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An Energy Model for Adult Female Caribou of the Denali Herd, Alaska
Author
Boertje, R. D.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1985-09-01
Body

Estimates of the energy costs of resting, activity, and productive processes from the literature were applied to caribou activity budgets and movements documented during 1978-80 to estimate seasonal and annual energy requirements of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) in Denali National Park and Preserve. Energy requirements were 45% lower in winter than summer, primarily because of a 21% reduction in resting metabolic rate and benefits of fat catabolism in winter, and high summer costs of lactation, fat deposition, and activity. Estimated energy requirements totaled 38.2 MJ day-1 during the insect season, 36.7 during summer migration, 34.2 during fall migration, 31.9 during prerut and rut, 29.3 during calving and postcalving, 23.7 during early and late winter migrations, 21.6 during early winter, 20.9 during late winter, and 20.5 during midwinter. Annual energy requirements, including costs of pregnancy (368.6 MJ) and lactation (560.3), totaled 9,870 MJ, excluding costs of cratering through snow and apparently minor costs of physiological stress. Compared to studies of food energy requirements of penned caribou, the model gives accurate predictions of total metabolizable energy requirements when allowances are made for the relative inactivity of penned animals. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3899725
Additional Information
Boertje, R. D. (1985). An energy model for adult female caribou of the Denali herd, Alaska. Journal of Range Management, 38(5), 468-473.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/645433
Journal Volume
38
Journal Number
5
Journal Pages
468-473
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
denali national park and preserve
energy metabolism
energy requirements
national parks
models
nutrient requirements
Alaska
reindeer