Thesis Defense: 'Understanding moose foraging behavior in response to variations in patch architecture and the availability of preferred foods,' Oct. 19
by Michelle Saport |
Friday, Oct. 19, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building, Room 120
The Department of Biological Sciences is proud to have Lauren Caruso, graduate student
in the department, defending her thesis, 'Understanding moose foraging behavior in
response to variations in patch architecture and the availability of preferred foods,'
on Oct. 19.
Graduate Committee:
Don Spalinger, Ph.D., advisor, Douglas Causey, Ph.D., and William Collins, Ph.D.
Lauren on her research:
Foraging herbivores face a number of decisions in food selection and the goal of this
research was to identify the scale at which Alaska moose make these decisions in a
changing landscape. I hypothesized that the net rate of energy intake would be maximized
and, in using mass intake as a proxy for energy intake, examined whether energy intake
is a driving variable of foraging behavior. In doing so, I observed how hand-reared
moose moved within simulated patches and measured the amount of food they consumed
during a series of feeding trials in which two browse species of varying preference
were offered in varying proportions. My results support the hypothesis that moose
select foods in a manner that serves to maximize energy intake in mixed-species patches.
They further indicate that food preferences are circumstantial based on bite size
and plant density, and provide useful information that is critical to the analysis
of habitat requirements of Alaska moose.
Visit the Department of Biological Sciences website for more information.
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