Diets of Overwintering Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, Track Decadal Changes in Arctic Tundra Vegetation

We compared winter diets of Western Arctic Herd Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from 1995/1996 and 2005 using microhistological fecal analysis on samples collected at paired permanent vegetation transects. Changes in the diets of Caribou followed the same trends as vegetative changes documented in long-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Canadian Field-Naturalist
Main Authors: Joly, Kyle, Cole, M. Jeanie, Jandt, Randi R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 2007
Subjects:
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
diet
fecal analysis
climate change
habitat
Western Arctic Herd
Arctic
Climate change
Global warming
Tundra
Alaska
Online Access:https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/509
https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v121i4.509
Description
Summary:We compared winter diets of Western Arctic Herd Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from 1995/1996 and 2005 using microhistological fecal analysis on samples collected at paired permanent vegetation transects. Changes in the diets of Caribou followed the same trends as vegetative changes documented in long-term studies in northwestern Alaska. Lichens were significantly less prevalent on the landscape and in the winter diets of Caribou between 1995/1996 and 2005, while graminoids (grasses and sedges) were significantly more prevalent. Dramatic changes are forecasted for Arctic ecosystems under global warming scenarios which may continue the trend of declining lichens in northwestern Alaska and in the diet of Western Arctic Herd Caribou. The question of whether or not the altered diet will affect the population dynamics of this herd remains unresolved.

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