基于16S rDNA技术研究隔药饼灸对高脂血症兔肠道菌群属水平的影响

目的 研究隔药饼灸对高脂血症兔属水平肠道菌群的作用，筛选相关菌属。方法 将24只兔按随机数表法分为正常组、模型组和隔药饼灸组，每组8只；干预12周后，观察TC、TG、LDL-C水平的变化，采用16S rDNA高通量测序技术分析属水平菌落差异。结果 与模型组比较，隔药饼灸组兔血清LDL-C、TG、TC水平均下降（均P<0.05）。隔药饼灸组肠道菌群结构发生改善，un＿f＿Muribaculaceae、un＿o＿Gastranaerophilales、瘤胃球菌科UCG-014属、阿克曼菌属相对丰度均显著提高（均P<0.05），毛螺菌属NK4A136、瘤胃梭菌属6、拟杆菌属相对丰度均降低（均P<0.05）。结论 隔药饼灸能改善异常血脂及调整菌群结构，可能与上调un＿f＿Muribaculaceae、un＿o＿Gastranaerophilales、瘤胃球菌科UCG-014属、阿克曼菌属相对丰度，降低毛螺菌属NK4A136、瘤胃梭菌属6、拟杆菌属相对丰度有关。     

泌乳期、干奶期的娟姗牛和荷斯坦牛粪便菌群组成及纤维素降解功能CSCD

目的 探讨泌乳期、干奶期反刍动物粪便的纤维素降解能力和菌群变化。方法 采集娟姗牛和荷斯坦牛泌乳期、干奶期的粪便,通过滤纸崩解实验分析牛粪纤维素降解能力,利用二代测序技术观察泌乳期和干奶期牛粪在滤纸崩解实验前后粪便菌群的结构变化。结果 滤纸崩解实验发现,娟姗牛泌乳期和干奶期粪便菌群纤维素降解能力无显著差异,而荷斯坦牛干奶期粪便菌群纤维素降解能力显著强于泌乳期。二代测序结果表明,荷斯坦牛在干奶期时粪便菌群alpha多样性低于泌乳期,而滤纸崩解后2种牛的粪便菌群alpha多样性均显著升高,且荷斯坦牛干奶期粪便菌群的alpha多样性高于泌乳期;Beta多样性分析显示同种牛在泌乳期和干奶期粪便菌群结构有显著差异。滤纸崩解前2种牛泌乳期和干奶期粪便菌群均以Proteobacteria为优势菌门,但在滤纸崩解后泌乳期和干奶期粪便菌群均以Bacteroidota和Firmicutes为优势菌门。滤纸崩解后,2种牛泌乳期和干奶期粪便菌群属水平组成相似,均以Rikenellaceae＿RC9＿gut＿group、UCG-005、Christensenellaceae＿R-7＿group和UCG-010为优势菌属,且粪便菌群结构趋同。结论 干奶期荷斯坦牛粪便的纤维素分解效果显著。在反刍动物粪便样本中进行纤维素降解功能菌分离筛选时,应于动物干奶期进行自然样本的集中采集。     

基于肠道菌群探讨雄性WHBE兔与日本大耳白兔胆固醇代谢的差异性

目的 从肠道菌群途径分析雄性日本大耳白兔黑眼系(white hair and black eyes rabbit, WHBE兔)和日本大耳白兔胆固醇代谢的差异性。方法 各取4～5月龄雄性WHBE兔和日本大耳白(JW)兔6只,取血检测血脂水平,并取结肠内容物提取DNA后进行16S rRNA微生物测序,观察肠道菌群结构与功能的变化。结果 雄性WHBE兔血清总胆固醇(TC)和低密度脂蛋白-胆固醇水平(LDL-C)均明显低于JW兔(P<0.05)。多样性分析显示,两品系兔的肠道微生物群分离明显,WHBE兔Chao1指数显著低于JW兔(P<0.05)。在门水平,WHBE兔梭杆菌门、软壁菌门和蓝藻菌门的丰度低于JW兔(P<0.05,P<0.01),且厚壁菌门/拟杆菌门比值亦低于JW兔(P> 0.05)。在属水平,WHBE兔中有24个菌属的相对丰度与JW兔存在显著性差异(P<0.05,P<0.01)。LEFSe分析显示,WHBE兔中发现了5个关键菌属,以理研菌科RC9群(Rikenellaceae＿RC9＿gut＿group)最多;JW兔中发现了10个关键菌...     

