Vegetational diet composition of Canada and snow geese.
The presence and abundance of different plant species in the faecal droppings can be used as an index of forage species eaten by Canada and snow geese at different times in the season. The remains of pieces of leaf epidermal strips in faeces are diagnostic of individual plant species and can be compared with intact leaves of a species. Although this technique is not an absolute measure of the frequency with which different species are eaten by geese, it is a useful comparative method. Faeces from known birds can be collected, preserved and the species composition quantified. This approach will be used to examine the diet of Canada and snow geese and their goslings over the season, particularly where the species are in contact with each other. Understanding differences in species' diets may be essential for predicting their responses to vegetational loss or changes following degradation.
- revised 10/11/97 -