Deer Food Research Articles

Estimasi Populasi dan Habitat Rusa Timor (Rusa timorensis Blainville1882) dalam Kawasan Taman Wisata Alam Menipo

Knowing the population and habitat conditions of Timor Deer (Rusa timorensis), which is a protected animal, is very important to ensure the survival of this species. One of the most important habitats for Timor Deer is Menipo Nature Park, which must be well managed to support the welfare and sustainability of the species. Good management includes protection of natural habitats, regular population monitoring, and sustainable conservation efforts so that Timor Deer can survive in their natural environment. The purpose of this study was to estimate the population and habitat conditions of Timor deer in Menipo. The method used is a combination of point and path, while the habitat is described descriptively. From the results of research on the 571 ha habitat area, the population of timor deer was estimated to be 399 individuals with a population range of 366 to 432 individuals at the 95% confidence interval with a population density of 1.14 individuals per hectare. The population structure showed an inverted pyramid, indicating less than optimal conditions in terms of population age distribution. The sex ratio was 2:5 for juveniles, 2:3 for adults, and 1:1 for the old age group. This sex ratio is not good for the timor deer population as 1:5 is good. The most common type of grass for deer is timor grass (Ischaemum timorensis). Other grass species are Microlaena stipoides, Paspalum scrobiculatum, Imperata cylindrical, and Desmodium capitulum shrub. However, some areas of this habitat are covered by alien invasive species, Cromolaena odorata, which needs to be eradicated to maintain food availability. Mangrove parts eaten by Timor deer (Rusa timorensis) include young leaves, young stems, and exfoliated bark. Mangrove species commonly found as food for deer include Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera parviflora, and Sonneratia alba. Keywords: habitat, Menipo, population, timor deer, Rusa timorensis

Analysis on Changes and Influencing Factors of the Intestinal Microbiota of Alpine Musk Deer between the Place of Origin and Migration.

In China, the population of wild musk deer, belonging to the family Moschidae, has drastically decreased in recent years owing to human activities and environmental changes. During the 1990s, artificial breeding of Alpine musk deer was conducted in Xinglong Mountain, Gansu Province, China, and their ex situ conservation was explored for over a decade. Ex situ protection is beneficial for expanding the population of animals and maintaining their genetic diversity; however, it can also induce metabolic diseases and parasitic infections and reduce reproductive capacity. The gut microbiota of animals has a considerable impact on host energy metabolism and immune regulation, thereby playing a crucial role in the overall health and reproductive success of the host. In this study, by comparing the differences in the intestinal microbiome of the musk deer according to their place of origin and migration, the changes in their gut microbiota and the influencing factors were explored to provide a theoretical basis for monitoring the health status of the musk deer. We used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the structure and diversity of the gut microbiota of Alpine musk deer in Gansu (G, place of origin) and Sichuan (S, place of migration). The results showed that the dominant bacteria and genera in the intestinal microbiome of captive musk deer were similar in the places of origin and migration, but significant differences were observed in their relative abundance (p < 0.05). Regarding Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, which are related to plant cellulose digestion, the relative abundance in group G was higher than that in group S; regarding Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, which are related to fat and starch intake, the relative abundance in group S was higher than that in group G; the relative abundance of Bacillus and Clostridium sensu stricto, which are related to fiber digestibility, was higher in group G than in group S; the relative abundance of conditional pathogens Acinetobacter and Escherichia-Shigella was higher in group S than in group G. The results of α and β diversity analysis also showed significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). The ACE and Shannon indices of musk deer in group G were considerably higher than those in group S, and the Simpson index of musk deer in group S was greater than that in group G, indicating that the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiome were higher in musk deer of Gansu than those of Sichuan. Comparison of the changes in the intestinal microbiome of the musk deer according to the place of origin and migration showed that the plant cellulose content in the food of the musk deer, the fat content in the concentrated feed, and changes in the feeding environment have an impact on the intestinal microbiome. Effective monitoring of the health and immunity of the musk deer is crucial for ensuring their overall health, which in turn will aid in formulating a scientific and reasonable management plan for their conservation.

