Annual foods of the Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the east of England

There have been few studies on the foods of Red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) and Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) in British forests. Notable exceptions are the work of Prior (1968), Henry (1978) and Hosey (1981) on Roe deer. British work on the food of Red deer seems to have been confined to studies of animals on upland swards (Charles, McCowan & East, 1977; Staines ∓ Crisp, 1978). However, a more abundant supply of data on the food and feeding of both Red and Roe deer comes from the Continent (Dragoev, 1964; Gabuzov, 1960; Kolev, 1966; Novikov & Timofeeva, 1964; Siuda, Zorowski & Suida, 1969; Dzieciolowski, 1967 a , b , 1969). Even so the data available were obtained from studies made on individual species of deer. This paper reports the results of an investigation into seasonal changes in the diet of Red and Roe deer coexisting in a conifer forest in the east of England.     

Population responses of roe deer to the recolonization of the French Vercors by wolves

In a context of changing carnivore populations worldwide, it is crucial to understand the consequences of these changes for prey populations. The recolonization by wolves of the French Vercors mountain range and the long-term monitoring (2001–2017) of roe deer in this area provided a unique opportunity to assess the effects of wolves on this prey. Roe deer was the main prey of wolves in the west Vercors mountain range during this recolonization. We compared roe deer abundance and fawn body mass in two contrasted areas of a wolf pack territory: a central area (core of the territory characterized by an intense use by wolves) and a peripheral area (used more occasionally). Roe deer population growth rates were lower in the central area between 2001 and 2006, resulting in a decline in roe deer abundance. Roe deer abundance substantially dropped in the two study areas after an extremely severe winter but the abundance of roe deer in the central area facing with wolves was slower to recover and remained at lower abundance levels for 6 years. Fawn body mass was consistently lower in the central area, varied similarly as roe deer abundance, and was not influenced by weather conditions or red deer population abundance. Altogether, the effects of wolves on roe deer in the central area occurred during a 10-year period following the establishment of wolves, through the interplay between wolf predation (before wolves started preying on red deer), harsh winter conditions and possibly naivety of prey to this recolonizing predator.     

4种鹿科动物被毛显微形态学特征研究

应用扫描电镜、偏振光显微镜及光学显微镜对黄麂、黑麂、白唇鹿和狍的背部、腹部、颈部和臀部的毛的髓质指数和鳞片花纹类型进行研究.结果表明,黄麂背、臀、腹、颈等4个部位的毛髓质指数区间为60.5%～84.5%,黑麂4个部位的毛髓质指数区间为62.8%～80.2%,白唇鹿4个部位的毛髓质指数区间为60.1%～90.2%,狍4个部位的毛髓质指数区间为85.8%～93.2%.4种动物的毛鳞片花纹类型较单一,主要包括杂波型、扁平型、镶嵌型和冠状型等,其排列顺序不尽相同.用毛的显微形态学特征对4种动物进行识别具有可行性,但有一定的难度.     

Intolerance amongst deer species at feeding: roe deer are uneasy banqueters

The function of inter-specific interactions in large herbivore assemblies is under debate. We have studied inter-specific interactions between roe and fallow deer on pastures, to assess whether competition between these Cervidae occurs through behavioural interference. Roe were displaced by fallow deer (i.e. the former moved away from the latter at a distance of >50 m) in 83% of cases (N = 127). Ninety-four percentage (N = 83) of displacement events occurred while roe deer were feeding; in 50% of these cases (N = 78), roe stopped grazing and left the feeding ground. Even when fallow deer did not show any sign of direct aggression to roe, these moved away from fallow in 72% of cases (N = 127). Vigilance rate was significantly greater in roe than in fallow deer, irrespectively of the presence of the other species. When roe and fallow deer grazed within 50 m from each other, vigilance rate increased significantly in roe, but not in fallow deer. Roe deer, in a group, were significantly more tolerant of the presence of fallow deer (even in group), than when solitary. Fallow deer seemed to be able to exclude roe deer from feeding sites through behavioural intolerance.     

东北地区狍种群的遗传多样性研究

狍为我国重要的经济动物,并且是国家一级保护动物东北虎的主要猎物之一。因此,深入了解狍各地理单元内种群的遗传变异,可以为我们制定保护管理策略提供依据,进而使珍稀濒危物种得到有效的保护和管理。本文对88个不同狍个体(来自8个不同地点)的线粒体DNA控制区的部分序列进行了测定和群体分析,获得了463bp的片断,并检测到59个变异位点,占分析长度的7.84%,且这59个变异位点皆为碱基置换,未出现碱基插入或缺失的现象,定义了30种单倍型,核苷酸多样性平均值为0.02641,种群总体遗传多样性较高。从Tajima’sD和FuandLi’sD值的估算结果来看,这8个狍种群相对于中性进化的歧异度并没有明显的偏离(P0.1),没有明显的证据显示这8个狍种群间存在很强的平衡选择。30个单倍型整体上将东北狍种群分为3个亚群,分子变异分析表明3个亚群间基因流Nm均大于1,说明这3个狍亚群间存在着基因流。     

