Energy Intake Relationships for White-Tailed Deer on Winter Browse Diets

Gray, Patrick B.; Servello, Frederick A.

doi:10.2307/3809127

Cited by 42 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…As DE declines, digestible and indigestible fiber in diets increases. Increasing dietary levels of either type of fiber slows the rate of particle breakdown and ingesta passage (Spalinger and Robbins, 1992), and feed intake declines (Minson and Wilson, 1994;Grey and Servello, 1995). Thus, in ruminants, declining nutritive value of diets with an associated increase in dietary fiber intake may: 1) directly affect luteal progesterone synthesis; 2) reduce blood flow to the alimentary tract, metabolism and clearance of plasma progesterone, and fecal P 4 concentrations; 3) increase gut fill due to slowed passage through the GI tract, thereby 'diluting' fecal P 4 concentrations; 4) reduce gut fill in the lower alimentary tract due to reduced food intake, with a resultant increase in fecal P 4 concentrations; or 5) have multiple interactions and compensations among all the above, thereby confounding prediction of dietary effects on fecal P 4 without indexing fecal steroid excretion rates (Wasser et al, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Diet and Body Condition on Fecal Progestagen Excretion in Elk

Cook

Garrott

et al. 2002

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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Recent research demonstrated the utility of fecal progestagens (P 4 ) for detecting pregnancy in elk (Cervus elaphus) during mid-to late gestation. Several factors, however, may influence fecal P 4 excretion and limit its use in free-ranging animals. We investigated the effects of nutrition and body condition (percent ingesta-free body fat) on fecal P 4 concentrations and incidence of abortion. During mid-gestation (late December 1997 through early March 1998), 40 gravid cow elk varying in body condition were placed on three diets (high, medium, and low) in which the amount of food offered varied. Feces were collected periodically and analyzed for P 4 via radioimmunoassay. We found no significant effect of dietary treatment on P 4 concentrations, but as body condition declined, P 4 concentrations declined significantly. This decline did not impede the ability to detect pregnancy based on previously reported criteria, even for elk in such poor condition that they aborted. However, fecal P 4 concentrations in 10% (4/39) of samples collected from 13 non-pregnant animals maintained on a high plane of nutrition were falsepositive for pregnancy. We suggest alternate criteria for determining pregnancy in elk using fecal P 4 values: Ͼ1.25 g/g feces as pregnant, Ͻ1.0 g/g feces as non-pregnant, and 1.0-1.25 g/g feces as inconclusive. Finally, two cows that aborted did not abort until weeks after being classified as emaciated and near death, suggesting that nutrition-associated abortion in elk may not occur during mid-gestation except under extremely harsh conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Diet and Body Condition on Fecal Progestagen Excretion in Elk

Cook

Garrott

et al. 2002

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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“…For the maples, we cannot discount either mechanism given that these species are palatable (Gray and Servello, 1995;Crawford, 1982) and also were abundant at our sites. In contrast, American beech suffered low to moderate browse pressure, depending on canopy openness, despite being abundant at our sites.…”

Section: Sprouts As An Effective Indicator Of Deer Browsing Impactsmentioning

confidence: 97%

The canary in the coal mine: Sprouts as a rapid indicator of browse impact in managed forests

Royo

Kramer

Miller

et al. 2016

Ecological Indicators

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a b s t r a c tForest managers are frequently confronted with sustaining vegetation diversity and structure in landscapes experiencing high ungulate browsing pressure. Often, managers monitor browse damage and risk to plant communities using vegetation as indicators (i.e., phytoindicators). Although useful, the efficacy of traditional phytoindicators is sometimes hampered by limited distribution and abundance, variable browse susceptibility, and lagged responses. In contrast, sprouts possess traits which make them readily available and attractive to browsers, yet fairly resilient to tissue loss. Here, we experimentally evaluate whether hardwood tree stump sprouts are effective and sensitive phytoindicators of deer browse pressure. We measured sprout abundance and height in fenced and unfenced plots at 17 shelterwood harvested sites scattered across a 6500 km 2 region where deer densities varied by nearly an order of magnitude. We found browsing did not alter the proportion of stumps sprouting and sprout density; however, browse pressure varied among the four most abundant species. Acer rubrum and Acer saccharum were heavily browsed, although browse pressure on A. saccharum decreased in areas with greater canopy openness. Fagus grandifolia and Prunus serotina were less preferred. Differences in palatability altered size hierarchies. Averaged across all species, browsing reduced sprout height by 39%, relative to protected sprouts. Under ambient browsing, P. serotina was 60-100% taller than other species and significantly taller than A. saccharum and F. grandifolia. However, within fences A. saccharum and A. rubrum doubled in size, relative to browsed individuals, and were as tall as P. serotina. Deer impact on sprout height within unfenced forest stands was negatively correlated with estimated deer densities (R 2 = 0.46). Thus, we suggest sprout surveys can provide a measure of impact across much larger areas. Our results demonstrate that sprouts, particularly those of Acer species, offer an abundant, easily measured, and reliable indicator of browse pressure. Moreover, browse impacts on sprouts emerged before impacts were detected on seedling abundance, height, or biomass. We argue sprouts can warn of imminent browse risk to seedlings (and perhaps non-woody vegetation) and thereby allow managers to take actions to mitigate or avert losses to the regenerating seedling cohort.Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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“…Litterfall has been reported as deer diet in many published literature (Prisyazhnjuk & Prisyazhnjuk 1974;Crawford 1982;Gray & Servello 1995;Ditchkoff & Servello 1998). All these studies emphasized the importance of litterfall as a winter forage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Summer forage biomass and the importance of litterfall for a high‐density sika deer population

Miyaki¹,

Kaji²

2004

Ecological Research

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The biomass of summer forage and their contributions were surveyed to show that litterfall supported a high-density population of sika deer ( Cervus nippon Temminck) in summer on Nakanoshima Island, Toya Lake, Japan. In July 1974, the grassland had the highest productivity among understory vegetations (228 ± 55 kg ha -1 : mean ± SE). In deciduous forests, palatable plants occupied only 0.1% of the biomass of 0.872 ± 0.366 kg ha -1 , and deciduous leaves within the reach of deer ( = 220 cm at height) produced 0.208 ± 0.070 kg ha -1 . However, litterfall during this period had the highest productivity, 28.7 ± 5.3 kg ha -1 . The deer consumed litterfall (75.6% in dry weight), short grasses (17.2%), deciduous forest understory (4.1%), deciduous leaves within the reach of deer (3.0%) and conifer plantation under story (0.1%). It is suggested that the high-density deer population would be maintained by litterfall through the year instead of browsing in deciduous forests, which has been overlooked.

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Energy Intake Relationships for White-Tailed Deer on Winter Browse Diets

Cited by 42 publications

References 15 publications

Effects of Diet and Body Condition on Fecal Progestagen Excretion in Elk

Effects of Diet and Body Condition on Fecal Progestagen Excretion in Elk

The canary in the coal mine: Sprouts as a rapid indicator of browse impact in managed forests

Summer forage biomass and the importance of litterfall for a high‐density sika deer population

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