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 .     

黑麂食物组成及其季节变化

2002年12月至2003年11月在浙江省九龙山和古田山自然保护区,分季节采集黑麂 (Muntiacus crinifrons)粪便,采用粪便显微组织学分析方法为主,辅以野外观察,对其食性进行研究。结果表明 :黑麂食物包括29科43种(属)植物。食物中的植物类型包括乔木、灌木、藤本、非禾草类草本和禾草类草本五种类型;灌木是黑麂全年的主要食物,它在食物组成所占的比例为55.4%;三尖杉 (Cephalotaxus fortunei)、光叶菝葜(Smilax glabra)、矩圆叶鼠刺(Itea chinensis var. oblonga)、南五味子(Kadsura longipedunculata)和络石(Trachelospermum jasminoides)为黑麂四季都取食且在食物组成中所占比例较高的植物,分别为 17%、16.5%、9%、8.7%和 4.3%,是黑麂取食的主要食物。方差分析表明 :黑麂的主要食物及其主要种类都存在季节变化。夏秋季节,乔木植物在黑麂食物组成的比例低于冬春季节 ,而藤本植物和草本植物则相反,灌木植物变化较小;黑麂取食的五种主要食物中,其中三尖杉和光叶菝葜季节变化极显著,在冬季,三尖杉和光叶菝葜在食物组成比例中最高,达到 21.7%和 24 .3%;在夏季,它们在食物组成比例中下降到最低点,分别是 11.3%和 11.6%,但相对密度(RD)值仍保持最高序位 ;矩圆叶鼠刺和南五味子变化较平缓 ,基本变化趋势相同:冬春季节比例较高,夏秋季节比例有所下降;络石季节变化不明显;由于黑麂的食物组成中禾草类占的比例很小,说明黑麂更接近嫩食者     

Nutritional ecology of a browsing ruminant, the kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), through the seasonal cycle

The activities and food selection of four hand-reared kudus were recorded in a large fenced enclosure containing natural savanna vegetation in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve, South Africa. Leaves of selected species were analysed chemically for crude protein, fibre constituents, phosphorus, condensed tannin and total polyphenols. Available protein and metabolizable energy were estimated allowing for potential antinutritional effects of tannins.
Leaves of palatable deciduous woody plants and herbaceous forbs formed the main dietary constituents during the late wet season. Foliage from palatable evergreens and robust forbs were added to the diet during the dry season. Towards the end of the dry season unpalatable species of evergreens were eaten. At the start of the growing season new leaves of otherwise unpalatable woody species formed the staple food source, together with fruits of Strychnos spp. Correspondingly, protein and digestible dry matter concentrations in the diet declined to reach a low at the end of the dry season.
Total daily food intake increased to compensate for reduced dietary quality during the dry season, until little edible foliage remained. While the estimated daily intake of protein remained well above maintenance requirements, the estimated metabolizable energy intake fell below requirements during the late dry season. Phosphorus intake may have been submaintenance in the dry season. Nutritional balance was dependent on the availability of particular vegetation components to serve as nutritional stepping stones during crucial times of the year. These included forbs during the late wet season, palatable evergreens in the dry season, and Strychnos fruits plus early-flushing woody plants during the dry season-wet season transition.     

青木川自然保护区川金丝猴食性的季节性变化

2005 ～2008 年于陕西省青木川自然保护区使用瞬时扫描法观察了川金丝猴的食性。结果表明,川金丝猴冬季和夏季共取食42 种植物,可鉴定植物归属23 科34 属。川金丝猴食物类型包括果实、花、树叶、树皮、树芽。夏季取食21 种植物的果实或树叶;冬季取食25 种植物。树叶是其冬季主要食物,取食频次占总取食频次的73.0% ;夏季取食果实的频次占总取食频次的72.2% ,灯台树果实是其主要食物。啃食树皮行为主要发生在落叶阔叶林、针叶林与落叶阔叶混交林;在常绿和落叶阔叶混交林中,树皮啃食强度则相对较小。与其它地区金丝猴的食性比较,该地区川金丝猴食物谱较宽。蔷薇科和壳斗科植物在川金丝猴食物组成中最多,杨柳科、桦木科、山茱萸科、槭树科和忍冬科植物也取食较多。     

