Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1992 Snow depth and hardness strongly influenced selection of feeding zones, (i.e., those areas used for foraging), in late winter by both muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus grand) in northern Alaska. Snow in feeding zones was sha...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Biddlecomb, Mark Edward
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 1992
Subjects:
Muskox
Alaska
Caribou
Fairbanks
muskox
ovibos moschatus
Rangifer tarandus
Tundra
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7995
id ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/7995
record_format openpolar
spelling ftunivalaska:oai:scholarworks.alaska.edu:11122/7995 2023-05-15T17:13:41+02:00 Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska Biddlecomb, Mark Edward 1992-09 http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7995 en_US eng http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7995 Muskox Alaska Caribou Thesis ms 1992 ftunivalaska 2023-04-06T17:53:19Z Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1992 Snow depth and hardness strongly influenced selection of feeding zones, (i.e., those areas used for foraging), in late winter by both muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus grand) in northern Alaska. Snow in feeding zones was shallower and softer than in surrounding zones. Depth of feeding craters was less than the average snow depth in feeding zones. Moist sedge tundra types were used most often by muskoxen, and their diet, based on microhistological analysis of feces, was dominated by graminoids. Moist sedge and Dryas tundra types were most often used by caribou; lichens and evergreen shrubs were the major constituents of their diet. Despite selection of moist sedge tundra types by both muskoxen and caribou in late winter, dietary and spatial overlap was minimal. Thesis muskox ovibos moschatus Rangifer tarandus Tundra Alaska University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA Fairbanks
institution Open Polar
collection University of Alaska: ScholarWorks@UA
op_collection_id ftunivalaska
language English
topic Muskox
Alaska
Caribou
spellingShingle Muskox
Alaska
Caribou
Biddlecomb, Mark Edward
Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska
topic_facet Muskox
Alaska
Caribou
description Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1992 Snow depth and hardness strongly influenced selection of feeding zones, (i.e., those areas used for foraging), in late winter by both muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus grand) in northern Alaska. Snow in feeding zones was shallower and softer than in surrounding zones. Depth of feeding craters was less than the average snow depth in feeding zones. Moist sedge tundra types were used most often by muskoxen, and their diet, based on microhistological analysis of feces, was dominated by graminoids. Moist sedge and Dryas tundra types were most often used by caribou; lichens and evergreen shrubs were the major constituents of their diet. Despite selection of moist sedge tundra types by both muskoxen and caribou in late winter, dietary and spatial overlap was minimal.
format Thesis
author Biddlecomb, Mark Edward
author_facet Biddlecomb, Mark Edward
author_sort Biddlecomb, Mark Edward
title Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska
title_short Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska
title_full Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska
title_fullStr Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska
title_full_unstemmed Comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern Alaska
title_sort comparative patterns of winter habitat use by muskoxen and caribou in northern alaska
publishDate 1992
url http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7995
geographic Fairbanks
geographic_facet Fairbanks
genre muskox
ovibos moschatus
Rangifer tarandus
Tundra
Alaska
genre_facet muskox
ovibos moschatus
Rangifer tarandus
Tundra
Alaska
op_relation http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7995
_version_ 1766070867936149504

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