Abstract
This study describes the mineral and nitrogen concentrations of reindeer forage plants from the Elgå reindeer herding district of south-eastern Norway. The data are compared with results from 5 other areas in Norway. Emphasis is put on the importance of environmental diversity. Different plant species accumulate Ca, Mg, P, S, Na, K, CI and K to a varying degree but reindeer can meet their nutritional requirements by eating different types of forage. Examples are sodium from aquatic herbs, sulphur and sodium from horsetails etc. Of further importance are variations in soil type, phenological development of plants in relation to differences in time for snowmelting, as well as different levels of nutrients in forage from different geographical.
Highlights
T h e staple diet of reindeer inwinter forage consists o f different species of lichens
M o s t of the samples were collected above treeline f r o m areas w i t h quartzitic, granitic o r gneissic type bedrocks
T h e graphs should preferably be zeroed at particular development points of the plant, e.g
Summary
T h e staple diet of reindeer inwinter forage consists o f different species of lichens These are high i n energy but usually lowin minerals and nitrogen. Important summer forage plants like grasses and birch and willow leaves have l o w nutrient concentrations (Gaare a n d Skogland, 1975; Wielgolaski et aL, 1975; Warenberg, 1982; Staaland et al 1983; Staaland a n d Sæbø, 1987; Nieminen and Heiskari , 1989). Large interspecific variation occurs i n nitrogen and mineral concentrations.
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