Plains and wood bison fecal samples, diet content, and diet quality

Understanding ecological niche is critical to the management and conservation of any species or population. For herbivores, dietary niche is critical for understanding habitat suitability, carrying capacity, and population and community viability. In closely related species with similar morphologies, dietary niches can diverge depending on environmental and seasonal factors. Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada, contains populations of both American bison (Bison bison) subspecies—plains bison (B. b. bison) and wood bison (B. b. athabascae)—in similar but separate habitats located at the historical confluence of the subspecies’ distributions. Using generalized additive models and nutritional geometry, we compared the subspecies’ dietary niches in terms of content and quality continuously for one year (Dec 2020 – Nov 2021). Both subspecies consumed primarily graminoids during winter, spring, and fall and incorporated a variety of forbs and woody plants during summer. Plains bison d..., We collected fecal samples once every calendar week in both the northern and southern blocks at Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada. We started collecting samples in the first week of December 2020 and ended collection during the last week of November 2021. We determined bison locations via global positioning system collar data or via observations by EINP staff. We collected all samples within 6 days of known bison occurrence at a location and then froze the samples. We ensured the freshness of fecal samples by observing bison defecating and collecting the samples after the bison moved away. An EINP employee with expertise in aging bison fecal samples led collection efforts. We collected samples from mixed herds, which included adult females and juveniles, yearlings, and calves of both sexes. We used composite samples to account for potential differences in diet composition and quality between different sexes and age classes (Mooring et al. 2005, Jung 2015). We took approximately ..., , # Plains and wood bison fecal samples, diet content, and diet quality

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.866t1g21r](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.866t1g21r)

## Description of the data and file structure

### Files and variables

#### File: NIRS\_EINP.csv

**Description:** Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) data to determine diet quality metrics from composite, bison fecal samples collected in Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada.

##### Variables

* FecalID: Unique identification for each composite fecal sample.
* Subspecies: Bison subspecies, either Plains or Wood
* Season: Season classification either (winter = December - February, spring = March - May, Summer = June - August, or Fall = September - November)
* Month: Month of year
* Mon_num: Number corresponding to month (e.g., January = 1, February = 2, etc.)
* Week: Week within month of fecal sample collection, either 1, 2, 3 or 4
* Date: Calendar date (m/d/yyyy)
* Northing: UTM zone 12 northing
* Easting: UTM zone 12 easting
* CP...,