Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis

Saeideh Esmaeili; Brett R. Jesmer; Shannon E. Albeke; Ellen O. Aikens; Kathryn A. Schoenecker; Sarah R.B. King; Briana Abrahms; Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar; Jeffrey L. Beck; Randall Boone; Francesca Cagnacci; Simon Chamaillé-Jammes; Buyanaa Chimeddorj; Paul C. Cross; Nandintsetseg Dejid; Jagdag Enkhbyar; Ilya Fischhoff; Adam T. Ford; Kate Jenks; Mahmoud-Reza Hemami; Jacob D. Hennig; Takehiko Y. Ito; Petra Kaczensky; Matthew Kauffman; John D. C. Linnell; Badamjav Lkhagvasuren; John F. McEvoy; Joerg Melzheimer; Jerod A. Merkle; Thomas Mueller; Jeff Muntifering; Atle Mysterud; Kirk A.  Olson; Manuela Panzacchi; John Payne; Luca Pedrotti; Geir R. Rauset; Daniel I.   Rubenstein; Hall Sawyer; John D. Scasta; Johannes Signer; Melissa Songer; Jared A. Stabach; Seth Stapleton; Olav Strand; Siva R. Sundaresan; Dorj Usukhjargal; Ganbold Uuganbayar; John Fryxell; Jacob R. Goheen

doi:10.1111/ele.13848

Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis

Ecology Letters

By: Saeideh Esmaeili, Brett R. Jesmer, Shannon E. Albeke, Ellen O. Aikens, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Sarah R.B. King, Briana Abrahms, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Jeffrey L. Beck, Randall Boone, Francesca Cagnacci, Simon Chamaillé-Jammes, Buyanaa Chimeddorj, Paul C. Cross, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Jagdag Enkhbyar, Ilya Fischhoff, Adam T. Ford, Kate Jenks, Mahmoud-Reza Hemami, Jacob D. Hennig, Takehiko Y. Ito, Petra Kaczensky, Matthew Kauffman, John D. C. Linnell, Badamjav Lkhagvasuren, John F. McEvoy, Joerg Melzheimer, Jerod A. Merkle, Thomas Mueller, Jeff Muntifering, Atle Mysterud, Kirk A. Olson, Manuela Panzacchi, John Payne, Luca Pedrotti, Geir R. Rauset, Daniel I. Rubenstein, Hall Sawyer, John D. Scasta, Johannes Signer, Melissa Songer, Jared A. Stabach, Seth Stapleton, Olav Strand, Siva R. Sundaresan, Dorj Usukhjargal, Ganbold Uuganbayar, John Fryxell, and Jacob R. Goheen

https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13848

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Abstract

The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect of body size and digestive system in determining movements of 30 populations of hindgut fermenters (equids) and ruminants across biomes. Selection for intermediate forage biomass was negatively related to body size, regardless of digestive system. Selection for proximity to surface water was stronger for equids relative to ruminants, regardless of body size. To be more generalisable, we suggest that the FMH explicitly incorporate contingencies in body size and digestive system, with small-bodied ruminants selecting more strongly for potential energy intake, and hindgut fermenters selecting more strongly for surface water.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis
Series title	Ecology Letters
DOI	10.1111/ele.13848
Volume	24
Issue	10
Year Published	2021
Language	English
Publisher	Wiley
Contributing office(s)	Fort Collins Science Center
Description	14 p.
First page	2178
Last page	2191
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page