Habitat and Diet Selection by Muskoxen and Reindeer in Western Alaska

Abstract

Since the establishment of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) on the Seward Peninsula in western Alaska, USA, herders of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) have voiced concerns about potential competition for forage between the species. We examined factors influencing choice of feeding sites, cratering microsites, and diets of reindeer and muskoxen on the Seward Peninsula during late winter 1996 and 1997 to identify habitat use and overlap. Both ungulates foraged primarily in upland habitats with low snow depth that had more lichen cover and less graminoid cover than other vegetation types in the area. Both species selected against snow depth when choosing feeding sites and against snow depth and hardness when selecting cratering areas within feeding sites. Reindeer selected mainly lichens when foraging, while muskoxen selected more sedge and moss. In conclusion, although muskoxen and reindeer overlap in their use of feeding areas, they select forage plants differently from each other.