KEPUASAN PENGUNJUNG TERHADAP PRASARANA DAN SARANA DESTINASI WISATA RANCA UPAS DI KABUPATEN BANDUNG, PROVINSI JAWA BARAT

Study aims to determine visitor satisfaction with tourist destination infrastructure and facilities at Ranca Upas Bandung Regency using a quantitative descriptive analysis research method. The sampling technique in this study was by accidental sampling technique with 56 respondents and processed using a Likert scale. Based on the results of the study, West Java Province was the origin of the most visitors in this study, and assessing the infrastructure facilities provided by the Ranca Upas tourist destination was very satisfied. Meanwhile, the least number of visitors came from East Java Province who assessed that the infrastructure and facilities at Ranca Upas were very dissatisfied. The most popular tourist attractions at Ranca Upas tourist destinations are deer breeding, this is because respondents can interact directly with deer along with affordable deer food prices, while what is less desirable is the Outbound area which is quite far from other attractions and there are no directions. make visitors do not know the location of the outbound area. From the data above, the majority of visitors are quite satisfied with all infrastructure and facilities.

Effects of plant community and altitude on food composition of Cervus elaphus wallichii during the withered grass period on the Tibetan Plateau, China.

How Tibetan red deer (Cervus elaphus wallichii) acclimates to high altitude environment during the withered grass period is one of the challenges in maintaining their nutrient intake. It is an important basis to study the nutritional ecology of wild large ungulates in alpine ecosystems by investigating the changes in plant communities with altitude during the withered grass period and how these changes affect the food composition of Tibetan red deer. In this study, we selected the Tibetan red deer in Sangri County, Shannan region of Tibet as the research subject. We carried out field surveys on the altitude, plant communities, and feeding traces of the Tibetan red deer in March of 2021 and 2022 during the withered grass period on the Tibetan Plateau. Detrended correspondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis were used to study altitudinal variations in plant communities and the regularity of food composition. The results showed that during the period of withered grass, Tibetan red deer ate primarily Salix daltoniana, Rosa macrophylla var. glandulifera and Dasiphora parvifolia. S. daltoniana accounted for more than 50% of the food composition, as the main food resources for red deer in withered grass period. In the low altitude area (4100-4300 m), plant community included Caragana versicolor, R. macrophylla and Berberis temolaica, and Tibetan red deer mainly ate R. macrophylla, C. versicolor and Artemisia wellbyi. In higher altitude area (4300-4600 m), plant community consisted of Rhododendron nivale, Rhododendron fragariiflorum, and Sibiraea angustata, and Tibetan red deer mainly fed on S. daltoniana, Salix obscura, and Carex littledalei. At different altitudes, the dominant plant species were the main food of Tibetan red deer. It is suggested that the changes of plant community composition with altitude directly affected food composition of Tibetan red deer, indicating different food composition patterns with altitude gradients.

Long‐term changes in food habits of deer and habitat vegetation: 25‐year monitoring on a small island

AbstractHow vegetation change caused by ungulates affects other ungulate species has been well studied, yet how grazing the vegetation of the habitat affects a species own food habits is not known. Long‐term studies on the effects of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on vegetation have been performed, but not in the context of the species own food habits. I monitored grassland vegetation and deer food habits on an island in northern Japan for 25 years from 1975 to 2000. During the first decade, deer grazing caused the replacement of Miscanthus sinensis tussocks by a Zoysia japonica sward. Deer diets in 1976 were composed of equal proportions of M. sinensis, Pleioblastus chino, and Z. japonica, but after the 1980s, Z. japonica became their major food source. This is because of the high productivity of Z. japonica afforded by its morphology and physiology, as well as by the warm and humid summer climate of the Japanese archipelago. Although the vegetational changes were gradual, changes in the deer food habits were abrupt and the compositions were predominated by Z. japonica after the first decade. This study showed that an ungulate changed its own diet because of its effect on the vegetation by grazing, and that the changes in vegetation and deer diet were not synchronized over a 25‐year monitoring period.

There is only one winner: The negative impact of red deer density on roe deer numbers and distribution in the Słowiński National Park and its vicinity.