Age criteria and life expectancy of Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in coniferous forest in North-eastern England

In a comparative study of ageing techniques on 101 Roe deer from Hamsterley Forest, County Durham, it was found that cementum layering in the incisor was completely reliable and that in the molar slightly less so. Estimates of age from cusp wear and general attrition of the dentition were highly correlated with those from layering. The rate of tooth wear was high. The dry weight of the eye lens was of little value as an index of age. The annual static mortality of both sexes was apparently close to 30% throughout most of the life span, and the form of the life table similar to that of female Roe deer in Thetford Chase, East Anglia, and on the Kala estate in Denmark. The oldest individuals obtained were aged 9½ years.     

The annual diet of the Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the New Forest, Hampshire, as determined by rumen content analysis

By analysing rumen content samples from 105 dead specimens, the annual diet of the Roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) in the New Forest, Hampshire, was determined over the period from November 1970 to March 1973. Bramble and rose formed the bulk of the diet throughout the year, comprising the largest food fraction in all months except January and April. In January to March, foliage from felled conifers, Calluna , and ivy were major foods, plus lesser amounts of grasses, herbs and fungi. From May until early winter, herbs and grasses were important. New, tender, spring and summer growth from broadleaved deciduous trees, bilberry and holly was eaten in appreciable quantities. Acorns were a characteristic autumnal food. Abundant potential foods which Roe deer seldom selected included rushes, sedges, mosses, bark and dead hardwood leaves. Widespread species that Roe rarely consumed were Corsican pine, Erica tetralix, E. cinerea , gorses, bog myrtle and the grasses Agrostis setacea, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Deschampsia caespitosa and Molinia caerulea .     

Survival and causes of death of European Roe Deer before and after Eurasian Lynx reintroduction in the Bavarian Forest National Park

The return of the Eurasian Lynx to Central Europe has led to a number of conflicts. A primary subject of discussion involves its predation on other wildlife species. Here, we investigated the influence of lynx on its main prey, Roe Deer, in the Bavarian Forest National Park in south-eastern Germany. We compared the survival rates of deer before and after reintroduction of lynx. The analysis is based on data from 1984 to 1988 and 2005 to 2008 of 88 and 99 radio-collared Roe Deer, respectively. During the first period, 35 deer deaths were documented; during the second period, 41 deaths were documented. The causes of death in the second period were lynx 44%, road kill 15%, hunting 12%, and other causes 29%. We used the Cox model to determine the influence of covariables on the hazard rate, which made it possible to consider interactions between the variables. The resulting model includes the four main effects sex, age, presence of lynx, and severity of first winter, and the three interactions—presence of lynx:sex, age:severity of first winter, and sex:severity of first winter, which had a statistically significant influence on Roe Deer survival.     

Prediction of habitat suitability,connectivity, and corridors in the future to conserve roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) as a locally endangered species in northern Iran

Roe deer is a protected species in Iran as its population and distribution in the country have considerably declined. Roe deer are threatened by several factors such as habitat fragmentation and road mortality, so studying their distribution and movement through the increasing habitat destruction and fragmentation is necessary. This will become increasingly important because climate change will transform the species’ future habitat and connectivity patterns. We evaluated the roe deer’s potential distribution range in northern Iran and, for the first time, developed connectivity models and designed corridors for the present and future to make better conservation plans. We collected 91 points indicating the presence of roe deer in the study region. After developing ensemble models using six species distribution algorithms, we defined high-ranked habitat cores using the concept of landscape suitability prioritization. From these, we designed connectivity and corridors in two time-frames with the help of least-cost paths and circuit theories to predict the potential movement throughout the study area. We estimated that the overall core habitats for roe deer in the present and future periods are, respectively, around 1200 km² and 2600 km², corresponding to 2 and 4 percent of the whole area. This suggests that the habitat core will expand in the future as a result of climate change. Similarly, the connectivity among the cores will strengthen. We also conclude that the temperature-driven and anthropogenic variables significantly affect the distribution of roe deer in northern Iran. It is necessary that conservationists and managers consider the designed corridors in the present study while planning conservation strategies.     

