Thesis Defense: 'Understanding moose foraging behavior in response to variations in patch architecture and the availability of preferred foods,' Oct. 19

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.