Nutritional ecology of yellow-bellied marmots in the White Mountains of California

This study examined the basis of diet preference in a mammalian hibernator, the yellow-bellied marmot Marmota flaviventris , in the White Mountains of California. Preference indices calculated from dietary data and food plant availability in the habitat indicated that forb species were preferred over graminoids, particularly in the spring and early summer. Chemical analysis of food plant species suggested that marmots preferred forbs over graminoids because of their lower fiber (cellulose) content and higher concentrations of phosphorus, sodium and possibly protein. Inclusion of graminoids in the diets was probably due to their greater availability in the habitat coupled with the need to maximize the rate of nutrient intake during the short (4–5 month) active season. Seasonal changes in diet composition were noted which may reflect, in part, temporal changes in nutrient demands.     

Summer feeding strategy of Spanish ibexCapra pyrenaica and domestic sheepOvis aries in south-eastern Spain

The feeding strategies of the Spanish ibexCapra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838 and sheepOvis aries Linnaeus, 1758 during summer in the alpine area of Sierra Nevada in south-eastern Spain were compared. The degree of vegetation use by the two ungulates, food availability, diet composition, species selection indices and the effect of plant availability and chemical composition on diet selection were analysed. The available biomass of herbaceous and woody resources was 87 and 13%, respectively. The degree of use was 15% for herbaceous vegetation and 10.3% for woody vegetation. The most used species were those with moderate amounts in diet composition of both ruminants. The main plant groups consumed by Spanish ibex were graminoids (57.5%), shrubs (20.5%) and chamaephytes (14.3%). Sheep consumed graminoids (41.6%), forbs (32.3%) and chamaephytes (20.9%). There was a significant correlation between the two diets, with an overlap of 56.3%. The highest indices of selection were found in items with moderate-low availability and which comprised moderate levels in the diet composition of the two species. Spanish ibex mainly selected diet according to availability, while sheep selection depended on protein content. The ibex consumed cell wall-rich resources such as grasses and shrubs, while the sheep consumed higher quality feed and includes more forbs in its diet.     

Nutrition of bison (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bison bison</Emphasis>), camels (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Сamelus bactrianus</Emphasis>), and horses (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Equus caballus</Emphasis>) from their joint grazing on an isolated steppe pasture

The nutrition of free-ranging bison (Bison bison), domestic horses (Equus caballus), and camels (Camelus bactrianus) were investigated from their joint grazing on a forb-grass steppe pasture. The species composition of consumed plants, selectivity of food plants, and digestibility of plant forage were assessed. Species of the plants consumed and their share in the diet have been determined using microhistological analysis of feces. The plant food selectivity (FS) was estimated by the ratio of the share of plant species in the diet of animals to their portion in the plant community of the pasture. The digestibility is calculated by the ratio of inert (undigested) components (silicon, lignin) in the diet and feces. In summer (June), these characteristics were similar for horses and bison. Both species are typical animals consuming gramineous plants: the share of these plants in their diet is 81–83%, their selectivity of graminoids is equal (1.4), and the digestibility of food is similar (49–51%). Camels differed from bison and horses by all food characteristics: forbs (mainly ruderal annual Bassia sedoides (43%) and Atriplex tatarica (20%)) predominated at 86%; graminoids amounted to 14%. The food selectivity coefficient (FS) for forbs was 2.1, including 7.7 and 2.9 for Bassia and Atriplex, respectively. The digestibility coefficient (60%) was much higher for camels in comparison with bison and horses. Under joint grazing, species with different forage selectivity (horse–camel or bison–camel) affect the plant community of a pasture evenly and preserve its species diversity.     

