Sebastian Buitrago Gutierrez | ALES Graduate Seminar

Event details: A graduate exam seminar is a presentation of the student’s final research project for their degree.
This is an ALES MSc Final Exam Seminar by Sebastian Buitrago Gutierrez. This seminar is open to the general public to attend.

MSc with Drs. Scott Nielsen and Mark Edwards.

Thesis Topic: The role of forage quantity and quality in the migration and diet of a northern ungulate during their neonatal period.

Abstract: 

The search for better forage quality and quantity is one of the best explanations of seasonal migrations in ungulates, although responses differ among populations and species. This study examines the Ronald Lake wood bison herd (RLBH), which migrates annually during the neonatal period when females have increased nutritional needs. By analyzing scat samples and comparing forage quantity and quality between the herd’s neonatal and core ranges, this study aimed to determine whether these factors influence migration and diet. Results showed a dietary shift from a more graminoid-dominated diet in winter to a shrub and forb-dominated diet from late spring to summer. The neonatal range had significantly higher biomass and nutrient content, particularly in shrubs and forbs, compared to the core range. These higher quantity and quality forages are crucial for females during this period, suggesting that the herd’s migration is influenced by the forage that the neonatal range offers.