n-Alkane and long-chain alcohol recovery in moose (Alces alces), a browsing herbivore

Abstract

Habitat management for herbivores often depends on an understanding of the food habits of animals. Plant cuticular waxes containing nearly indigestible complex mixture of n-alkanes and long-chain alcohols (LCOHs) have recently shown promise for diet analyses, but the accuracy of the technique depends strongly on the efficiency of recovery of the markers in feces. Fecal recovery of n-alkanes and LCOHs from 10 browse stems or leaves and two ensiled grass hays fed to moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)) during in vivo digestion trials was investigated. n-Alkanes and LCOHs were extracted using a single-step accelerated solvent extraction technique and the recovery of these cuticular components was calculated from the feces of the animals. n-Alkane recoveries from feces averaged 0.82, ranging from a low of 0.58 (haylage) to a high of 0.95 (browse stems). LCOH recoveries averaged 0.92 across all forages, ranging from 0.80 (haylage) to a high of 1.13 (browse stems). n-Alkane and LCOH fecal recovery increased with increasing chain length, similar to findings in other studies. Although fecal recovery of n-alkanes and LCOHs were variable, we conclude that they are inversely related to forage digestibility, are consistent within forage classes, and are therefore predictable markers for use in assessing herbivore diets.