张广才岭南部东北虎猎物种群冬季营养容纳量研究

猎物匮乏是影响东北虎（Panthera tigris altaica）种群恢复的关键因素之一。容纳量研究是开展东北虎猎物恢复工作的必要前提。通过Maxent模型、聚类分析和训练随机树分类等方法,结合调查数据,预测了吉林省张广才岭南部黄泥河林业局东北虎主要猎物的适宜栖息地空间分布,解译了植被类型,在此基础上基于不同植被类型动物可采食部分代谢能、不同生境等级食物可利用率、马鹿（Cervus elaphus）和狍（Capreolus capreolus）生境等级重叠情况以及动物冬季能量需求,分析了东北虎猎物的冬季营养容纳量。结果表明：黄泥河林业局狍、野猪（Sus scrofa）和马鹿的适宜栖息地分别占研究区域总面积的52.8%、40.7%和25.4%;从猎物获取能量来看,以山杨（Populus davidiana）、桦树（Betula）、核桃楸（Juglans mandshurica）为主的植被类型是马鹿、狍可获得能量较多的生境,以蒙古栎（Quercus mongolica）、核桃楸为主的植被类型是野猪可获得能量较多的生境。东北虎猎物种群的综合冬季营养容纳量为574只马鹿（0.29只/km²）,7016只狍（3.54只/km²）,4785只野猪（2.38只/km²）。     

A review of factors affecting deer dispersion and their relevance to management

Factors affecting the dispersion of deer are reviewed, and their relevance to the management of British species. Most of the information is taken from studies of European Red and Roe deer, and also from North American species. Home range/territory size is discussed; individual home range sizes vary within species, and are largely associated with habitat structure and/or climate. It is suggested that traditional behaviour and social factors may be important in limiting home range size and deer distribution. The role of food, shelter and freedom from disturbance are reviewed in relation to deer dispersion and movements. It is suggested that deer will occupy areas with a good combination of all the major factors rather than the best of any one. Suggestions for research on British species, with a view to management, are put forward.     

Defecation frequency in Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in relation to the accumulation rates of faecal deposits

Average defecation frequencies of Roe deer in Britain seem to vary from around 17 faecal deposits/deer/day in 'poor' habitats to about 23/deer/day in 'good' habitats. Although it is not yet known if there are appreciable seasonal variations, these average values can be used in estimating site occupation and population density from observations on the rates of accumulation of faecal deposits in sample areas of ground. The 'faecal accumulation method' requires semi-permanent plots which are first cleared of old faeces and then checked after a set time to measure the accumulated new deposits. Uncorrected measurements can be used as comparative indices of animal abundance, but being able to convert them into more meaningful units is of greater value in ecological studies.     

Comparative use of forest habitats by roe deer and moose in a human-modified landscape in southeastern Norway during winter

The negative impact of anthropogenic disturbance and land-use changes on large mammals is generally recognized within conservation biology. In southeastern Norway, both moose (Alces alces) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) occur throughout human-modified landscapes, facilitating an interesting comparative study of their habitat use. By using pellet group counts, we looked at the importance of forest structure, vegetation characteristics and human disturbance (e.g., distance to the nearest house, nearest paved road, and nearest edge between field and forest) in shaping the winter distribution of both species at multiple spatial scales, in non-agricultural habitats. Moose occurred more often in areas with higher densities of heather and Vaccinium sp. in the ground layer, and used areas with more open forest structure. The proportion of built-up areas, within a 1,000-m buffer, negatively influenced moose occurrence. Roe deer occurred more often in areas with deciduous trees and patches with juniper and Vaccinium sp. in the ground layer, used areas near roads less, but were significantly associated with areas near the field–forest ecotone. The proportion of built-up areas positively influenced roe deer distribution within a 2,500-m buffer. Roe deer seem to be able to persist in more human-dominated landscapes, possibly due to the availability of field–forest edges providing both high-quality fodder and cover in close proximity. Moose, on the contrary, did not show any preference for areas associated with human disturbance, and their distribution was only associated with patches providing food.     

动物毛发石蜡切片的制作

目的:探讨哺乳动物针毛横断面的快速简易的制作方法,从毛发横断面上观察毛发微观结构。方法:取新疆部分哺乳动物(马鹿塔里木亚种Cervus elaphus yarkandensis,藏羚羊Pantholops hodgsoni,野双峰驼Camelus bactrianus,狍子Capreolus capreolus)的毛发,先将其清洗然后经浸蜡、包埋、切片、染色、封片等一系列过程的研究,得发毛横断面。结果:各动物毛发微观结构差异显著:马鹿塔里木亚种,毛皮质极薄,毛髓质占大多数;藏羚羊,由若干多边行空囊组成,内部中空;野双峰驼,毛皮质与毛髓质所占比例相当;狍子,毛皮质约占2/3,毛髓质约占1/3。结论:为利用哺乳动物毛发进行种属鉴定奠定一定科学理论基础。     

Genotyping of Capreolus pygargus fossil DNA from Denisova cave reveals phylogenetic relationships between ancient and modern populations

