Several previous study results have already demonstrated that golden jackal and red fox may serve as biological indicators of trace elements and heavy metal concentrations in the various regions they inhabit. The aim of this study was to evaluate accumulation patterns of targeted elements (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni and Pb) in liver samples of red foxes and golden jackals collected during the same period in the southern part of Romania. The accumulation patterns of trace elements in the livers of sympatric golden jackal and red fox were practically the same. To date, separate studies of the species individually in different habitats have shown that either of the species can be used for ecotoxicological and biomonitoring studies. Moreover, in general gender related studies, no significant differences in the concentrations of the investigated elements were found in either jackals or foxes. Also, average metal concentrations in liver samples do not show significant differences between groups under and above 12 months of age.

The study was performed on 20 (10 males, 10 females) roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) to investigate the concentration of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in the muscle tissue. They reside in forest and meadow, about 50 km distance from industrial activities and traffic. Samples were taken from the musculus biceps femoris of each deer without external contamination after shooting during the regular hunting season on a hunting area close to Eger in Hungary. The determination of heavy metal contents was carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The statistical analysis was performed by statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 11.0. The measured residue concentration of cadmium was below the limit of detection in the roe deer meat indicating no health risk for the consumers. The average lead concentration (0.48 ± 0.21 mg/kg wet weight) exceeded the regulated maximum limit, but its calculated weekly intake was below the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI). The residue level of mercury is not regulated and the average mercury content of roe deer meat (0.87 ± 0.40 mg/kg wet weight) was about half of PTWI, but the consumption of meat with the highest detected concentrations results in higher PTWI than recommended. The measured concentration of arsenic (0.27 ± 0.20 mg/kg wet weight) in the roe deer meat may not pose any health risk for the human consumers according to the PTWI set by the World Health Organization.

During our research we utilized data provided by GPS collars to compare the spatial patterns of wild boars living in lowland and high-hilly regions. Five wild boars were fitted with GPS Plus (Vectronic) type collars. The two aforementioned investigated habitat areas were as follows: a high-hilly hunting ground from the foot of the Bodoc Mountains (Covasna County), and the meeting point of Olt and Danube rivers in the southern part of the country (Teleorman County). The average daily wild boar activity varied between 2.9 and 3.1 km in the lowlands and between 3.6 and 4.9 km in the higher situated habitats. The average daily movement area calculated with the minimum convex polygon method was between 60.3 and 112.5 ha/day in the lowlands and between 113.5 and 125.2 ha/day in the high-hilly regions. The movement area of the wild boars calculated with the MCP method varied between 1,060 and 1,2001 hectares in lowlands and between 8,689 and 9,463 hectares in higher altitudes. Our data proved inadequate at testing whether or not large carnivores affect wild boar activity patterns. Habitat use analysis produced interesting results: even in a very diverse habitat, every collared individual preferred green forests. We found negative preference for agricultural fields in both habitats.

No abstract

KivonatNapjainkban jelentős erdőgazdasági kárt okoznak a Mosoni-Duna térségében élő hódok (Castor fiber). A tanulmányban a hód által veszélyeztetett erdőterületek meghatározásával foglalkozunk. Mintaterületeinket a Mosoni-Duna mentén, hód lakta partszakaszokon tűztük ki különböző gazdaságilag jelentős erdőkultúrákban, ahol vizsgáltuk a hód táplálékprefe-renciáját és élőhelyhasználatát a megrágott törzsek száma és elhelyezkedése alapján. Ivlev-index számítással egyes faés cserjefajok esetében (pl. Corylus avellana: 0,25 Prunus padus: 0,22 Salix sp.: 0,83) pozitív preferenciát mutattunk ki és sikerült meghatároznunk e kultúrák különösen veszélyeztetett területrészeit is. A megrágott törzsek 75%-át a parttól számított 10 méteren belül találtuk. Kutatásunk eredménye alapján a jövőben pontosabban meghatározhatóak a különö-sen kár érzékeny erdőterületek.Kulcsszavak: Mosoni-Duna, Castor fiber, táplálékpreferencia, Ivlev-index, Jacobs-index élőhelyhasználat WOODY NUTRIENT PREFERENCES AND HABITAT USE OF THE EURASIAN BEAVER (CASTOR FIBER LINNAEUS, 1758) AT THE MOSON DANUBE AbstractBeavers (Castor fiber) inhabiting the Moson Danube region presently cause considerable damage to the forestry sector. In our study we discuss forest areas affected by the activities of the beavers. We marked out plots in economically significant forest cultures in riverside sectors inhabited by beavers along the Moson-Danube where we studied the beavers' nutrient preferences and habitat use based on the number and location of chewed trunks. We have identified positive preferences in the case of several tree and shrub species (Corylus avellana: 0.24 Prunus padus: 0.22 Salix sp.: 0.82) and we have determined the areas of these cultures that have been particularly affected. We found that 75% of the chewed trunks are within 10 metres of the riverbanks. As a result of our research, forests particularly sensitive to damage can be determined more precisely.