Protein and Amino Acid Composition of Tundra Vegetation in Relation to Nutritional Requirements of Geese
Sedinger JS. 1984. Protein and Amino Acid Composition of Tundra Vegetation in Relation to Nutritional Requirements of Geese. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 48(4):1128-1136
Protein and amino acid concentrations were measured in arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris), grasses (Puccinellia phryganodes, Calamagrostis deschampsiodes, and Deschampsia caespitosa), and sedges (Carex mackenziei, C. rariflora, and C. ramenskii), which are among the principal foods of Arctic geese. There were no major differences among plant species in the percent contribution of specific amino acids to protein. Despite seasonal variation in total protein content of plants, there was no seasonal shift in the percent contribution to protein by specific amino acids. All plants contained low levels of cystine plus methionine relative to the combined concentrations of these two amino acids in tissue added during gosling growth. This may account for the poor assimilation of plant protein by geese. The relationship between total amino acids and nitrogen indicates that crude protein (6.25 x % nitrogen) overestimates the true protein content of green plants by 22-52%.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Sedinger, James
- Units
- ARCN , BELA , CAKR , GAAR , KOVA , NOAT
- Keywords
- Arctic, Calamagrostis deschampsiodes, Carex mackenziei, Carex ramenskii, Carex rariflora, Deschampsia caespitosa, Puccinellia phryganodes, Triglochin palustris