Autumn-winter diet overlap of fallow, red, and roe deer in forest ecosystems, Southern Poland

The wild population of fallow deer in Central Europe has grown considerably over the last decade. However, information on feeding habits of this alien species in relation to the indigenous red deer or roe deer, in areas of their co-occurrence, is scarce. A prevailing view maintains that their food-niches are distinct, although direct comparative studies have not been carried out. Therefore, the aim of the research was to compare the diets of fallow, red, and roe deer feeding in the same habitat. Research was based on the rumen contents of 242 animals hunted in the autumn-winter season in the forests of Southern Poland. The analyses demonstrated that fallow deer are moderate grazers in such conditions and eat more graminoids in comparison to red or roe deer (36.4% vs. 16.1% or 5.5%, respectively). On the other hand, it feeds on less browse (17.2% vs. 41.4%) or dwarf shrubs (8.4% vs. 19.0%) than red deer, and on less bramble (10.9% vs. 34.6%) or forbs (4.0% vs. 7.6%) in comparison to roe deer (P=0.05). Although the diets of the three deer species differ in terms of the proportion of each food type in their diet, overlapping of their food-niches is high (52.6%).     

The relative share of graminoid and forb life-forms in a natural gradient of herb layer productivity

The proportional share of graminoid and forb life-form in the herbaceous layer was investigated along a productivity gradient at Laelatu, western Estonia With an increase in the herbaceous layer standing crop from 43 5 to 723 7 g m⁻² the graminoid life-form became dominant in total above-ground mass and in species number Three hypotheses to better explain competitive ability of graminoids were tested 1) graminoids are able to form higher foliage, 2) they are able to distribute foliage nitrogen in a more beneficial way, 3) they have better nitrogen use efficiency 21 sample plots 50 × 50 cm were harvested All above-ground parts of vascular plants were removed by two canopy layers Vertical separation of layers were made according to the height of half light interception A species list was compiled, total and leaf masses and leaf nitrogen content of both life-forms were measured by layer ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences in vertical distribution of foliage or foliage nitrogen between life-forms in the productivity gradient, and hypotheses 1) and 2) are not supported by our data-set Hypothesis 3) is approved partly as the nitrogen concentration in graminoid foliage was 20% less than in forbs If one supposes that nitrogen retention time is equal in both life-forms then graminoids must have higher nitrogen use efficiency when compared to forbs Although the influence of life-form x productivity interaction on leaf nitrogen concentration was not significant, there was a tendency that difference in leaf mass to nitrogen ratio of the two life-forms increased with increasing incident light Thus, we can hypothesize that graminoid species dominate in high productive plots where the incident light intensity is also higher due to their better nitrogen use efficiency when compared to forb species     

贺兰山同域分布岩羊和马鹿的夏季食性

2008年78月贺兰山对同域分布的岩羊和马鹿粪便进行采集,利用粪便显微分析法对二者夏季食性进行了研究。从10个沟系中一共收集了297堆岩羊和305堆马鹿粪便,每堆中捡拾2粒粪粒,组成40个复合样本进行分析。结果表明,夏季在岩羊采食的19科35种(属)植物中,针茅(29.74%)、早熟禾(18.82%)、内蒙古邪蒿(10.30%)、灰榆(7.76%)、冰草(7.47%)是其主要食物,针茅是岩羊夏季的大宗食物;夏季在马鹿取食的11科18种(属)植物中,小红柳(36.26%)、山杨(23.10%)、灰榆(16.84%)等是其主要食物,小红柳为马鹿夏季的大宗食物。夏季岩羊采食植物中,乔木占8.67%,灌木占3.97%,禾本科草本占69.43%,非禾本科草本占17.94%;马鹿采食植物中,乔木占89.61%,灌木占5.38%,禾本科草本占1.03%,非禾本科草本占3.99%。从食物多样性和食物生态位宽度来看,岩羊的Shannon-Wiener指数高于马鹿,而马鹿的Pielou均匀性指数和食物生态位宽度指数高于岩羊,岩羊和马鹿共有9种食物重叠,生态位重叠指数为65.17%。     

