A natural climate expert

PHOTO: TORFINN BEKKELUND/SAMFOTOMoose are very particular about what they eat. They want exactly the right mixture of nutritious foods. However, when the climate changes, plant life changes too. Moose have to find the right food by wandering from one area to the next, searching for it. Weather, precipitation and temperature are important elements when moose are eager to chow down.

Equipped with radio transmitters

In Norway, scientists from the Department of Biology at NTNU have now equipped a few hundred moose with GPS devices and radio transmitters. This enables them to follow along as a moose moves around to forage for the right kind of food. Thus researchers can see how climatic changes affect the animal's eating habits. The scientists would like to find out whether moose prefer areas with a wide variety of plants, or areas where there is one particular species that they really like.

Climatic changes have an impact on moose

Although researchers can hardly predict the climate this way, the technique will help them find out how climatic changes affect moose. And perhaps moose can tell them a little more about what is going on with the climate?

Translated by Linda Sivesind

*Published in 'Nysgjerrigper' no. 1/07*