不同生长性能苏姜猪保育猪肠道菌群差异分析

【背景】苏姜猪是优质瘦肉型新品种猪,断奶仔猪受到多方面应激影响会出现生长性能差异。【目的】研究不同生长性能的苏姜猪保育猪肠道菌群结构的异同。【方法】试验选取了同日龄、体重相近、健康情况良好的的保育仔猪100头,在相同的饲养条件下饲养42 d,试验结束选取体重较轻的为弱仔猪,3头弱仔猪体重为18.43±2.37 kg;体重较大的为健康仔猪,3头健康仔猪体重为27.37±1.36 kg。屠宰后,采集其空肠和盲肠内容物,提取微生物基因组DNA进行高通量测序分析其菌群结构。【结果】苏姜猪仔猪空肠和盲肠在菌群丰度、多样性上有极显著的差异(P<0.01)。苏姜猪仔猪空肠菌群优势菌群为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)的非致病性菌株,占比超过90%。苏姜猪仔猪盲肠优势菌门依次为拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)。门水平组成结构存在差异,弱仔猪厚壁菌门丰度低于健康仔猪、变形菌门丰度高于健康仔猪。苏姜猪盲肠中普雷沃氏菌属(Prevotella)、疣微菌科UCG-005 (Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005)、拟普雷沃菌属(Alloprevotella)等与纤维消化有关的菌属丰度较高。弱仔猪与健康仔猪盲肠菌群在属水平结构存在显著差异(P<0.05),弱仔猪盲肠中普雷沃氏菌-9 (Prevotella_9)、埃希菌-志贺菌属(Escherichia-shigella)、疣微菌科UCG-005 (Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005)、Norank_f_普雷沃氏菌(norank_f_ Prevotellaceae)高于健康仔猪,健康仔猪盲肠中乳酸杆菌属(Lactobacillus)、普雷沃氏菌-2 (Prevotella_2)、土孢杆菌属(Terrisporobacter)、狭义梭菌属1 (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1)高于弱仔猪。其中乳酸杆菌属和土孢杆菌属与仔猪健康相关,埃希菌-志贺菌属与疾病相关。【结论】不同生长性能仔猪肠道菌群构成存在显著差异,研究结果为进一步研究苏姜猪肠道菌群的功能提供依据。     

基于16S rRNA基因测序比较分析不同抗生素干预对小鼠肠道菌群动态变化的影响

目的探讨不同种类抗生素对小鼠肠道菌群多样性和组成动态变化的影响。方法采用健康SPF级雌性C57BL/6小鼠20只随机分为对照组(CON组)6只、万古霉素组(VAN组)6只和多黏菌素组(PMB组)8只,通过饮用抗生素方式连续处理5周,于3周、5周采集小鼠粪便样本进行16S rRNA基因的V4-V5区测序。结果与CON组相比,VAN组处理3周和5周菌群多样性显著降低,以疣微菌门(阿克曼菌科)、变形菌门(肠杆菌科)及无胆支原体科相对丰度显著增加,拟杆菌门(Muribaculaceae菌科、普雷沃菌科)和毛螺菌科显著减少为特征(P均0.05)。PMB组处理3周后,菌群多样性显著增加,以普雷沃菌科和毛螺菌科相对丰度显著增加,疣微菌门(阿克曼菌科)和Muribaculaceae菌科显著减少为特征。PMB处理5周后,菌群多样性显著降低,以疣微菌门(阿克曼菌科)相对丰度显著增加,而厚壁菌门(毛螺菌科)显著减少为特征(P均0.05)。结论用不同种类的抗生素处理不同时间后小鼠肠道菌群组成不同,但多样性均显著降低,且抗生素处理时间越长菌群多样性降低幅度越大,菌群种类越少。     