Red and roe deer are the most numerous cervids in Europe, and they occur in sympatry in most regions. Roe deer were considered to be an inferior competitor in studies in which they co‐occurred with fallow deer or muntjac. Despite the remarkable overlap of their ranges, there are few studies on the competition between the red and roe deer. Since interspecific interactions among ungulates are often related to their mutual densities, the current study focused on the effects of high red deer density on the roe deer numbers and spatial distribution in the unhunted Słowiński National Park (SNP) in northern Poland and forest districts open to hunting bordering the park. Using fecal pellet group counts, it was found that in the forest districts (where red deer densities were 2–3 times lower than in the SNP), roe deer densities were significantly higher than in the park. The red‐to‐roe deer density ratio was 10.8 and 2.7, in the SNP and the surrounding forest districts, respectively. Moreover, in the SNP, the roe deer distribution was negatively affected by the red deer habitat use, while in the hunting areas, such an effect was not recorded. The negative influence of the red deer on the roe deer population in the park was most probably due to the red deer impact on food availability. The biomass of the plant groups forming the staple food of the roe deer (Rubus spp., forbs, dwarf shrubs) was significantly higher in the fenced plots than in the unfenced ones. Lack of hunting in the protected areas may benefit only some species in ungulate assemblages which, in turn, may contradict one of their objectives—to maintain viable and ecologically functional populations.

Ecological and Economic Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on Deer Pastures

Due to the great industrial pressure, the northern territories suffer from heavy pollution. This leads to the deterioration of all biological resources in this region, the breakage of natural food chains, including the deer food resources which are crucial for the traditional nature management practices of the indigenous peoples of the North. Unsatisfactory conditions at deer pastures and the improper use of the pasture lands lead to the reduction of deer foraging lands due to their transformation into industrial facilities (mostly). This calls for an assessment of environmental damages done to the territories. It is also crucial to perform an economic assessment of actions aimed at the reduction of anthropogenic load in the polluted areas.

Altitudinal variation in sika deer food habits on Mt. Miune, Shikoku, Japan

Altitudinal variation in sika deer food habits on Mt. Miune, Shikoku, Japan

Compatibility of Dual Enterprises for Cattle and Deer in North America: A Quantitative Review

Grazing by livestock, particularly cattle (Bos spp.), is the dominant land use across North American rangelands and often co-occurs in habitats used by wildlife. Deer (Odocoileus spp.) are an ecologically and economically important native wildlife species in North America. Sustainable management and profitable economic returns require an understanding of the factors driving cattle-deer compatibility. Cattle are compatible with deer when cattle grazing does not negatively impact deer or their habitat requirements (food, cover, and space). We reviewed 2,685 publications on cattle-deer interactions across North American ecosystems to assess the compatibility of these two important genera. We extracted data from 85 of the publications, years ranged from 1930–2015, that met criteria for quantifying cattle-deer diet overlap, and cattle effects on deer food, cover, and space. We determined that cattle-deer compatibility across North American ecosystems is dictated: mostly by geographic region; followed by cattle stocking rate and season; and marginally by soil texture. Cattle and deer were compatible across North American ecosystems when cattle stocking rate was less than 0.12−0.17 AUY ha−1. Cattle-deer diet overlap was lowest during summer and autumn. Although, cattle had the greatest potential to decrease forbs in the northeastern forested ecoregion on clay soils during autumn. Cattle had little measurable effect on habitat variables important to deer in open North American ecoregions dominated by herbaceous vegetation. In contrast to rangelands, cattle had the greatest potential to adversely impact deer food, cover, and use of space in forest-dominated ecoregions in North America. However, observations in eastern forested ecoregions only represented 6−16% our data sets. Our review reveals a range of conservative cattle stocking rates (0.12−0.17 AUY ha−1) that will have minimal impact on deer using rangelands, and that stocking rates in forested ecoregions may need to be reduced further to minimize impacts to deer and their habitat requirements.

