Use of Salt by Elk in Idaho

Dalke, Paul D.; Beeman, Robert D.; Kindel, Frederic J.; Robel, Robert J.; Williams, Thomas R.

doi:10.2307/3798437

Cited by 41 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…Examples include sodium deficiencies and appetites for sodium among a variety of herbivorous mammals (e.g., Laufer 1930, French 1945, Cowan and Brink 1949, Dalke et al 1965, Blair-West et al 1968, Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weir 1973, Andrews et al 1975, Oates 1978, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1978, Belovsky 1981. Examples include sodium deficiencies and appetites for sodium among a variety of herbivorous mammals (e.g., Laufer 1930, French 1945, Cowan and Brink 1949, Dalke et al 1965, Blair-West et al 1968, Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weir 1973, Andrews et al 1975, Oates 1978, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1978, Belovsky 1981.…”

Section: Generality Of Nutrient Limitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Herbivore Carrying Capacity: Plants, Nutrients, and Equus Asinus in Northern Australia

Freeland¹,

Choquenot²

1990

Ecology

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. This content downloaded from 130.Abstract. Populations of feral donkeys, Equus asinus, in northern Australia are limited by density-dependent mortality during the first 6 mo of individuals' lives. A female's ability to raise her offspring successfully increases with age and is dependent on her maintaining high levels of stored mineral nutrients (calcium, phosphorus, and sodium). A low proportion of offspring was successfully raised in a population at carrying capacity where females had low levels of stored mineral nutrients. Females in a growing population that had been reduced to 45% of carrying capacity had high levels of stored minerals and successfully raised a higher proportion of offspring. Females in the population at carrying capacity ingested a species-poor diet (predominantly a grass, Sehima nervosa) containing low levels of nitrogen and mineral nutrients, and high levels of crude fibre. Females in the growing population ingested a more species-rich diet with higher levels of nitrogen and minerals, and less crude fibre. Levels of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in the faeces of females in the population at carrying capacity were higher than those in the food ingested. The reverse was true for females in the growing population. At the time of sampling (early dry season), 17% of females in the population at carrying capacity and 0% of females in the growing population were eating or had recently eaten clay.Increased salivary secretion and gastrointestinal irritation caused by high-fibre diets (even when lubricated by clay) may be responsible for mineral depletion of females at carrying capacity, and hence population limitation through the inability of females to raise offspring.

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Section: Generality Of Nutrient Limitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Herbivore Carrying Capacity: Plants, Nutrients, and Equus Asinus in Northern Australia

Freeland¹,

Choquenot²

1990

Ecology

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“…Herbivores living in areas well removed from marine influence generally have little sodium in their normal diet (Blair-West et al 1968, and are attracted to sources of supplementary sodium at certain times of the year. In North America, most of the mineral-rich springs which attract wildlife have high levels of sodium (Dalke et al 1965, Knight and Mudge 1967, Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1976. Many licks, however, are rich in a variety of minerals in addition to sodium, and these other elements might also attract wildlife Brink 1949, Hanson andJones 1976).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attraction of wild ungulates to mineral‐rich springs in central Canada

Fraser

Reardon

1980

Ecography

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Natural mineral‐rich springs which attract moose Alces alces and white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus were studied in a small area in central Canada. The spring water was particularly rich in Na and Cl but also contained levels of K, Ca, Mg, HCO3 and Mn higher than nearby stream water. In a selection experiment near a natural spring, aqueous solutions of NaCl, NaHCO3 and Na2SO4 were consumed consistently by the animals while salts of K, Ca and Mg were not. Isotope analysis indicates that the spring waters are part of a modern and probably localized flow system. Evaporite minerals and extensive fractures in the local sedimentary bedrock appear to account for the salt content of the spring waters.

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“…Richter (1956), Bott, Denton & Weller (1967) and Blair-West et al (1968) suggested that mammals have an instinctive liking for salt and the genetic ability in mammals to taste salt is consistent with the fact that an ability to taste nutritious substances confers a survival advantage. Dalke et al (1965) reported that 'salt hunger' may be related to the presence of succulent forage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of five natural soil licks, Benoue National Park, Cameroon, West Africa

Stark

1986

African Journal of Ecology

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Summary Use of natural licks by wild animals during the dry season in Benoue National Park, Cameroon, prompted a closer examination of lick soils. The emphasis in the study was to isolate the factor(s) attracting wild animals to licks. Mechanical and chemical analysis determined the variables (%) water content, (%) organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, extractable calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, and available phosphorus and sulphate‐sulphur. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was applied to identify the important dependent factor(s). Analysis of lick soils revealed that extractable sodium was consistently higher in concentration (meq 100 g‐1) when compared to soils immediately outside the licks. These results substantiate most studies done on natural lick soils. Electrical conductivity was the single best predictor of use and there was a high positive correlation between conductivity and sodium. No physiological benefit was apparent for ingesting lick soils but increased lick use towards the end of the dry season may indicate poorer quality grass forage. Résumé L'usage de ‘salt licks’ par les animaux sauvages durant la saison sèche au Parc National de Benoué, au Cameroun, a inspiré un examen plus appronfondi du sol à ces endroits. Le but de la recherche était d'isoler le ou les facteurs qui attirent les animaux. Des analyses mécaniques et chimiques ont déterminé des variables comme le pourcentage d'humidité et de matiéres organiques, le pH, la conductivitéélectrique, la concentration en calcium, magnésium, potassium et sodium, le phosphore, les sulfates et les sulfures disponibles. Un examen des mesures de régressions multiples a été fait pour déterminer le ou les facteurs déterminants importants. Une analyse du sol du salt lick révèle que la concentration en sodium est sensiblement plus élevé que dans les sols directement adjacents. Ces résultats confortent beaucoup d'études faites sur les salt‐licks naturels. La conductivitéélectrique était le seul élément déterminant majeur et il y a une corrélation très grande entre la conductivité et le taux de sodium. On ne reconnaît aucun bénéfice physiologique apparent à l'ingestion de ces sols, mais leur utilisation croissante jusqu'à la fin de la saison sèche peut indiquer une moins bonne qualitè du fourrage à ce moment.

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Use of Salt by Elk in Idaho

Cited by 41 publications

References 0 publications

Determinants of Herbivore Carrying Capacity: Plants, Nutrients, and Equus Asinus in Northern Australia

Determinants of Herbivore Carrying Capacity: Plants, Nutrients, and Equus Asinus in Northern Australia

Attraction of wild ungulates to mineral‐rich springs in central Canada

Analysis of five natural soil licks, Benoue National Park, Cameroon, West Africa

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