基于16S rDNA扩增子测序技术揭示真胃左方变位对奶牛粪便微生物的影响

【目的】本试验旨在测定产后健康奶牛和罹患真胃左方变位(left displacement of the abomasum,LDA)奶牛粪便中微生物菌群的变化,以期探讨LDA发生与菌群的关联性,评估其对机体代谢的潜在影响。【方法】采用16S rDNA高通量测序技术,测定10头健康奶牛(Health)、10头真胃左方变位奶牛(LDA)粪便中微生物16SrDNAV3–V4区序列,并对菌群群落结构和多样性进行比较,分析其与LDA发生的相关性。【结果】多样性分析表明,Health组与LDA组奶牛的粪便中微生物多样性和群落组成存在较大的差异,其中LDA奶牛粪便微生物具有较高的物种丰度和种群差异性。对门、科、属3个分类水平上最大丰度排名前10的物种进行分析发现,LDA奶牛疣微菌门、蓝菌门、变形菌门、梭杆菌门、拟杆菌科、p-2534-18B5菌科、艰难杆菌科、梭杆菌科、螺旋菌属、5-7N15菌属和梭杆菌属的丰度显著升高(P<0.05),而螺旋体门、TM7菌门、瘤胃球菌科、理研菌科、密螺旋体属的丰度显著下降(P<0.05)。功能预测分析表明,LDA奶牛碳水化合物代谢和脂质代谢通路相关功能基因显著上调,而遗传信息处理相关功能基因显著下调。【结论】本试验研究了健康奶牛和LDA奶牛粪便微生物的变化,为LDA的致病机理、早期诊断提供了理论依据与研究基础。     

冠突散囊菌发酵液对高脂饮食大鼠肥胖和肠道菌群的影响

本研究旨在探究突散囊菌发酵液对肥胖大鼠脂质代谢和肠道菌群紊乱的影响,为其开发利用提供科学依据。SD大鼠被随机分为正常组、模型组和冠突散囊菌发酵液干预的低、中、高剂量组,以及血脂康阳性对照组。通过高脂喂养建立食源性肥胖大鼠模型,正常组和模型组给予无菌水灌胃,各剂量组灌胃不同剂量冠突散囊菌发酵液。实验为期8周,末次给药后收集粪便和血清,用于肠道菌群分析和相关生化指标测定,并摘取肝脏进行病理学观察。结果显示,模型组大鼠体质量和Lee′s指数显著增加,血脂发生异常,肠道菌群多样性显著降低。冠突散囊菌发酵液显著降低了肥胖大鼠血清中总胆固醇、甘油三酯和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇的含量,提高了高密度脂蛋白胆固醇的含量。测序结果亦显示,冠突散囊菌发酵液显著提高大鼠肠道菌群的多样性,上调瘤胃球菌NK4A214＿group、UCG-005、Christensenellaceae＿R-7＿group等菌群的丰度,下调拟杆菌属Bacteroides和Turicibacter的丰度。LefSe分析还显示,冠突散囊菌发酵液可显著增加大鼠肠道中乳酸菌Lactobacillus丰度,提高肠道的防御功能。综上所述,冠突散囊菌发...     

