Attraction of wild ungulates to mineral-rich springs in central Canada.

Natural mineral-rich springs which attract moose Alces alces and white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus were studied in a small area in central Canada. The spring water was particularly rich in Na and Cl but also contained levels of K, Ca, Mg, HCO3 and Mn higher than nearby stream water. In a selection experiment near a natural spring, aqueous solutions of NaCI, NaHCO3 and Na2SO4 were consumed consistently by the animals while salts of K, Ca and Mg were not. Isotope analysis indicates that the spring waters are part of a modern and probably localized flow system. Evaporite minerals and extensive fractures in the local sedimentary bedrock appear to account for the salt content of the spring waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]