Animal-Defined Resources Reveal Nutritional Inadequacies for Woodland Caribou During Summer–Autumn
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We quantified rates of intake of digestible protein and digestible energy by tame caribou foraging in temporary enclosures in the predominant plant communities of northeastern British Columbia, Canada, during summer–autumn and compared intake rates to daily requirements for protein and energy during lactation. Our results,coupled with recent measurements of body fat of wild caribou innortheastern British Columbia, refute the hypothesis that thenutritional environment available to caribou during summer innortheastern British Columbia is adequate to fully support nutri-tional demands of lactating caribou, which has implications toproductivity of caribou populations, recovery, and conservation.