~ Alaska Moose - Ecosystem Engineers ~

7.5”x11.25" Watercolor, Watercolor Pencil, Graphite Pencil, Ink Pen, Dry Pastel & Salt on Arches 140 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper with a Deckled Edge Moose are the largest of the deer family and graze on tall grasses and shrubs during the summer, and woody shrubs and pinecones during the winter months, consuming roughly 10 pounds of shrubbery a day. More than just herbivores though, Moose feeding habits have a significant impact on the entire surrounding habitat rendering them “ecosystem engineers”.  An Ecosystem Engineer is any organism that creates, significantly modifies, maintains or destroys a habitat to the point that they have a large impact on the species richness and landscape-level diversity of an area.   "Moose play an important role in the ecological landscape of southeastern Alaska. For example, at high moose population densities, selective browsing of key deciduous plant species can alter soil nutrient cycling processes and the successional trajectory of pla