| Summary: | Food habits of moose (Alces alces) were studied for 6 years in northeastern Russia in the Anadyrsky and Omolonsky populations. Moose ate twigs, bark, leaves, and needles of trees and shrubs, herbs, and mushrooms. In May and June moose in the Anadyrsky population ate twigs of 16 species of trees and shrubs, and 8 species of herbs, mainly Gramineae. Moose in the Omolonsky regions ate 9 species of shrubs and trees, mainly Salix, and 9 species of herbs again mostly Gramineae. Herbs dominated the July-August diet of both populations. At Anadyrsky 40 species were taken and at Omolonsky 30 species were taken, mainly aquatic and marsh plants. In autumn and winter in both areas, moose switched to twigs, tree bark, and mushrooms. Food habits of moose in this region resembled North American diets, especially use of aquatic and marsh plants. Calculations of available forage indicate that 6,000-6,500 moose could exist in Chukotka.
|
|---|