Open AccessAttraction of wild ungulates to mineral‐rich springs in central Canada
Author(s) -
Fraser D.,
Reardon E.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
ecography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.973
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1600-0587
pISSN - 0906-7590
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0587.1980.tb00706.x
Subject(s) - spring (device) , odocoileus , evaporite , bedrock , mineral , geology , ecology , geochemistry , environmental science , sedimentary rock , biology , geomorphology , paleontology , mechanical engineering , engineering
Natural mineral‐rich springs which attract moose Alces alces and white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus were studied in a small area in central Canada. The spring water was particularly rich in Na and Cl but also contained levels of K, Ca, Mg, HCO 3 and Mn higher than nearby stream water. In a selection experiment near a natural spring, aqueous solutions of NaCl, NaHCO 3 and Na 2 SO 4 were consumed consistently by the animals while salts of K, Ca and Mg were not. Isotope analysis indicates that the spring waters are part of a modern and probably localized flow system. Evaporite minerals and extensive fractures in the local sedimentary bedrock appear to account for the salt content of the spring waters.