Becky Griest
Ms. Overly
Science Pd 2
20 May 2008
MOOSE

Moose live in numerous parts of the world, and their immense size is a symbol of both gentleness and power. This giant has just a few predators besides man. Some species of wolf, grizzly bears and black bears pose a threat to this massive creature. Moose are equipped with strong hind and front legs to fend off predators. This organism also has huge nostrils for a keen sense of smell. Its size is extremely large. It reaches heights of 6 feet or higher and weighs over 1,000 pounds. It is equipped with thick, tough tongues and lips, and 12 sets of broad flattened, teeth at the rear of its mouth to aid in its consumption of its woody foods. White tailed deer can also indirectly cause harm to this majestic organism through disease. A large population of deer can transfer a disease called moose disease to the organisms causing sometimes causing fatal consequences. Eagles, ravens, foxes, martins, fishers, wolverines, and bears are just some of the animals that act as scavengers to the moose's carcass. This niche assures that all of the moose will be consumed when it dies.
Moose's food source consists of a variety of plants. The main part of its diet is a woody plant material and fresh leaves that come from trees, shrubs, willows, aspens, dogwood, red maple, and aquatic plants such as water shield and pondweed. Where these plants grow, affects where the moose live and roam through out their life times. These areas include mixed dense forest, forest tundra, open areas such as small fields, and most usually around bogs, swamps, and streams.
The moose's scientific name is Alces alces. They grow and shed antlers seasonally similar to deer and elk. When their antlers are shed, these provide food sources for smaller organisms such as mice and voles. These animals usually prefer to travel either alone or with a partner and young and are not commonly seen in herds.

Observation 4 (5/15/08)

Observation 4: 5/15/08: The temperature of my area was 55 degrees F, and the snow seems to be melting extremely fast. There was little to no snow coverage in my area. Snow was only found in the denser forest in the shade. Green grass looked to be getting stronger and larger everyday. The stream was flowing intensely with all of the runoff from the nearby mountains. My area is also located in a canyon near Snow King and should recieve ample amounts of melting snow to feed the creeks. The animal activity consisted of a lone magpie, several sqirrels in the nearby trees calling to each other on different sides of the stream. The magpie may have been refueling on water because I'm not sure of its food sources. Soil conditions were dryer than usual but still swampy in some areas.

Observation 3 (05/13/08)

Observation3: 05/13/08: The temperature was approximately 43 degrees F and had little wind on my thrid observation. The snow conditions were extremely minimal and had melted quite noticabley since my last observations. Soil conditions were still marshy and swampy is some areas but for the most part the grass and dirt was simply moist. There was a population of several small birds that were gray and had a white stripped tail. These birds stayed hidden in the bushes using the anti-predator adaptation of camoflage. There was also two does wandering through the areas quite relaxed. The deer seemed to be feeding on low appearing grasses when I spotted them. I startled them and they sprinted out of view. The brown grass is now speckled with determined, green grasses growing up through. The mosquito population seemed to have grown immensely since my last visit. It could have been just the weather conditions, but they may have been displaying the anti-predator adaptation of masting.

Observation 2 (05/05/08)

Observation 2: My Cache Creek observation area was at a tempurature of 51 degrees F at the time of 6:56 P.M. on May 5, 2008. The weather was sunny with a few scattered clouds but no rain or precipitation clouds seemed present. There was a slight breeze coming from the south-east. The soil conditions still seemed extremely marshy and wet near and around Cache Creek. I observed minimal fauna in my area. Birds chirped, but stayed hidden from view so I am not sure of what species this bird was. Chipmunks or squirrel chittered in numerous tree tops. I observed several mounds of moose or elk scat. There was also some type of omnivour or carnivour scat near the stream. Most of the scat appears near or around the stream. There seems to be a sufficiant amount of food sources for a variety of populations. The willows seem to provide food for moose and shelter for birds and their nests. Hopefully I will be able to watch some of these animals and their interactions soon!!

Observation 1: Description of Area (05/05/08)

Observation 1: Description of Area
My area for observation is located right off Cache Creek Drive on the dirt road. The area includes a portion of Cache Creek and a high amount of biodiverisity within the plant life. The area varies in terrain and includes both a plain-like area and carniferous or pine areas. Snow near Cache Creek is still present but attempting to slowly melt. The snow coverage is approximately one fourth of the area on May 5, 2008. There is part of an old fence running through my area but is not big or sturdy enough to keep most animals out. Near the stream there is an abundance of both willow and small grasses for food sources. At the time most of the grass is brown, but apparent grasses are attempting to break through. The tree coverage of this area is minimal but if you travel a small distance the forest quickly becomes dense. The height of the trees is quite high, most likely around thirty feet. The type of habitat in my area is riperian because it is near a stream. Due to the snow melt and the stream, it is very marshy in some areas making the soil extremely moist. A small amount of rocks are present in the area and only occur near the creek. The size of my area is about half the size of a football field. The tempurature of my area was 53 degrees F.