基于16S rDNA测序的自身免疫性甲状腺疾病患者肠道菌群研究CSCD

目的 探讨Graves病患者、桥本甲状腺炎患者及健康人的肠道菌群结构、多样性和丰度差异。方法 选取2020年8月至2020年12月于湖北省中医院甲状腺疾病诊疗中心就诊的新诊断且未经治疗的Graves病患者(GD组)、桥本甲状腺炎患者(HT组)各15例以及15例年龄、性别相匹配的健康受试者(健康对照组)。采集参与者粪便样本,采用16S rDNA高通量测序法分析肠道菌群,比较各组对象肠道菌群物种组成及丰度差异。结果 与健康对照组相比,GD组患者肠道菌群Sobs指数、Ace指数、Chao指数偏低,Coverage指数偏高(均P<0.05)。GD组与HT组以及HT组与健康对照组比较,其肠道菌群Sobs指数、Ace指数、Chao指数、Coverage指数差异均无统计学意义(均P>0.05)。3组对象肠道优势菌门为拟杆菌门、厚壁菌门、变形菌门、梭杆菌门。瘤胃球菌属、罗斯伯里菌属、罗姆布茨菌属、链球菌属等在3组对象中差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05),其中GD组患者肠道乳杆菌目、链球菌属、链球菌科的相对丰度较高;HT组患者肠道瘤胃球菌属、消化链球菌科、消化链球菌—蒂氏菌目、罗姆布茨菌、梭菌科、严格厌氧梭状芽胞杆菌1、梭菌目的相对丰度较高;而罗斯伯里菌属、光冈菌属在健康对照组中丰度较高。GD组患者肠道中严格厌氧梭状芽胞杆菌1、Odoribacter、Phocea丰度低于HT组,而Streptococcus的丰度高于HT组(均P<0.05)。结论 Graves病患者、桥本甲状腺炎患者的肠道菌群与健康人群有显著差异,促进脂肪累积与能量吸收的菌群在Graves病患者中降低,而条件致病菌在自身免疫性甲状腺疾病患者中丰度增加,这些菌种变化可能通过破坏肠道稳态,干预免疫调节,促进炎症反应介导自身免疫性甲状腺疾病的发病。严格厌氧梭状芽胞杆菌1、Odoribacter、Phocea、链球菌属可能是Graves病和桥本甲状腺炎的关键差异菌属,但还需要进一步的研究以明确这些菌株介导疾病的机制。     

WHBE兔与日本大耳白兔腹泻型肠易激综合征模型的肠道菌群研究

目的比较分析WHBE兔和日本大耳白(Japanese white rabbit,JW)兔腹泻型肠易激综合征(irritable bowel syndrome,IBS)模型肠道菌群的差异性。方法 WHBE兔和JW兔各16只,按品系随机分为两组,即正常对照(NC)组和IBS模型组,每组8只。采用湿热应激复合番泻叶方法建立腹泻型IBS兔模型,观察实验兔的腹围指数、粪便含水量、结肠转运功能,处死后分别取结肠组织和结肠内容物进行病理组织学观察和肠道菌群多样性分析。结果与NC组比,IBS模型兔均出现腹围指数和粪便含水量增加,结肠转运时间缩短,但结肠组织未见病理性改变;同时IBS模型兔Shannon指数和Chao1指数均显著下降(P0.05)。根据OTU分类分析的结果,厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门为兔肠道菌群的绝对优势菌群。与NC组比较,WHBE兔IBS模型组厚壁菌门、疣微菌门、绿弯菌门、Akk菌属、链球菌属均明显下降(P0.05,P0.01),拟杆菌门和rc4-4菌属丰度显著上升(P0.05,P0.01);而JW兔IBS模型组优杆菌属和罕见小球菌属均显著上升(P0.05),乳酸杆菌属、粪杆菌属、韦荣球菌属和链球菌属均显著下降(P0.05)。与JW兔NC组比,WHBE兔NC组厚壁菌门、Odoribacter菌属、韦荣球菌属、链球菌属、颤螺旋菌属、Pseudoflavonifractor菌属较低(P0.05,P0.01),拟杆菌门、疣微菌门、优杆菌属、粪杆菌属、Akk菌属较高(P0.05,P0.01)。与JW兔IBS模型组比,WHBE兔IBS模型rc4-4菌属、粪杆菌属、梭菌属的丰度较高(P0.05,P0.01),而厚壁菌门、多尔氏菌属、粪球菌属和罕见小球菌属的丰度则较低(P0.05,P0.01)。结论 IBS模型兔存在肠道菌群失调,导致菌群多样性降低;WHBE兔和JW兔IBS模型肠道菌群变化均具有其自身的特点,且具有明显的差异性。     

