Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd
Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1996 Distribution, abundance, and quality of summer forage available to caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Central Arctic Herd were determined in July and August, 1989 -1990. Plant cover, an index of available biomass, was measured at three sites...
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ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/14810 2024-01-07T09:41:15+01:00 Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd Smith, Michael D. 1996-12 http://hdl.handle.net/11122/14810 en_US eng http://hdl.handle.net/11122/14810 Forage plants Caribou Diet Thesis ms 1996 ftunivalaska 2023-12-14T19:04:35Z Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1996 Distribution, abundance, and quality of summer forage available to caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Central Arctic Herd were determined in July and August, 1989 -1990. Plant cover, an index of available biomass, was measured at three sites within 50 km of the arctic coast. In general, plant cover increased with distance from the coast. Cover of forbs and evergreen shrubs was higher at inland sites (P < 0.001), whereas cover of willows (Salix spp.) was highest at the coastal site (P < 0.001). Higher plant cover inland is largely attributable to a greater proportion of drier habitats. Differences in forage quality among sites, however, were small and inconsistent. I conclude that by feeding inland during insect-free periods, caribou realize a net energy benefit, because of higher plant biomass, higher proportion of drier habitat, and greater species diversity than coastal areas. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Thesis Arctic Rangifer tarandus Alaska University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA Arctic Fairbanks |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA |
op_collection_id |
ftunivalaska |
language |
English |
topic |
Forage plants Caribou Diet |
spellingShingle |
Forage plants Caribou Diet Smith, Michael D. Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd |
topic_facet |
Forage plants Caribou Diet |
description |
Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1996 Distribution, abundance, and quality of summer forage available to caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Central Arctic Herd were determined in July and August, 1989 -1990. Plant cover, an index of available biomass, was measured at three sites within 50 km of the arctic coast. In general, plant cover increased with distance from the coast. Cover of forbs and evergreen shrubs was higher at inland sites (P < 0.001), whereas cover of willows (Salix spp.) was highest at the coastal site (P < 0.001). Higher plant cover inland is largely attributable to a greater proportion of drier habitats. Differences in forage quality among sites, however, were small and inconsistent. I conclude that by feeding inland during insect-free periods, caribou realize a net energy benefit, because of higher plant biomass, higher proportion of drier habitat, and greater species diversity than coastal areas. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Alaska Fairbanks |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Smith, Michael D. |
author_facet |
Smith, Michael D. |
author_sort |
Smith, Michael D. |
title |
Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd |
title_short |
Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd |
title_full |
Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd |
title_fullStr |
Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd |
title_full_unstemmed |
Distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central Arctic caribou herd |
title_sort |
distribution, abundance, and quality of forage within the summer range of the central arctic caribou herd |
publishDate |
1996 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/14810 |
geographic |
Arctic Fairbanks |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Fairbanks |
genre |
Arctic Rangifer tarandus Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Rangifer tarandus Alaska |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/14810 |
_version_ |
1787422066408947712 |