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The Influence Of Diet Composition, Plant Defensive Chemicals, And Winter Severity On The Nutritional Condition Of A Freeranging, Generalist Herbivore, Grace L. Parikh
The Influence Of Diet Composition, Plant Defensive Chemicals, And Winter Severity On The Nutritional Condition Of A Freeranging, Generalist Herbivore, Grace L. Parikh
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Herbivory requires animals to manage intake of toxic phytochemicals. Detoxification and excretion of these chemicals prevents toxicity, but is energetically expensive. I investigated the relationship between investment in detoxification and nutritional condition for moose on Isle Royale National Park (Alces alces) during winter, using urinary indices from urine samples collected in snow. The ratio of urinary urea nitrogen:creatinine is an indicator of nutritional condition, and the ratio of glucuronic acid:creatinine is an indicator of investment in detoxification. Nutritional condition declined with greater investment in detoxification. An alternative means of managing defensive chemical intake is to diversify the diet. Microhistological …