Winter foods of moose in La Vérendrye Park, Québec: an evaluation of two browse survey methods

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Abstract
The winter foods of moose (Alces alces) were determined in three winter yards in representative mixed forests of western Quebec. Browse use was measured by estimation of browse units and by twig counts. The first method enabled identification of key species in the diet while the second gave, in weight, the proportion of each. Both methods are compared. A total of 21 species offered available food, but only 12 were browsed. More than 75% of the diet in dry weight came from mountain maple (Acer spicatum), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), and willows (Salix spp.), with 53, 13, and 9.5% respectively. The mean weight of browsed twigs of different species varied. widely. Balsam fir twigs weighed about seven times more than white birch (Betula papyrifera) and 10 times more than beaked hazel twigs (Corylus cornuta). Moose preferred willows and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), which showed the highest availability:utilization ratio. Mountain maple was eaten proportionally to its availability. Results can be used in carrying-capacity studies in other mixed stands of eastern Canada.

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