| Titre : | Changes in fine-scale movement and foraging patterns of common wombats along a snow-depth gradient |
| Auteurs : | Alison Matthews, Auteur |
| Type de document : | Article |
| Dans : | Wildlife Research (37(3) 2010) |
| Article en page(s) : | 175-182 |
| Langues: | Anglais |
| Résumé : | Context. Feeding strategies of large herbivores in snow-covered environments can be influenced by snow depth and snow quality. Common wombats, Vombatus ursinus, are large marsupial herbivores that occur in subalpine areas of Australia where they must dig through the snow to reach low vegetation. Deeper snow at higher elevations is considered to limit foraging and constrain their range, although there have been no quantitative studies investigating the influence of snow on their foraging behaviour. Aims. The present study examined how snow influenced the foraging behaviour of common wombats along a snow-depth gradient. Methods. During the 2008 winter season, snow tracks of 17 wombats were located within the subalpine zone, in a study area ranging from 1520 to 1850 masl, and followed to record attributes of the snow cover and environment in relation to wombat activity. Key results. Wombats selected sites to feed where the snow was shallower, and deeper snow at feeding sites caused changes in foraging behaviour. Foraging occurred along fairly direct routes between burrows; however, as snow depth increased, wombats deviated more from their path to seek out suitable foraging sites. Most foraging occurred in shallow snow in open areas or where the snow had melted around the bases of trees, shrubs or boulders. About half (52%) of the feeding sites necessitated the wombats digging through the snow to reach low vegetation, predominantly the grasses of Poa spp. Digging craters for feeding occurred in snow depths up to 100 cm, although depths less than |
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