Background

The extant roe deer (Capreolus Gray, 1821) includes two species: the European roe deer (C. capreolus) and the Siberian roe deer (C. pygargus) that are distinguished by morphological and karyotypical differences. The Siberian roe deer occupies a vast area of Asia and is considerably less studied than the European roe deer. Modern systematics of the Siberian roe deer remain controversial with 4 morphological subspecies. Roe deer fossilized bones are quite abundant in Denisova cave (Altai Mountains, South Siberia), where dozens of both extant and extinct mammalian species from modern Holocene to Middle Pleistocene have been retrieved.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We analyzed a 629 bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region from ancient bones of 10 Holocene and four Pleistocene Siberian roe deer from Denisova cave as well as 37 modern specimen belonging to populations from Altai, Tian Shan (Kyrgyzstan), Yakutia, Novosibirsk region and the Russian Far East. Genealogical reconstructions indicated that most Holocene haplotypes were probably ancestral for modern roe deer populations of Western Siberia and Tian Shan. One of the Pleistocene haplotypes was possibly ancestral for modern Yakutian populations, and two extinct Pleistocene haplotypes were close to modern roe deer from Tian Shan and Yakutia. Most modern geographical populations (except for West Siberian Plains) are heterogeneous and there is some tentative evidence for structure. However, we did not find any distinct phylogenetic signal characterizing particular subspecies in either modern or ancient samples.

Conclusion/Significance

Analysis of mitochondrial DNA from both ancient and modern samples of Siberian roe deer shed new light on understanding the evolutionary history of roe deer. Our data indicate that during the last 50,000 years multiple replacements of populations of the Siberian roe deer took place in the Altai Mountains correlating with climatic changes. The Siberian roe deer represent a complex and heterogeneous species with high migration rates and without evident subspecies structure. Low genetic diversity of the West Siberian Plain population indicates a recent bottleneck or founder effect.     

Roe deer Capreolus capreolus behaviour affects density estimates from distance sampling surveys

1. Roe deer Capreolus capreolus were surveyed at night along tracks and roads in plantation forests in North Yorkshire, UK. Distance sampling was used to estimate their density. This method has been proposed for monitoring deer populations in state‐owned forests throughout the UK. 2. Most deer were stationary on detection and the vast majority did not change their behaviour during observation. Few deer were observed on the transects, suggesting that they were avoiding tracks and roads at night as opposed to moving in response to the observer. 3. This has implications for data analysis and hence the results of surveys. Left‐truncation or grouping of data close to the transect line to cope with road avoidance decreased the precision of the population estimate and may have impacted upon its accuracy. 4. Use of roads and tracks in forests is the only realistic option for transect surveys of deer at night but the influence of these features on deer distribution and hence density estimates must be taken into consideration when conducting such surveys.     

The influence of time factors on the dynamics of roe deer collisions with vehicles

Environmentalists and authorities responsible for road safety are trying to reduce the number of wildlife collisions with vehicles (WCV) worldwide. Roe deer are the most common large animal involved in WCV in Europe. This article discusses the distribution of 2010 wildlife-vehicle collisions involving roe deer (WVRD) in Lithuania in 2013 and 2014. The collisions were analyzed in terms of monthly and daily data for each month separately, and the results are compared with the time of sunrise and sunset in Lithuania. By analyzing trends of natural factors that influence the number of collisions we show that the frequency of WVRD is strongly correlated with seasonal and yearly changes in sunrise and sunset. This research shows that these natural factors are extremely important for the dynamics of WVRD. Future analysis of these factors and application of appropriate preventative measures should significantly reduce the risk of collision between vehicles and roe deer.     

In vitro digestibility of seasonal forages used by wapiti and roe deer in northeastern China

Seasonal changes in in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of five forage classes (browses, sedges, forbs. ferns and the bark of Ulmus spp.) used by wapiti and roe deer were determined in relation to chemical composition, using the two-stage technique of in vitro trial with rumen inocula from one wapiti and one roe deer captured in winter. Wapiti and roe deer showed remarkable fluctuation in IVDMD among seasons and forage classes. IVDMD decreased from 43.8-64.3% in spring to 29.4-40.5% in winter for wapiti, and from 52.4-77.4% in spring to 25.9-36.5% in winter for roe deer. There was significant variation in IVDMD among species of browses for wapiti and roe deer. IVDMD ranged from 28.5% to 58.7% in twigs and from 39.8% to 58.2% in leaves for wapiti, and from 24.1% to 67.7% in twigs and from 40.0% to 71.7% in leaves for roe deer. Roe deer had higher IVDMD (40.0-71.7%) in both leaves and twigs of browses than wapiti (35.9-58.7%) during snow-free seasons, but IVDMD of twigs was lower for roc deer (25.9-36.5%) than wapiti (29.4-38.4%) in winter. Significant multiple correlation was found between NDF and ADF, and IVDMD in sedges, forbs and ferns for both wapiti and roe deer, whereas only roe deer showed the significant multiple correlation for leaves of browses.