Monitoring deer food and browsing in forests: Coherence and discrepancies between national and local inventories

Field-based monitoring of deer food availability and browsing on recruiting forest trees is a necessary but labour-intensive task. We explored how such estimates from a low-resolution multipurpose national forest inventory (NFI) (plot density 0.3 km−2) corresponded with estimates from local inventories that specifically and in greater detail monitor the availability of deer food and browsing intensity (LFI) (plot density 2–3 km−2).We used NFI and LFI data from 16 moose Alces alces ranges (mean area 276 ± SE 69 km2) in southern Norway. Only the height segment 30–130 cm of browsable trees could be obtained from the NFI data, while moose can browse trees from 30 to 300 cm in height. According to the LFI, the browse species did not have similar proportions of their browsable stems below 130 cm. Using only the stems from heights of 30–130 cm overestimated the availability of RAS (rowan, aspen and sallow) relative to birch (silver birch and downy birch) and Scots pine.The browsable biomass per stem of each species also varied between ranges, which introduces uncertainty to the food availability estimates that are based on stems only. Nevertheless, the NFI density of stems at 30–130 cm heights can be a useful index for species-specific comparisons of browse availability across ranges, because the variations between ranges in stem densities outweighed the biomass variations per stem. The NFI and LFI estimates of the species-specific densities of stems at 30–130 cm heights were significantly related and close to isometric (1:1), especially for RAS and pine.We did not find strong relationships between NFI and LFI in the browsing intensity (i.e. proportion of shoots that were browsed during the winter). The explained variation was only 11% (R2) for RAS (p = 0.281) and 32% for pine (p = 0.028). This was likely due to the small sample sizes of browsed trees in the NFI and methodological differences between the NFI and LFI in how browsing intensity is estimated. ConclusionsUsing data from national forest inventories can be an efficient but low-resolution way to monitor browse availability for deer, provided that the monitoring includes the full range of tree heights reachable for the deer (e.g., 30–300 cm for moose). It is also a prerequisite that the number of NFI plots is sufficient to cover the spatial variability of the area. Regarding browsing intensities, adjustments in both the NFI and LFI approaches are needed to make the two monitoring schemes more comparable.

Spatiotemporal pattern models for bioaccumulation of pesticides in herbivores: An approximation theory for North American white-tailed deer

Dietary exposure is a major cause of pesticide bioaccumulation in herbivores. However, various types of natural conditions affect the structure of the complicated herbivores' diets, making it difficult to assess their exposure to pesticides. In this study, to evaluate the role of pesticides in the terrestrial food web, a dynamic hybrid dietary model was developed for North American white-tailed deer (or whitetails), which integrates different plant types and the digestibility of deer's foods. Moreover, an equivalent season approach was introduced to generalize the pesticide intake rate geographically. The results indicate that the soil-to-whitetail (meat) bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values in summer are significantly higher than those of other seasonal periods, owing to the high food availability and digestibility. Pesticides with low octanol/water partition coefficients have a high computed soil-to-plant BAF, but a low plant-to-whitetail (meat) BAF, because the transpiration process dominates the bioaccumulation process in plants. Lipid absorption plays a more important role in herbivores and lowers the biomagnification ratio (a smaller amount of pesticides flows to the next level of the food chain). According to the equivalent season approach, geographic locations with warmer climates facilitate pesticide bioaccumulation at a higher level of the terrestrial food web.

Marine fog inputs appear to increase methylmercury bioaccumulation in a coastal terrestrial food web

