Foods of moose, Alces alces, and white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, on a burn in boreal forest.

Abstract

In NE Minnesota, diets of moose were dominated by leaves and twigs of woody species, primarily willows Salix spp. and quaking aspen Populus tremuloides. Deer used a broader variety of foods, but succulent species preferred by deer were found in areas that had been logged prior to the fire. Moose appear better able to capitalize upon young forest stages following wildfires because woody plants are abundant and preferred by moose. Large herbivores may assume a more selective foraging strategy in the presence of high forage supplies, probably resulting in a higher quality diet. -from Authors