Relationships between Diet and Fecal Nutritive Quality in Mule Deer

Mubanga, George; Holechek, Jerry L.; Valdez, Raúl; Schemnitz, Sanford D.

doi:10.2307/3671052

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Additionally, increased NDF increases digestion time, thereby reducing forage intake (Mubanga et al. , Church , Allen , Meyer et al. ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the interaction between fecal NDF and fecal N may be a better measure of energy intake compared to either metric alone. Additionally, increased NDF increases digestion time, thereby reducing forage intake (Mubanga et al 1985, Church 1988, Allen 1996, Meyer et al 2010. Moreover, small changes in diet quality can lead to large changes in energy intake over both short and long time scales (i.e., the "multiplier effect"; White 1983).…”

Section: Energy Reserves Energy Intake and Covariatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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State‐dependent behavior alters endocrine–energy relationship: implications for conservation and management

Jesmer

Goheen

Monteith

et al. 2017

Ecological Applications

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Glucocorticoids (GC) and triiodothyronine (T3) are two endocrine markers commonly used to quantify resource limitation, yet the relationships between these markers and the energetic state of animals has been studied primarily in small-bodied species in captivity. Free-ranging animals, however, adjust energy intake in accordance with their energy reserves, a behavior known as state-dependent foraging. Further, links between life-history strategies and metabolic allometries cause energy intake and energy reserves to be more strongly coupled in small animals relative to large animals. Because GC and T3 may reflect energy intake or energy reserves, state-dependent foraging and body size may cause endocrine-energy relationships to vary among taxa and environments. To extend the utility of endocrine markers to large-bodied, free-ranging animals, we evaluated how state-dependent foraging, energy reserves, and energy intake influenced fecal GC and fecal T3 concentrations in free-ranging moose (Alces alces). Compared with individuals possessing abundant energy reserves, individuals with few energy reserves had higher energy intake and high fecal T3 concentrations, thereby supporting state-dependent foraging. Although fecal GC did not vary strongly with energy reserves, individuals with higher fecal GC tended to have fewer energy reserves and substantially greater energy intake than those with low fecal GC. Consequently, individuals with greater energy intake had both high fecal T3 and high fecal GC concentrations, a pattern inconsistent with previous documentation from captive animal studies. We posit that a positive relationship between GC and T3 may be expected in animals exhibiting state-dependent foraging if GC is associated with increased foraging and energy intake. Thus, we recommend that additional investigations of GC- and T3-energy relationships be conducted in free-ranging animals across a diversity of body size and life-history strategies before these endocrine markers are applied broadly to wildlife conservation and management.

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“…Additionally, increased NDF increases digestion time, thereby reducing forage intake (Mubanga et al. , Church , Allen , Meyer et al. ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Energy Reserves Energy Intake and Covariatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

State‐dependent behavior alters endocrine–energy relationship: implications for conservation and management

Jesmer

Goheen

Monteith

et al. 2017

Ecological Applications

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“…In New Mexico, confined mule deer experienced digestive problems and had depressed forage intake when forced to eat high-grass diets (Mubanga et al 1985). Conversely, mule deer fed highforb and -shrub diets (similar in crude protein content to the grass diets) had no digestive problems and higher intakes than the mule deer that were fed grass diets.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elk and Mule Deer Diets in North-Central New Mexico

Sandoval¹,

Holechek²,

Biggs³

2005

REM

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Botanical composition of mule deer and elk diets in winter, spring, summer, and autumn was studied during 1998 and 1999 on woodland rangeland in north-central New Mexico using microhistological analysis of fecal samples. Our study area had no livestock grazing for 60 years but was moderately grazed by mule deer and elk. Elk and mule deer shared 3 of the top 5 key forage species when diets were pooled across seasons and years. These 3 species were oak (Quercus sp.), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.), and mullein (Verbascum thapsus L.). When data were pooled across seasons and years, overall dietary overlap between mule deer and elk was 64%. Diet overlaps of 50% or more occurred between mule deer and elk in all 4 seasons in both years of study. Throughout both years, mule deer and elk diets were dominated by browse. Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus Raf.) was the most abundant browse plant in mule deer diets; ponderosa pine was most abundant in elk diets. Both animals selected forbs, which were in low supply during the study. Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea Pursh), a nutritious forb, was common in both mule deer and elk diets. Our study and others from woodland rangelands in New Mexico show high potential for forage competition between mule deer and elk. Elk are more dietarily adaptable to changing forage availability than are mule deer. Our study indicates that diets of mule deer and elk are not complementary on woodland rangelands in New Mexico. Therefore, grazing capacity is not increased by common-use grazing of the 2 animals. Both mule deer and elk herds have been increasing on our study area. Therefore, if use of common forage species is kept at moderate levels on southwestern woodland rangelands, mule deer herds can be maintained or increased when elk are present. ResumenLa composició n botánica de las dietas de invierno, primavera, verano y otoñ o de ciervos rojos (Cervus elaphus) y venados (Odocoileus hemonius) que habitan en los pastizales de monte del centro-norte de Nuevo México fue estudiada durante 1998 y 1999 utilizando aná lisis microhistoló gico delas heces. Nuestra á rea de estudio estuvo excluida del pastoreo bovino por 60 añ os pero recibió pastoreo moderado de venados y ciervos rojos. Los ciervos rojos y venados compartieron 3 de las 5 especies forrajeras claves más importantes cuando se analizaron las dietas combinadas de todas las estaciones y de ambos añ os. Estas tres especies fueron roble (Quercus sp.), pino ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.), y barbasco (Verbascum thapsus L.). Cuando se combinaron los datos de todas las estaciones y añ os, el traslape de la dieta entre el ciervo rojo y el venado fue del 64%. El traslape de la dieta del 50% o má s ocurrio en las 4 estaciones y en ambos añ os de este estudio. A lo largo de ambos añ os, tanto las dietas de venados como las de ciervos rojos estuvieron dominadas por forraje ramoneable. Cercocarpus montanus Raf. (mountain mahogany) fue la especie arbustiva má s abundante en la dieta de venados, mientras que pino p...

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“…Despite the suggestions of these experimental studies, the simple linear relationship between FN and DN has been verified in cattle fed both grass and browse in captivity (Holechek et al 1982), as well as in captive black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus columbianus and mule deer O. h. hemionus fed a mixture of grass and browse (Mubanga et al 1985, Hodgman et al 1996 and in North American elk, black-tailed deer, and sika deer Cervus nippon Heude, 1884 fed both grass and browse in the field (Leslie and Starkey 1985, Watanabe and Takatsuki 1993, but see Hobbs 1987. FN reflected the nutritional status of free-ranging deer on winter ranges, where browsing was common (Hodgman and Bowyer 1986).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fecal nitrogen (FN) has been regarded as equivalent to dietary nitrogen (DN), which in turn has been regarded as equivalent to crude protein (DN´6.25), one of the best indices of diet quality (Mubanga et al 1985, Hodgman et al 1996. FN has shown a positive simple linear relationship with DN, for example, when domestic ruminants (Raymond 1948, Holechek et al 1982, Wehausen 1995 and wild ruminants (eg buffalo Syncerus caffer, gazelle Gazella thomsonii; Arman et al 1975) were fed with grass under controlled conditions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%