Coastal marine atmospheric fog has recently been implicated as a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems through the process of sea-to-land advection of foggy air masses followed by wet deposition. This study examined whether pumas (Puma concolor) in coastal central California, USA, and their associated food web, have elevated concentrations of MMHg, which could be indicative of their habitat being in a region that is regularly inundated with marine fog. We found that adult puma fur and fur-normalized whiskers in our marine fog-influenced study region had a mean (±SE) total Hg (THg) (a convenient surrogate for MMHg) concentration of 1544 ± 151 ng g−1 (N = 94), which was three times higher (P < 0.01) than mean THg in comparable samples from inland areas of California (492 ± 119 ng g−1, N = 18). Pumas in California eat primarily black-tailed and/or mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and THg in deer fur from the two regions was also significantly different (coastal 28.1 ± 2.9, N = 55, vs. inland 15.5 ± 1.5 ng g−1, N = 40). We suggest that atmospheric deposition of MMHg through fog may be contributing to this pattern, as we also observed significantly higher MMHg concentrations in lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii), a deer food and a bioindicator of atmospheric deposition, at sites with the highest fog frequencies. At these ocean-facing sites, deer samples had significantly higher THg concentrations compared to those from more inland bay-facing sites. Our results suggest that fog-borne MMHg, while likely a small fraction of Hg in all atmospheric deposition, may contribute, disproportionately, to the bioaccumulation of Hg to levels that approach toxicological thresholds in at least one apex predator. As global mercury levels increase, coastal food webs may be at risk to the toxicological effects of increased methylmercury burdens.

Where to Forage When Afraid: Does Perceived Risk Impair Use of the Foodscape?

Human disturbance associated with energy development on winter ranges of migratory mule deer can prompt behaviors of perceived risk in areas near development. We evaluated how perceived risk affected the use of available food near development. Mule deer avoided disturbance at multiple scales, resulting in a loss of otherwise available food near development; a consequence of which was indirect habitat loss that was 4.6 times greater than direct habitat loss. Such multiplicative effects of indirect habitat loss in reducing the amount of available food for mule deer may result in winter ranges that support fewer animals than they did before development. Photo credit: Samantha Dwinnell. This photograph illustrates the article “Where to forage when afraid: Does perceived risk impair use of the foodscape?” by Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Hall Sawyer, Jill E. Randall, Jeffrey L. Beck, Jennifer S. Forbey, Gary L. Fralick, and Kevin L. Monteith published in Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1972

Seasonal Change of Deer Occurrence and Damage of Plant Biomass in the Mosaic Landscape of Artificial Grasslands and Forests

This study surveyed the relative usage, amount of food, and consumption of food of deer in three habitat types as artificial forests located more than 1 km away from an artificial grassland (hereafter FO), forest edges located within 50 m from the artificial grassland (hereafter FE), and the artificial grassland (hereafter AG). The relative usage by deer of the three habitat types was evaluated by using motion-triggered cameras, and the amount and consumption of food were evaluated through a comparison of plant biomass within and outside fences (control). The relative usage of AG was much higher than that of other habitat types except in winter. The relative usage of FO was generally lower than that of other habitat types but increased in winter. The plant biomass of control in AG was significantly lower than that of fence in AG regardless of season. The plant biomass of control in FO was significantly lower than that of fence in FO only in winter. This study showed that sika deer preferentially selected artificial grasslands but used forests in winter. The mosaic landscape of artificial grasslands and forests is the most suitable landscape for sika deer.

Ветеринарные проблемы оленеводства в регионе европейского севера России

Objective of research. As deer are kept year-round on pasture (in summer in tundra in the northern coast of the Russian arctic; in winter — in forest-tundra and northern taiga), biogeocenosis and natural focality of most parasitic and infectious diseases were formed over the years. That should be considered when developing methods for combating them, and to determine the optimal timing of mass treatment and prevention measures.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The question naturally arises, which living and nonliving components ensure pathogen survivability, contribute to the emergence and spread of infectious and invasive diseases. Each disease is characterized by specific factors requiring careful examination and generalization based on the study of clinical records and epizootic diseases in reindeer of the European North of Russia.&#x0D; Results and discussion. Dominant diseases of reindeer in the European region of Northern Russia, requiring greater attention of veterinary experts and against which it is necessary to conduct a regular complex of veterinary, prevention and treatment measures are: anthrax, edemagenosis, cephenomiosis, necrobacillosis, echinococcosis, cysticercosis, rabies, leptospirosis, number of helminthoses (strongylatosis, monieziasis, cysticercosis, etc.). This is a brucellosis-free region, and for many tens years no outbreaks of FMD were reported. The vast majority of the tundra is located in the permafrost zone; the area is dotted with numerous canals, lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, between which in summer on shallow layered soil, grow bushes of willow, dwarf birch, berries, grass and lichen, the main food of deer.&#x0D; The fauna of the tundra is rich and diverse. Here live wolves, foxes, bears, rodents (lemmings, mice), rabbits, birds (geese, ducks, partridges, gulls) and other animals. In summer, “clouds” of midges (mosquitoes, midges, horseflies, flies) are flying in the air. In the region, there are still places virtually untouched by man. However, in recent years, intensive industrial development of the region began to carry out exploration and extraction of oil, gas and other minerals. Oil and gas pipelines, roads, power lines are built which certainly cannot affect negatively the extremely vulnerable nature of the North. &#x0D; For example, reindeer moss trampled or torn down by moving offroaders can be restored only after 7-10 years. Summer season in the North is a very short period, there are usually few warm and sunny days. These negative factors lead to reduced pastures and do not contribute to the growth of the deer population, their health status and fatness.

