Table 18 
Estimates of dry matter digestibility (%+SE) of hand-picked plant samples and esophageal 
egesta from reindeer. Rumen innoculum for the /n vitro technique was obtained from 
tranquilized caribou, reindeer grazing at the study site! or reindeer given a mixed diet. 
Plant sample 
Shrubs 
Salix arctica 
S. pulchra 
S. reticulata 
S. ovalifolia 
S. lanata 
Dryas integrifolia 
D. octopetala 
Sedge and cotton grass 
Carex aquatilis 
Eriophorum angustifolium 
E. vaginatum 
Grasses 
Dupontia fisheri 
Arctophila fulva 
Herbs 
Oxytropis sp. 
Braya spp. 
Parrya nudicalus 
Artemisia richardsoiana sp. 
Pedicularis sp. 
Saxifraga oppositifolia 
Lichens 
Cetraria cucullata 
C, islandica* 
Thamnolia vermicularis * 
Alectoria nigricans * 
Lobaria linita* 
Peltigera aphthosa* 
Stereocaulon alpinum * 
Cladonia alpestris 
C. uncialis* 
C. arbuscula* 
C. rangiferina* 
Mosses 
Hylocomium splendens* 
Sphagnum magellanicum * 
Other 
Esophageal egesta 
Eriophorum meadow 
Eriophorum meadow 
Dryas heath 
Dupontia brook bank 
combined 
/n vitro digestibility technique 
Source of innoculum 
Caribou Reindeer! Mean. Reindeer 
Roe SR Ea 
ROR Ss Ee Ee 
A a Ee 
Ras NS EE 
RSs Moss es 
RO Ni Es 
Set Se CO Eee 
ioe! pees ee ee 
Se ee eee 
as oe ee 
RESO DEES 
: RE Coes 
leaves CS RZ GRE SPS EE 
EOC COGREC RO RE 
ES ER Sa Re 
Ee CO RSS Ses 
CoS CS 
Seen EEE RO RE Oe 
Ce CO AIS ASN 
Ce a OO RO 
Ser RS ES EE ER 
oe Ee 
SSS CS CE 
HORSE ER Ls 
SE SEE SL CS 
MESES — 
SS Ae RE 
SOC GG DOGS CS EES EE 
SOR RR DE Es 
ESIGN ESS 
S222 RO SS A 
MET We Es Eee 
1 Rumen fistulated reindeer were tethered on vegetation types at Prudhoe Bay. 
2Rumen fistulated reindeer given a diet containing 67% (dry weight) lichens, 8% Carex 
aquatilis and 25% brome hay. The food was ground in a hammer-mill and thoroughly mixed. 
*Samples obtained from Coal Creek and Nome, Alaska 
175 
