Ecological importance of licks to four ungulate species in north-central British Columbia.

Ayotte, Jeremy B.

doi:10.24124/2005/bpgub324

Cited by 6 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Observations of attendance (Fig. 2), with additional support from remote trail cameras that had been placed on the main trails to the dry licks in this study (Ayotte 2004), suggest bimodal peaks in the use of dry licks (early July and early August) common to both Stone's sheep and mountain goats. Increases in attendance in early July may partially reflect physiological stress brought on by the late greening of alpine forage in comparison to vegetation at lower elevations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Increases in attendance in early July may partially reflect physiological stress brought on by the late greening of alpine forage in comparison to vegetation at lower elevations. The initial growth of typical forage plants in alpine areas began in mid-June (Ayotte 2004), which was 3 weeks before the observed increase in attendance at dry licks by both Stone's sheep and mountain goats. Maximum use of licks by Dall's sheep in Alaska occurred in June (Heimer 1973).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our study area, both Stone's sheep and mountain goats traveled a minimum of 3 km over a 700-m elevation change from their alpine foraging habitats to the dry licks on valley bottoms. The trails between the dry licks and the alpine area consistently followed patches of rocky bluffs and cliff bands, and remote trail cameras have recorded the presence of black bears (Ursus americanus) and wolves (Canis lupus) on the trails to the dry licks in May and June (Ayotte 2004). Stone's sheep and mountain goats generally give birth during May or June (Shackleton 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To simplify statistical analyses for hypotheses related to seasonal timing of use of licks, however, we grouped attendance data into 3 summer seasons: early (24 May-14 June), mid (15 June-15 July), and late (16 July-11 August). We assumed that the early summer season encompassed spring greening of vegetation (Ayotte 2004) and the midsummer season encompassed peak lactation (i.e., 3-4 weeks after parturition- Robbins 1993). We used the Kruskal-Wallis test with multiple comparisons among groups (Siegel and Castellan 1988) to test for significant differences in attendance among species by summer season, and within sexes by summer season.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This work was part of a larger study that also documented chemical composition of licks and available forage (Ayotte 2004). Wet and dry licks in this system appeared to provide ungulates with supplemental sources of sodium, carbonates, and magnesium because nutritional requirements could not be met by forage plants alone (Ayotte et al 2006).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Use of Natural Licks by Four Species of Ungulates in Northern British Columbia

2008

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Use of licks influences the movements and distribution of ungulates. We recorded attendance patterns, duration of visits to licks, and time spent licking by 4 ungulate species at wet and dry licks to examine possible influences on the timing of use of licks in northern British Columbia, Canada. Within-species licking intensity (based on regressions between time spent licking per visit and duration of visits to licks) was higher for elk (Cervus elaphus) than for moose (Alces alces) at wet licks, and higher for mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) than for Stone's sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) at dry licks. Lick response variables (duration of visits to licks, time spent licking per visit, and proportion of time spent licking) did not vary significantly among early, mid-, and late summer seasons, but there were species-specific differences in the timing of highest attendance. High use of wet licks by both female and male elk in late May followed vegetation greening at low elevations. Average attendance by female elk was highest in late June, coinciding with high lactation demands. Attendance by moose at wet licks was highest in mid-July, potentially coinciding with other aspects of forage phenology such as increased plant defensive compounds. Attendance by Stone's sheep and mountain goats at dry licks was high in early July, following forage change at high elevations and again in early August, potentially related to the tradeoff between lactation demands and predation risk. Across species, consumption of lick soils allows ungulates to improve rumen function and nutrient absorption during the transition to spring and summer forage and to supplement elemental intake by females during the nutritional stress associated with lactation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of Natural Licks by Four Species of Ungulates in Northern British Columbia

2008

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Nutrition integrates environmental responses of ungulates

2009

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Summary 1.Nutrition influences most aspects of animal ecology: juvenile growth rates and adult mass gain, body condition, probability of pregnancy, over-winter survival, timing of parturition, and neonatal birth mass and survival. We provide an overview among ungulates of the extent of these influences resulting from interactions among bioenergetics, foraging, and nutritional demands. 2. Body condition of an animal is the integrator of nutritional intake and demands, affecting both survival and reproduction. The deposition and mobilization of body fat and body protein vary with physiological requirements and environmental conditions as species use dietary income and body stores to integrate the profits of summer and the demands of winter. Results from our simulation model and uncertainty analysis of the influence of body mass and changes in body composition of Rangifer over winter indicate that percent body fat rather than body mass in early winter is most important in determining whether animals die, live without reproducing, or live and reproduce. Animal responses are also sensitive to rates of change in body protein. Depending on timing of calving and maternal reserves, seasonal habitats vary in their nutritional value for the production of offspring. 3. For free-ranging animals, life is a balance among numerous ecological factors, including nutritional requirements, nutritional resources to meet those demands, and intra-and inter-specific interactions. Predation effects on population demography may mask nutritional limitations of habitat. We suggest that over the long term of life histories, ungulates use seasonal strategies that minimize the maximum detriment, and that the basis for most strategies is nutritional.

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Non‐random distribution of ungulate salt licks relative to distance from North American oceanic margins

Maro

Dudley

2022

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim: Terrestrial deposition of aerosol marine sodium declines with distance from coastlines. Salt deprivation in vertebrate herbivores and salt-seeking behaviours should hence increase with distance inland. We analyse published geospatial data on ungulate-patronized salt licks to test whether they are non-randomly distributed relative to distance from oceans and elevation.Location:Canada, Alaska and the contiguous United States.Taxon:Cetartiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).Methods:We determined the land area and median elevation of 100 km increments from the North American coast. The null model of the expected number of licks within each interval was determined by the ratio of the interval's land area to the total land area, multiplied by the total number of licks. We asked whether the number of licks further from coastlines was significantly higher than chance. We also assessed whether licks occur disproportionately at higher elevations, comparing the median elevation of observed licks to the median elevation within each interval.Results:We found a strong positive relationship between salt lick patronage by ungulates and distance from the coast. Licks occurred significantly less often within, and more often beyond, 500 km inland, and at significantly higher elevations than would be expected by chance.Mainconclusions:These findings indicate that the patronage of salt licks is constrained geographically, and that the foraging behaviour of ungulates and other phytophagous vertebrate taxa may be influenced over large spatial scales by sodium availability. Saltseeking behaviour varies on a wide biogeographical scale across North America, with concomitant implications for vertebrate herbivore behaviour and ecology.

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Ecological importance of licks to four ungulate species in north-central British Columbia.

Cited by 6 publications

References 15 publications

Use of Natural Licks by Four Species of Ungulates in Northern British Columbia

Use of Natural Licks by Four Species of Ungulates in Northern British Columbia

Nutrition integrates environmental responses of ungulates

Non‐random distribution of ungulate salt licks relative to distance from North American oceanic margins

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