Microhistology of moose browse using polarized light microscopy and age & sex-determination using moose scat

• Main Author: Henderson, John J.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Nebraska at Kearney 2012
• Subjects: Conservation; Canada; Alces alces
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1530794

Moose (Alces americanus) and Eurasian elk ( Alces alces) are the largest members of the family Cervidae. Moose are widespread across northern Asia, Canada and northern United States. In Minnesota and Wyoming, moose have experienced dramatic declines with many possible causes. Two possible causes are poor nutrition and parasites. Many researchers are conducting browse, nutrition and scat studies of these moose. My research was designed to provide an atlas of microhistological characteristics of moose browse. Also, I conducted a preliminary investigation of scat dimensions. Scat was collected from Minnesota and North Dakota; scat was measured at different temperatures to determine shrinkage ratios. The original purpose of the scat study was to help field technicians determine the age and sex of moose using fecal pellets. I was unsuccessful in determining the sex of the moose using DNA extracted from the moose pellets; however data are presented to show the shrinkage losses over the different temperature ranges. The moose browse study was conducted in the Greater Yellowstone Area of Wyoming. Browse species were sampled; I observed plants in the field and compared them to published literature. Sampled materials were analyzed using brightfield and polarized light microscopy. An atlas of microscopic characteristics was completed.