Evaluation of winter food quality and its variability for red deer in forest environment: overwintering enclosures vs. free-ranging areas

AbstractPopulations of European ungulates have grown substantially over recent decades, resulting in considerable environmental and socio-economic impacts. Availability and quality of natural and supplemental food sources are among the main factors driving their population dynamics. Detailed knowledge of food quality of management-targeted species is therefore of primary importance for their successful management. The main aim of this study was to evaluate winter food quality and its variability for an important ungulate species in the Czech Republic - i.e. red deer, using faecal indices (faecal nitrogen, faecal acid detergent fibre, faecal neutral detergent fibre) and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. We compared food quality for red deer and its possible differences between overwintering enclosures (i.e. fenced areas where red deer spend harsh winter conditions) and neighbouring unfenced free-ranging areas within two study areas. The results obtained showed that winter food quality and its variability for red deer are of different quality and variability in the overwintering enclosure and neighbouring free-ranging area. The observed differences in concentrations and amounts of variation of faecal indices are most probably related to animal densities at individual study areas. Wildlife managers should therefore keep animals in overwintering enclosures at moderate densities and to provide high quality forage to all individuals in order to balance nutrition of both the individuals inside and outside the enclosures. Nevertheless, further studies are needed in order to provide deeper knowledge on red deer food quality and its variability in space and time.

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Concentrations, composition and interrelationships of selenium and metallic elements (Ag, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sr, Tl, V and Zn) have been examined in muscle and organ meats of Red Deer hunted in Poland. The analytical data obtained were also discussed in terms of Se supplementation and deficit to Deer as well as the benefits and risk to humans associated with the essential and toxic metals intake resulting from consumption of Deer meat and products. These elements were determined in 20 adult animals of both sexes that were obtained in the 2000/2001 hunting season from Warmia and Mazury in the north-eastern part of Poland. The whole kidneys contained Ba, Cd, Cr, Ga, Pb, Se, Sr and Tl at statistically greater concentrations than liver or muscle tissue from the same animal. Liver showed statistically greater concentrations of Ag, Co, Cu, Mn and Mo than kidneys or muscle tissue, and muscle tissue was richer in Zn, when compared to the kidneys or liver. Cs and Rb were similarly distributed between all three tissue types, while V was less abundant in liver than kidneys or muscle tissue. There were significant associations between some metallic elements retained in Red Deer demonstrated by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the data set. In organ and muscle meats (kidneys, liver and muscle tissue considered together) the first principal component (PC1) was strongly influenced by positively correlated variables describing Se, Ba and Cd and negatively correlated variables describing Ag, Co, Cs, Mn, Pb, Tl and V; PC2, respectively, by Cu, Mn and Mo (+) and Zn (−); PC3 by Ga (+) and PC4 by Sb (+). Selenium occurred in muscle tissue, liver and kidneys at median concentrations of 0.13, 0.19 and 4.0 mg/g dry weight, respectively. These values can be defined as marginally deficient (< 0.6 mg Se/kg liver dw) or satisfactory (≤ 3.0 mg Se/kg kidneys dw) for the amount required to maintain the Deer's body condition and health, depending on the criterion for supplementation used. In terms of human nutritional needs, a relatively high selenium content of kidneys can be beneficial. The muscle meat, liver and kidneys of Red Deer can be considered as a very good source of essential Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Mn, Se and Zn in the human diet. Lead is generally considered as toxic, and the concentrations found in Red Deer (via the food chain intake) were well below the European Union tolerance limit. Pb from the lead bullets can always create food hygienic problem, if not well recognized during sanitary inspection, and this was noted for one muscle meat sample in this study (5% surveyed). There is no tolerance limit of Cd in game animal meats. The median values of Cd noted in fresh muscle tissue, liver and whole kidneys were 0.07, 0.18, and 3.3 mg/kg wet weight, respectively. Cd exists as a chemical element present at trace levels in plants and mushrooms in Deer's food chain in background (uncontaminated) areas. When these are consumed by the Deer, the amount of Cd sequestered with metallothioneins and retained in the organ and muscle meat in this study is low enough to be considered safe for human consumption.