短尾猴栖息地的季节变化

本文阐述了短尾猴栖息地的季节变化。春季,主要利用海拔570-1600米的常绿阔叶林、常绿、落叶阔叶混交林和落叶阔叶林;夏季,限于海拔1000米以上的落叶阔叶林。秋季的栖息地,在海拔650-1200米常绿阔叶林和常绿、落叶阔叶混交林;冬季仅利用海拔600-900米的常绿阔叶林。此外还报道了短尾猴四季的食物组成。并对栖息地的变化原因,做了初步探讨。     

Tengmalm’s Owl (Aegolius funereus) (Strigidae,Aves) in the North Caucasus

Biology Bulletin - Abstract—Tengmalm’s Owl (Aegolius funereus caucasicus But.) inhabits dark coniferous, pine, and deciduous forests in the mountains of the North Caucasus in the range...     

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.     

Caratteri Fondamentali della Vegetazione delle Paludi Pontine

Abstract

Observations in various microhabitats as regards the composition of different growth forms in an alpine region of Tungnath, northwestern Himalaya, were carried out. Maximum frequency was displayed by mat-forming forbs (Trachydium roylei, 100%) throughout the growing season (May–October). Maximum values for density and Importance Value Index (IVI) (452.10 plants m^?2 and 157.8, respectively) were recorded for tussock graminoids, Poa annua (L.). The IVI of different growth forms exhibited significant positive correlation with stoloniferous graminoids (KD), mat forming forbs (TR) and prostrate creeping dwarf shrubs (GT). A significant positive correlation with plant available water was also detected for mat-forming forbs (TR) and one of the plant species (CN) representing stoloniferous graminoids. The values of concentration of dominance (Cd) ranged from 0.0001 to 0.277. Diversity index (H) was highest (0.532) for tussock graminoids [Danthonia cachemyriana (Jaub &; Spach.), P. annua] indicating the relative abundance of this growth form. Overall, tussock graminoids are dominant in the region, indicating stable and moderate steepness of the slopes, the major topographic feature of Tungnath. Besides topography, grazing, anthropogenic activities and interactions among associated species are the determining factors for the phytostructure of alpine communities in Himalaya.     

Why should a grazer browse? Livestock impact on winter resource use by bharal Pseudois nayaur

Many mammalian herbivores show a temporal diet variation between graminoid-dominated and browse-dominated diets. We determined the causes of such a diet shift and its implications for conservation of a medium-sized ungulate—the bharal Pseudois nayaur. Past studies show that the bharal diet is dominated by graminoids (>80%) during summer, but the contribution of graminoids declines to about 50% in winter. We tested the predictions generated by two alternative hypotheses explaining the decline: low graminoid availability during winter causes bharal to include browse in their diet; bharal include browse, with relatively higher nutritional quality, in their diet to compensate for the poor quality of graminoids during winter. We measured winter graminoid availability in areas with no livestock grazing, areas with relatively moderate livestock grazing, and those with intense livestock grazing pressures. The chemical composition of plants contributing to the bharal diet was analysed. The bharal diet was quantified through signs of feeding on vegetation at feeding locations. Population structures of bharal populations were recorded using a total count method. Graminoid availability was highest in areas without livestock grazing, followed by areas with moderate and intense livestock grazing. The bharal diet was dominated by graminoids (73%) in areas with highest graminoid availability. Graminoid contribution to the bharal diet declined monotonically (50, 36%) with a decline in graminoid availability. Bharal young to female ratio was 3 times higher in areas with high graminoid availability than areas with low graminoid availability. The composition of the bharal winter diet was governed predominantly by the availability of graminoids in the rangelands. Our results suggest that bharal include more browse in their diet during winter due to competition from livestock for graminoids. Since livestock grazing reduces graminoid availability, creation of livestock-free areas is necessary for the conservation of grazing species such as the bharal and its predators including the endangered snow leopard in the Trans-Himalaya.     

