plants grazed, and were taken in successively decreasing proportions each month. Age-sex classes of bison did not differ in choice of plant species eaten during June, as indicated by observed behaviour. The classes differed in July, with cow diets differing from bull and spikehorn diets. Only bulls and spikehorns differed in August. Fire-treated sedge fens were little used by the bison because these areas were difficult to travel throuqh. In high-water fens, biomass of vegetation from burned fen was greater than fen only in June and July. Fire removed litter and allowed for rapid solar heating. The ash was thought not to provide a significant nutrient flush, as calcium content was more often less in burned fen sedges than in unburned ones. In addition, in low-water fen, biomass in burned fen was greater only in July. High-water fen always had greater vegetation biomass than low-water fen. Certain quality parameter suggested earlier maturation of vegetation in burned and high-water level fens. Resting habitats were chosen in different proportions between months in response to tabanid fly harassment. Open habitats were the dominant choices in June and July, but accounted for less than half the choices in August. Tabanid fly activity was greatest in June and July, and almost nil in August. The bison were thought to seek open habitats to escape these flies. The age-sex classes used habitats in different proportions during June and in July. Cows avoided open habitats, while spikehorns used open habitats the most. All classes used habitats in similar proportions during August. Feeding activity of the bison was crepuscular in June and July, but more diurnal in August. The increase in diurnal activity coincided with the decrease in tabanid activity. Other/Unknown Material Wood Bison Theses Canada/Thèses Canada (Library and Archives Canada) |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Theses Canada/Thèses Canada (Library and Archives Canada) |
op_collection_id |
ftcanadathes |
language |
English |
description |
Summer diets of a confined herd of wood bison, as indicated by fecal analyses, showed sedges and grasses to dominate each month, but vary in proportion of total plant composition. However, observations of the herd indicated that forbs were the dominant plants grazed, and were taken in successively decreasing proportions each month. Age-sex classes of bison did not differ in choice of plant species eaten during June, as indicated by observed behaviour. The classes differed in July, with cow diets differing from bull and spikehorn diets. Only bulls and spikehorns differed in August. Fire-treated sedge fens were little used by the bison because these areas were difficult to travel throuqh. In high-water fens, biomass of vegetation from burned fen was greater than fen only in June and July. Fire removed litter and allowed for rapid solar heating. The ash was thought not to provide a significant nutrient flush, as calcium content was more often less in burned fen sedges than in unburned ones. In addition, in low-water fen, biomass in burned fen was greater only in July. High-water fen always had greater vegetation biomass than low-water fen. Certain quality parameter suggested earlier maturation of vegetation in burned and high-water level fens. Resting habitats were chosen in different proportions between months in response to tabanid fly harassment. Open habitats were the dominant choices in June and July, but accounted for less than half the choices in August. Tabanid fly activity was greatest in June and July, and almost nil in August. The bison were thought to seek open habitats to escape these flies. The age-sex classes used habitats in different proportions during June and in July. Cows avoided open habitats, while spikehorns used open habitats the most. All classes used habitats in similar proportions during August. Feeding activity of the bison was crepuscular in June and July, but more diurnal in August. The increase in diurnal activity coincided with the decrease in tabanid activity. |
author |
Berezanski, Dean James |
spellingShingle |
Berezanski, Dean James Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba |
author_facet |
Berezanski, Dean James |
author_sort |
Berezanski, Dean James |
title |
Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba |
title_short |
Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba |
title_full |
Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba |
title_fullStr |
Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba |
title_full_unstemmed |
Summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near Waterhen, Manitoba |
title_sort |
summer feeding and resting behaviour of wood bison and the effects of fire on fen vegetation near waterhen, manitoba |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1993/3583 |
genre |
Wood Bison |
genre_facet |
Wood Bison |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/1993/3583 |
op_rights |
The reproduction of this thesis has been made available by authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research, and may only be reproduced and copied as permitted by copyright laws or with express written authorization from the copyright owner. |
_version_ |
1766234921824681984 |