Seasonal Deer Diets in Central Texas and Their Response to Brush Control

Waid, Douglas D.; Warren, Robert J.; Rollins, Dale

doi:10.2307/3671361

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Under poor range condition, the amount of browse in the diet was 56% (Waid et al 1984). Greater kudu consumed many of the same plants, such as Texas oak (McMahan 1964), prickly pear (Everitt & Drawe 1974), Texas persimmon (Everitt & Drawe 1974), live oak (Bryant et al 1981, Waid et al 1984), and Ashe juniper (Bryant et al 1981, Waid et al 1984) found in white‐tailed deer diets. McMahan (1964) described Texas oak as a preferred white‐tailed deer food.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros, a large African herbivore, occupies the browser trophic niche in southern Africa (Wilson 1965, 1970, Conybeare 1975, Owen‐Smith 1979, Owen‐Smith & Cooper 1985, Owen‐Smith & Cooper 1989). The white‐tailed deer is the primary native browser in the Edwards Plateau Ecological Region of Texas (McMahan 1964, Bryant et al 1981, Waid et al 1984); therefore, dietary overlap and competition between greater kudu and white‐tailed deer could exist. Based on the size of greater kudu (adult male weight: 290‐315 kg) compared to white‐tailed deer (adult male weight: 45‐59 kg), the greater kudu might limit forage available to white‐tailed deer, depending on the extent of dietary overlap.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Seasonal Diet and Foraging Preference of Greater Kudu Tragelaphus Strepsiceros in the Llano Uplift of Texas

et al. 2007

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The greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros, a large African herbivore, occupies the browser trophic niche. This species has been introduced into selected areas of Texas inhabited by the white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus, a native browser. Based on similar trophic function, potential interspecific competition could exist between these two species. The objectives of our study were to: 1) describe the seasonal diets of greater kudu in Texas and 2) determine if greater kudu show preference for plants that might create competition with white-tailed deer. We documented the seasonal diet and forage preference of greater kudu at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area from 15 May 2001 to 25 February 2002 by identifying epidermal fragments of plants in faecal pellets. We identified and quantified 49 species of plants eaten by greater kudu. Annually, browse made up 80.2% o ft h ed i e t ,w h i l e7 . 6 % mast, 6.5% grasses, 3% forbs and 2.7% unidentified material comprised the remaining parts of their diet. Important browse species included Texas/blackjack oak Quercus buckleyi/Q. marilandica, plateau live oak Q. fusiformis,AshejuniperJuniperus ashei,mesquite Prosopis glandulosa, prickly pear Opuntia sp., flameleaf sumac Rhus lanceolata, and Texas persimmon Diospyros texana. We measured availability of forage plants by quadrat and line intercept methods concurrent with faecal pellet collection. We compared plant use (dietary composition) with plant availability and assessed forage preference by greater kudu using loglikelihood x 2 -tests with Bonferroni corrected confidence intervals and Manly's alpha indices. We detected statistically significant differences between plant use and availability (P , 0.05). Purple horsemint Monarda citriodora, Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis, mesquite, flameleaf sumac, Texas/blackjack oak and Ashe juniper were preferred species. Relative preference of general forage categories by greater kudu in Texas was similar to that reported from Africa. Basedon our findings, greater kudu could compete with white-tailed deer for browse forage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Seasonal Diet and Foraging Preference of Greater Kudu Tragelaphus Strepsiceros in the Llano Uplift of Texas

et al. 2007

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“…Quercus resprouts, primarily Q. pungens, were an important forage for white-tailed deer during the period of this study (Waid et al 1984). Also, deer kept Q. virginiana resprouts on cleared areas browsed to ground level year-round.…”

Section: Overstory Reductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Texas wintergrass, the major cool-season forage species, almost doubled on chained sites. In addition to being an important forage for livestock (Vallentine 1960, Bryant et al 1979, Texas wintergrass is one of the few grasses used readily by white-tailed deer (Bryant et al 1981, Waid et al 1984.…”

Section: Forage Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Floral Changes following Mechanical Brush Removal in Central Texas

Rollins¹,

Bryant²

1986

Journal of Range Management

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A field study was initiated in May 1981 to monitor the effectiveness of mechanical brush control (chaining) as a method of reciaiming Asbe juniper (Juniperus ashdi~oak (Quercus spp.) dominated rangelands in central Texas. Brush was cleared from 4 sites by double-chaining and the resultant siash was burned. Brush canopy reduction and herbaceous standing crop were monitored for 2 growing seasons following treatment. Total brush canopy at 1 year post-treatment was 80% less than untreated brush stands. Chaining was more effective for Ashe juniper (93% reduction) than for oaks (64-75% reduction). Grass and forb standing crop at 22 months post-treatment was 55% higher on chained sites during all collection months.

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“…An increase in forbs is a desired effect of mechanical treatments, yet response of herbaceous vegetation to mechanical brush management treatments may depend on precipitation (Waid et al 1984, Rollins and Bryant 1986, Bozzo et al 1992a. Weather patterns in South Texas are highly unpredictable with highly variable rainfall amounts between locations and frequent periods of short -term drought (Norwine and Bingham 1985).…”

Section: Conclusion and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation Response of a Mesquite-Mixed Brush Community to Aeration

Ruthven¹,

Krakauer²

2004

Journal of Range Management

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Responses of plant communities to mechanical treatments such as aeration on semiarid rangelands are not clearly understood. Our objective was to compare woody and herbaceous plant cover, density, and diversity on aerated and nontreated rangelands. Five rangeland sites that were aerated with a double /tandem drum aerator during summer 1998 and 5 sites of nontreated rangeland were selected for study on the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area, La Salle County, Tex. Woody plant cover was estimated using the line-intercept method, and stem density was estimated in 30 x 1.5 m plots in 1999 and 2000. Forb and grass cover and density were estimated in 20 x 50 cm quadrats during spring and fall 1999. Woody and herbaceous plant diversity did not differ between treatments. On aerated sites percent woody plant cover was 4-fold less 1-year after aeration and increased 89% from the first to the second growing-season post treatment. Canopy cover of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.), twisted acacia (Acacia schaffneri S. Wats.), and Texas pricklypear (Opuntia lindheimeri Engelm.) was greater on nontreated sites. By the second growing season after aeration, density of honey mesquite was greater on aerated sites, whereas Texas pricklypear had declined on aerated sites. Density of spiny hackberry (Celtis pallida Torr.) and Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana Scheele) was greater on aerated sites during the first growing-season post treatment. Cover and stem density of hog-plum (Colubrina texana T. & G.), coma (Bumelia celastrina Kunth), and whitebrush [Aloysia gratissima (Gill. & Hook.

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Seasonal Deer Diets in Central Texas and Their Response to Brush Control

Cited by 6 publications

References 19 publications

Seasonal Diet and Foraging Preference of Greater Kudu Tragelaphus Strepsiceros in the Llano Uplift of Texas

Seasonal Diet and Foraging Preference of Greater Kudu Tragelaphus Strepsiceros in the Llano Uplift of Texas

Floral Changes following Mechanical Brush Removal in Central Texas

Vegetation Response of a Mesquite-Mixed Brush Community to Aeration

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