Diet composition of moose (Alces alces) in winter, Sweden

1. Differences in botanical diet compositions among a large number of moose fecal samples collected during winter correlated with the nutritional differences identified in the same samples (Mantel-r = 0.89, p = 0.001), but the nutritional differences were significantly smaller (p < 0.001). 2. Nut...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Spitzer, Robert, Coissac, Eric, Cromsigt, Joris P. G. M., Felton, Annika M., Fohringer, Christian, Landman, Marietjie, Neumann, Wiebke, Raubenheimer, David, Singh, Navinder J., Taberlet, Pierre, Widemo, Fredrik
Format: Dataset
Language:unknown
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Alces alces
herbivory
nutritional ecology
Nutritional Geometry
ungulate diets
Online Access:https://zenodo.org/record/7604175
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3bk3j9kph
Description
Summary:1. Differences in botanical diet compositions among a large number of moose fecal samples collected during winter correlated with the nutritional differences identified in the same samples (Mantel-r = 0.89, p = 0.001), but the nutritional differences were significantly smaller (p < 0.001). 2. Nutritional geometry revealed that moose mixed Scots pine Pinus sylvestris and Vaccinium spp. as nutritionally complementary foods to reach a nutritional target resembling Salix spp. twigs, and selected for Salix spp. browse (Jacob's D > 0). 3. Available protein (AP) and total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) were significantly correlated in observed diets but not in hypothetical diets based on food availability. 4. The level of Acetoacetate in moose serum (i.e., 'starvation') was weakly negatively associated with digestibility of diets (p = 0.08) and unrelated to increasing AP:TNC and AP:NDF ratios in diets (p > 0.1). 5. Our study is the first to demonstrate complementary feeding in free-ranging moose to attain a nutritional target that has previously been suggested in a feeding trial with captive moose. Our results add support to the hypothesis of nutritional balancing as a driver in the nutritional strategy of moose with implications for both the management of moose and food resources. MS ExcelFunding provided by: NaturvårdsverketCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004357Award Number: 2020-00108Funding provided by: Svenska JägareförbundetCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100009588Award Number: 5909/2021Funding provided by: KempestiftelsernaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007067Award Number: JCK-1514Funding provided by: Svenska JägareförbundetCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100009588Award Number: 5855/2015Funding provided by: Västerbotten County's Älgvårdsfonden*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: 218-9314-15Funding provided by: NordForskCrossref Funder Registry ID: ...

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