Optimal foraging strategies in the diet of the green monkey,Cercopithecus sabaeus,at Mt. Assirik,Senegal

The feeding behavior of one group of green monkeys (Cercopithecus sabaeus)was observed between October 1978 and December 1979 in the Parc National du Niokolo-Koba, Senegal. Details of the vegetational composition of the habitat and seasonal variation in food availability were also recorded. The green monkeys’ diet was omnivorous and diverse, including over 65 species of plants, many invertebrates, and some eggs and meat. Preference was given to fruits and flowers, although particular species were not selected; rather, these foods were eaten in proportion to their availability. Leaves, gum, seeds, and fungi were secondarily preferred foods, their consumption depending mostly on the availability of fruit or flowers. There was little overlap in the composition of the diet from month to month, reflecting the strong seasonality of the environment, although there was a consistent intake of invertebrates each month. Differences in diet between populations of the superspecies C. aethiopsare related to the floristic composition of the vegetation. Data on seasonal variation in the diet and changing patterns of resource availability are drawn together within the framework of optimal foraging theory to examine the adaptive strategies underlying the monkeys’ behavior. Their choice of diet was optimal in that they were more selective when profitable food items were common: higher proportions of the diet were given over to fruit and flowers when food availability was high. In parallel with this strategy, a nutritive balance was maintained by consistent inclusion of invertebrates and at least some foliage in the diet, regardless of the amount of fruit or flowers available.     

The use of scat samples in primate diet analysis

The need for increased dietary studies on nonhuman primates is discussed. A method combining both direct observation and fecal analysis is proposed as the most satisfactory for such studies. The procedure for fecal analysis is outlined and the application of the results discussed. A field investigation concerning the diet of four primates—baboon, vervet, Sykes', and colobus—was greatly aided by the investigator's use of scat analysis. The information proved invaluable for gathering data on the insect portion of the diet as well as for determining the period over which items were eaten. Analysis also indicated the presence in the diet of some items which were not observed being eaten and counteracted differences in morphology and behavior that affected feeding behavior data.     

THE DIET OF RUFFS AND BLACKTAILED GODWITS IN SENEGAL

Tréca, B 1994. The diet of Ruffs and Blacktailed Godwits in Senegal. Ostrich 65: 256–263.

A study of the diet of Blacktailed Godwits Limosa limosa and Ruffs Philomachus pugnax by direct examination of stomach contents emphasizes the importance of rice, which accounted for over 80% of the items eaten. Rice was available at planting time in July-August and after the harvest in November-December. Thus fat deposition for migration, between January and April-May, is based on a rice diet (cultivated or wild rice). Very little animal matter was eaten. The choice of feeding ground will govern food choice among the available food. Birds which have eaten most are those which have found their preferred food.     

Morphology,diet, and stable carbon isotopes: On the diet of Theropithecus and some limits of uniformitarianism in paleoecology

Geladas were long supposed to be the only living primates feeding almost entirely on graminoids and accordingly display dramatic dental and manual adaptive traits. A recent study of Theropithecus gelada, the first in a relatively undisturbed habitat, revealed a more diverse diet, also incorporating large quantities of forbs. The peculiar adaptive traits of T. gelada are also observed in extinct Theropithecus as early as 3.7 Ma. Stable carbon isotopic data of extinct Theropithecus from eastern Africa indicate that specimens older than 3 Ma consumed a significant proportion of C₃ plants (on average ca. 40% of total food intake) whereas specimens younger than 2 Ma consumed more C₄ plants (on average ca. 80%). Recent paleobotanical evidence suggests that C₃ herbaceous plants were still present in non‐negligible proportions in Plio‐Pleistocene lowland tropical ecosystems. Together, the shared morphological adaptive traits of extant and extinct Theropithecus and the varied diets of extant T. gelada suggest that the paleodiets of Theropithecus may have been dominated by herbaceous plants, comprising both C₃ forbs and graminoids and C₄ graminoids. The changes in stable carbon isotopes could correspond to a replacement of C₃ plants by C₄ plants within the herbaceous strata rather than a shift from C₃ woody vegetation to C₄ graminoids. This synthesis highlights the need for a more exhaustive knowledge of the ecology of extant species to achieve meaningful paleodietary and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. A strong selectivity for food resources that are rare in the landscapes (as in T. gelada) should also be considered when interpreting stable carbon isotopes of extinct African mammals (and notably hominids).