White-tailed deer winter feeding strategy in area shared with other deer species

HOMOLKA, M., HEROLDOVÁ, M. a BARTOŠ, Luděk. White-tailed deer winter feeding strategy in area shared with other deer species. Folia Zoologica, 2008, 57, 283-293. ISSN 0139-7893.
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Abstrakt

Population numbers of introduced white-tailed deer (WTD) have remained stable despite almost no harvesting. One of the factors preventing expansion of the WTD could be lack of high-quality food in an area overpopulated by sympatric deer species. The winter diets were analyzed to recognize their feeding strategy focusing primarily on conifer needle – an indicator of starvation, and on bramble leaves – an indicator of high-quality items. The volume of bramble decreased in all four deer species from November to March. The content of conifer needles in the diet of WTD and roe deer made in spring up 90 % of their diet volume. Conifer needles in the diet of red and fallow deer occurred only in January with snow cover. A high content of conifers can negatively affect condition of WTD and roe deer. The dietary overlap of four sympatric deer species was extensive in winter. All species share a limited good quality food supply when food is scarce, suggesting that interspecific competition may oc

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