Northern Research Day

The University of Alberta's Circumpolar Student's Association annually hosts Northern Research Day.  The intention is to provide a low-stress environment for graduate students conducting research in northern (>40th parallel) and antarctic regions. The interdisciplinary event ignited  stimulating conversations that drew from the diverse backgrounds of the attendees.

I presented on a review I conducted on American bison (Bison bison) diets. Bison were once nearly ubiquitous across North America, but currently have a range restricted to conservation areas (see range maps at bottom). The current herd ranges still occupy a diversity of habitats exposing these mega-herbivores to a variety of plants for forage. I was curious about how consistent bison diets remained throughout their range and how that related to the nutrients they acquire from the different foods. I found significant changes in terms of the foods bison consume and the nutrients they acquire along a latitudinal gradient. I posit that these changes in diet are contributed to differences in the physical appearance between bison further north and south. This research has been submitted to the journal Mammal Review.