Relative Palatability of Seven Artemisia Taxa to Mule Deer and Sheep

Abstract

Relative preference for seven important sagebrush taxa in Oregon was established for mule deer and domestic sheep. Mule deer showed highest preference for low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula), mountain big sagebrush (A tridentata ssp. vaseyana), foothill big sagebrush (a recently recognized variant of mountain big sagebrush) and Bolander silver sagebrush (A. cana ssp. bolanderi). They showed intermediate preference for basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. tridentata) and Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) and least preference for black sagebrush (A. nova). Sheep showed highest preference for low sagebrush and medium preference for black sagebrush. They utilized but did not prefer, Bolander silver sagebrush and mountain and foothill big sagebrush and they showed least preference for Wyoming and basin big sagebrush. Genetic variation between kinds of sagebrush taxa influenced animal preference more than environmental variation within a taxon.