True Metabolizable Energy for Seeds of Common Moist-Soil Plant Species

• Published in: The Journal of wildlife management 2007-08, Vol.71 (6), p.1964-1967
• Main Authors: DUGGER, BRUCE D, MOORE, MIKAL L, FINGER, RICH S, PETRIE, MARK J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkalies; Anas platyrhynchos; animal nutrition; Aquatic plants; Birds; chemical constituents of plants; Chenopodium album; Eleocharis; Eleocharis palustris; Energy value; Esophagus; feeds; Food; game birds; habitat quality; Introduced plants; Invasive plants; Invasive species; Lepidium; Lepidium latifolium; Metabolism; metabolizable energy; moist-soil plants; Native species; Plant species; provenance; Research Notes; Schoenoplectus; Schoenoplectus maritimus; seasonal wetlands; Seeds; Soils; true metabolizable energy; Waterfowl; wetland plants; wetland soils; Wetlands; Wildlife habitats; Wildlife management
• ISSN: 0022-541X; 1937-2817
• DOI: 10.2193/2006-144

Understanding the true metabolizable energy (TME) value of food is important for constructing bioenergetic models. We estimated gross energy, nutrient composition, and TME values for the seeds of 3 native and 1 invasive exotic wetland plant that occur in the diet of waterfowl. True metabolizable energy values were 0.50 ± 0.080 kcal/g for spike rush (Eleocharis palustris), 0.65 ± 0.080 kcal/g for alkali bulrush (Schoenoplectus maritimus), 1.31 ± 0.090 kcal/g for perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium), and 2.52 ± 0.080 kcal/g for lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album). The TME value for 3 of 4 species, including the invasive species, was low relative to the TME value of other seeds consumed by waterfowl.