Date: July 5, 2018
Source: Oregon State University
Summary:
New research shows that mice and
voles scurry to bear scats to forage for seeds, finding nutritional value in
the seeds and in some cases further dispersing them.
The study is published in the
journal Ecosphere by researchers at Oregon State University and the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The research builds on an OSU study that
determined that bears are the primary seed dispersers of berry-producing shrubs
in Alaska.
In southeastern Alaska, brown and
black bears are plentiful because of salmon. Bears frequently supplement their
salmon-based diet with fruit as they build their fat stores for winter
hibernation. As a result, their seed-filled scats are found throughout the
landscape.
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