癫痫及伴腹泻癫痫患儿肠道菌群失衡的相关性研究CSCD

目的探究癫痫和伴腹泻癫痫婴幼儿的肠道菌群特征。方法选取2019年5月至2020年6月在西北妇女儿童医院儿童神经内科就诊的0到1岁婴儿10例,其中癫痫病例5例,伴腹泻癫痫病例5例。另选取同期在本院儿保科体检的健康婴儿作为正常组。留取所有受试者的粪便标本提取总DNA,对样本16S rRNA基因V3-V4区进行PCR扩增、测序,对扩增子测序结果进行生物信息学分析。结果癫痫患儿肠道菌群多样性显著低于正常婴儿(P<0.05),腹泻对肠道菌群均匀度分布无显著影响(P>0.05)。癫痫、伴腹泻癫痫患儿及正常婴儿肠道菌群组成和群落结构存在明显差异(P<0.05)。优势菌群主要由放线菌门、变形菌门和厚壁菌门等组成。其中癫痫患儿变形菌门相对丰度显著下降(P<0.05);伴腹泻癫痫患儿变形菌门相对丰度显著升高(P<0.01),为最优势菌门,放线菌门相对丰度显著下降(P<0.01)。属水平中,癫痫患儿肠道双歧杆菌属相对丰度显著升高(P<0.05);伴腹泻癫痫患儿大肠埃希志贺菌属相对丰度显著升高(P<0.01),双歧杆菌属相对丰度显著下降(P<0.01)。对婴儿肠道菌群组间显著性差异物种分析显示,乳杆菌属、嗜血杆菌属在健康婴儿肠道中丰度较高;Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis在癫痫患儿肠道中相对丰度较高;Clostridium_sensu_stricto、克雷伯菌属、肠球菌属在伴腹泻癫痫患儿肠道中相对丰度较高。结论肠道菌群的失调与癫痫症状的发生、发展存在关联,其中双歧杆菌属和Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis可能与癫痫症状存在相关性,而埃希志贺菌属、Clostridium_sensu_stricto可能与伴腹泻癫痫患儿症状存在相关性。癫痫与菌群失衡的因果关系需要进一步研究。     

圈养条件下新疆马鹿两个亚种的肠道菌群比较分析

肠道菌群组成复杂，与宿主肠道内环境动态平衡和健康息息相关。马鹿是鹿科动物中分布最广的种类，亚种分化众多，但现有马鹿肠道菌群研究较少。为丰富马鹿肠道菌群数据，以马鹿的两个亚种为阶元，运用高通量16S rRNA基因测序技术检测了7头雄性天山马鹿和7头雄性塔里木马鹿的肠道微生物，对其核心菌群、结构组成、多样性及肠道微生物的差异进行分析，旨在了解不同马鹿亚种肠道微生物组成差异，为两亚种间肠道菌群的差异提供参考。研究结果表明，塔里木马鹿菌群多样性及丰度低于天山马鹿。厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）、放线菌门（Actinobacteria）、变形菌门（Proteobacteria）及拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）为两组马鹿的优势菌门。此外，天山马鹿肠道中分解蛋白质、脂质的拟杆菌门和变形菌门相对丰度高于塔里木马鹿，而分解植物纤维的双歧杆菌（Bifidobacterium）、瘤胃球菌科UCG 014（Ruminococcaceae UCG 014）的相对丰度低于塔里木马鹿。本研究对天山马鹿及塔里木马鹿肠道菌群组成进行初步了解，可根据研究结果调整其饲料配比，为马鹿饲养管理的改善提供参考。     

Diversity of dung-beetle community in declining Japanese subalpine forest caused by an increasing sika deer population

