Molybdenosis and moose at Highland Valley Copper ...

• Main Authors: Swank, Carie-Ann, Gardner, Wendy
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The University of British Columbia 2009
• Subjects: Alces alces
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0042450; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0042450

In the fall of 2003, a study was conducted at Highland Valley Copper Mine (HVC) to determine if moose (Alces alces) grazing reclaimed mine tailing sites were at risk of molybdenosis – a molybdenum induced copper deficiency that affects ruminant animals. Past research at HVC indicates that the mine site has vegetation with higher molybdenum and copper concentrations then sites that do not have mining potential. To conduct this study, five 50m² plots were selected at each treatment site, HVC and the reference site (Wentworth Creek), and feces and vegetation were collected. All feces deposited (within a one-year period) were collected and the current years’ growth of shrubs, forbs, and grasses were sampled from five 1m² quadrats within each plot. The vegetation and feces were then analysed at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facility via the Dithiol Method for molybdenum and the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer Method for copper. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that molybdenum ...