Mountain Goat Forage and Habitat Preference in Alaska
Hjeljord O. 1973. Mountain Goat Forage and Habitat Preference in Alaska. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 37(3):353-362
The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) was studied on Kodiak Island and Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska. Goat populations in these areas show common features in their adaptation to range and habitat. On the summer range, located at high altitude, forbs were the main forage item. In winters when snow was sparse on the lower slopes, the goats fed mainly on rhizomes and petioles of lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) at these sites. When heavy snow limited access to this forage, they retreated to high windblown ridges and rock outcrops, where bunch grasses and sedges were the principal forage plants. The density of goats was considerably lower in the study area on Kenai than on Kodiak. Differences between the two areas in extent of snow cover during the winter and abundance of vegetation on the summer range are thought to be the main causes for this. Poor reproduction on Kodiak in 1969 was correlated with the severity of the previous winter.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Hjeljord, Olav
- Units
- GLBA , KLGO , SEAN , SITK
- Keywords
- Athyrium filix-femina, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Mammals, Oreamnos americanus, Ungulates