The Ohdaigahara subalpine plateau in Japan has recently suffered a reduction in primary forest land caused by an increasing population of sika deer (Cervus nippon). Deer have debarked many trees, causing dieback, gradually changing the primary forest first to light forest with a floor that is densely covered with sasa grass (Sasa nipponica) and then to S. nipponica grassland. To examine the effects of vegetative transformation on the dung-beetle community, we compared the diversity and abundance of dung-beetle assemblages in the primary forest, transition forest, and S. nipponica grassland using dung-baited pitfall traps. The species richness and species diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) were significantly highest in the primary forest and lowest in the S. nipponica grassland. The evenness (Smith-Wilson index) was highest in the primary forest and nearly equal in the transition forest and S. nipponica grassland. The abundance was apparently greater in the transition forest than in the primary forest and S. nipponica grassland. These results suggest that loss of primary forest resulting from an increasing deer population decreases the diversity of the dung-beetle community while increasing the abundance of dung beetles in the transition forest. Sika deer use transition forests and grasslands more frequently than primary forests as habitat, but an increase in dung supply there does not necessarily increase the diversity or abundance of dung-beetle assemblages.     

Suppression of Regeneration in New Zealand Mountain Beech Forests is Dependent on Species of Introduced Deer

We compared the impacts on forest regeneration of introduced sika (Cervus nippon) and red (Cervus elaphus) deer in New Zealand. Plot data were used to compare mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides) regeneration between a region with sika deer, and four regions without sika deer. All regions surveyed had red deer present. In the region where sika deer had been present for more than a decade, there was evidence of poor mountain beech seedling regeneration. In the four regions without sika deer, there was evidence of a strong regenerative response at stands with low occupancy by trees. When compared to larger deer species, sika deer have a digestive morphology allowing greater dietary versatility, which may result in them impeding forest regeneration where red deer do not. In contrast to mountain beech, some small-leaved shrub species may have been competitively advantaged by intensive browsing from sika deer. This is contra to a current view that small-leaved shrub species with interlacing branches were able to tolerate browsing from extinct ratite birds, but not introduced deer. Sika deer have been introduced into countries where other deer species are indigenous, such as Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Ireland and the United States of America. Because of their dietary advantage, sika deer may have a greater potential to impede forest regeneration and competitively exclude larger deer species, particularly at low basal area sites where impacts on tree regeneration are likely to be greatest.     

Food habits of sika deer and nutritional value of sika deer diets in eastern Hokkaido, Japan

Rumen content analysis and field observations were used to investigate the food habits and diet quality of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis Heude) from 1991 to 1993 in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. Diets varied seasonally, with deer consuming graminoids and browse in winter, forbs and agricultural crops in spring and summer and all of these plant foods in autumn. Eighty-four plant species with sika deer bite marks were identified and their use also varied seasonally. The diversity of food resources available provided both critical protein and digestible energy, allowing for physiological maintenance and seasonal growth. With these high-quality diets, deer maintained good body condition in eastern Hokkaido, where the population density was relatively low.     

Tracing the genetic roots of the sika deer Cervus nippon naturalized in Germany and Austria

To determine the geographical origin of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) naturalized in Germany and Austria, we sequenced the mitochondrial control region for 214 individuals. Adding these sequences to previously published data from native sika deer across its natural geographic range, the total comes to 245, extending what is already known about the geographical variation in this sequence in Cervus nippon. From these sequences, a neighbour-joining tree was constructed. This tree showed that the 49 different mitochondrial (mt)DNA types are grouped into three distinct phylogenetic clusters, which correspond to different geographic areas. Similarities between sequences of the naturalized sika deer and those described from native sika deer from both southern Honshu, Kyushu with associated islands, and northern Honshu suggest that the ancestors of the sika deer populations in Germany and Austria originated from the Japanese archipelago. In contrast, there is no evidence that female sika deer of Chinese, Taiwanese or north Vietnamese origin were involved in the ancestry of the present sika population in Germany and Austria.     