Deer feeding selectivity for invasive plants

Native generalist herbivores might limit plant invasion by consuming invading plants or enhance plant invasion by selectively avoiding them. The role of herbivores in plant invasion has been investigated in relation to plant native/introduced status, however, a knowledge gap exists about whether food selection occurs according to native/introduced status or to species. We tested preference of the native herbivore white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for widespread and frequently occurring invasive introduced and native plants in the northeastern United States. Multiple-choice deer preference trials were conducted for the species and relative preference was determined using biomass consumption and feeding behavior. While more native than introduced plant biomass was consumed overall, deer food selection varied strongly by plant species. Results show consistent deer avoidance of several invasive introduced plants (Alliaria petiolata, Berberis thunbergii, and Microstegium vimineum) and a native plant (Dennstaedtia punctilobula). Other invasive introduced plants (Celastrus orbiculatus, Ligustrum vulgare, and Lonicera morrowii) and a native plant (Acer rubrum) were highly preferred. These results provide evidence that herbivore impacts on plant invaders depend on plant species palatability. Consequently, herbivore selectivity likely plays an important role in the invasion process. To the extent that herbivory impacts population demographics, these results suggest that native generalist herbivores promote enemy release of some plant invaders by avoiding them and contribute to biotic resistance of others by consuming them.

Bird Bone Flageolet from the Walter Bell Site (41SB50) at Lake Sam Rayburn, Sabine County, Texas

The Walter Bell site (41SB50) at Lake Sam Rayburn in the Neches–Angelina river basins in the deep East Texas Pineywoods was excavated by an National Park Service team in 1957. This was a small prehistoric Caddo farmstead or hamlet with two circular houses, a portion of a third house in the area of House 2, midden deposits, and six burials. Based on the kinds of artifacts found at the site (i.e., clay elbow pipes, a high proportion of brushed utility ware sherds from Broaddus Brushed vessels, and lower proportions of Pineland Punctated–Incised vessel sherds), the Walter Bell site was apparently occupied after ca. A.D. 1450–1500, in the Late Caddo period. Four of the burials (Burials 1–3 and 6) were in close association (either inside the house and underneath the house floor) with House 1, one (Burial 4) was inside House 2, and Burial 5 was in an open area, possibly a courtyard or work area between the two Caddo houses. Funerary offerings placed with the deceased included ceramic vessels, Perdiz arrow points, conch shell beads, deer ulna tools and deer food offerings, mussel shells, and engraved bird bone flageolets.

Verification of food supply for red deer under conditions of the air-polluted area of mountain forest ecosystems in the Ore Mountains (Forest District Klášterec nad Ohří)

On the basis of typological classification, representative sample plots 1×1 m were established in forest stands, on meadows and pastures in hunting districts Jelení hora and Černý potok in the area of the Ore Mountains (Forest District Klášterec nad Ohří) in the growing season. The aim of the plots was to determine the existing average area production (kg.m−2) of biomass utilizable by game. The biomass was differentiated to herb, grass and woody components. Analyses proved that the total daily need of food, energy and mineral substances of red deer in both hunting grounds was fully covered by the natural food offer of herb, grass and woody biomass in the growing season even in case of increased requirements, e.g. in the period of growth, lactation or the development of antlers.