Food habits of sika deer in the Shiranuka Hills,eastern Hokkaido: a northern example from the north–south variations in food habits in sika deer

Seasonal changes in the composition of the diet of the sika deer population in the Shiranuka Hills, eastern Hokkaido, in 1998 were determined by fecal analyses. The deer were dependent on Sasa nipponica, a dwarf bamboo, throughout the year, particularly in winter when it accounted for as much as 77.7% of the diet. It accounted for 33.1% and 45.6% in spring and summer, respectively, and this decreased to 12.2% in autumn. Besides S. nipponica, all the graminoid categories accounted for large amounts (66–96.7%), while dicotyledonous plants accounted for little (3–8%) except in autumn when they accounted for 31%. The strong dependence of the Shiranuka population on graminoids was different from other Hokkaido deer populations, for example the population from Ashoro/Onbetsu and the extremely high density population on Nakanoshima Island. In spite of these differences, food for all Hokkaido sika deer was poor in winter. Along the north–south geographical cline in the food composition of sika deer along the Japanese archipelago, the Shiranuka population was positioned as a grazer type, in contrast to the southern populations. However, it is important to note that variations are great among local populations in Hokkaido.     

Characteristics of Sasa nipponica grassland as a summer forage resource for sika deer on Mt Ohdaigahara, central Japan

Recently, the sika deer, Cervus nippon Temminck, population has increased on Mt Ohdaigahara, central Japan. The dwarf bamboo, Sasa nipponica Makino et Shibata, is a primary forage plant for sika deer in this area. To demonstrate the characteristics of S. nipponica grassland, especially as summer forage for sika deer, the habitat use intensity of sika deer was estimated by fecal densities, and biomass, growth rate, removal by deer and crude protein content were examined. Sika deer utilized the S.nipponica grassland on Mt Ohdaigahara during summer when the biomass, growth rate and crude protein content of S. nipponica were high. The recent increase in the deer population seems to be partly due to S.nipponica grassland being a favorable summer habitat.     

The evolution of nettle resistance to heavy deer browsing

We examined whether heavy browsing by sika deer, Cervus nippon Temminck, changed morphological characteristics of a Japanese nettle, Urtica thunbergiana Sieb. et Zucc., in Nara Park, where a large population of sika deer has been maintained for more than 1,200 years. Wild nettles of Nara Park exhibited smaller leaf area, 11–223 times more stinging hairs per leaf, and 58–630-times higher stinging hair densities than those of other areas where there was no evidence of sika deer browsing. There were no significant differences in stinging hair length between the areas. Nettles from Nara Park that were cultivated from seeds in a greenhouse retained a larger number and higher density of stinging hairs. In the field, nettles of Nara Park were less frequently browsed by sika deer and showed higher survivorship than nettles that were transplanted from an unbrowsed area into Nara Park. These results indicate that: (1) the U. thunbergiana population of Nara Park has an extremely high stinging hair density compared with those of unbrowsed areas; (2) this characteristic has a genetic basis, and (3) stinging hairs serve as a defensive structure against sika deer, contributing to an increase in survivorship. Thus, we conclude that a U. thunbergiana population in Nara Park, with extremely high stinging hair densities, has evolved through natural selection due to heavy browsing by sika deer.     

Survival and cause-specific mortality rates of female sika deer in eastern Hokkaido, Japan

Survival and cause-specific mortality rates of female sika deer (Cervus nippon) were studied using radio telemetry in eastern Hokkaido, Japan. We captured and radio-collared 18 female deer, and monitored their survival from April 1993 to May 1996. Estimated annual survival rate for adult females was 0.779 (95% confidence interval was 0.609–0.997). The harvest mortality rate of adult females was higher than the natural mortality rate. Experimental female hunting during 1994–1996 contributed to an increase in the mortality rate for females and was useful in the control of the sika deer population.     

Fallen leaves and unpalatable plants as alternative foods for sika deer under food limitation

Feeding behavior and rumen contents of sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck) under food limitation were studied on Nakanoshima Island, Hokkaido. During the phase of population growth, the deer subsisted on tree bark and twigs, deciduous leaves and dwarf bamboos (Sasa spp.) in the winter. After a crash in population, the deer began feeding on the fallen leaves of deciduous trees and continued to do so throughout the year. They also ate unpalatable plants Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. nana Rehd., Senecio cannabifolius Less. and Cynanchum caudatum Maxim. as winter foods, which used to remain untouched by deer, and had accordingly expanded their distributions, following a decrease in the amount of dwarf bamboos available. These facts suggest that sika deer drastically shift their foods and exploit alternative foods under conditions of food limitation.