Assessing dietary quality of white-tailed deer using fecal indices : Effects of supplemental feeding and area
Assessing dietary quality of white-tailed deer using fecal indices : Effects of supplemental feeding and area
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使用粪便指数评估白尾鹿的膳食质量：补充饲喂和面积的影响
DOI：
10.2307/1382974
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发表时间：
1998
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
J. Jenks
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
R. G. Osborn;J. Jenks
冬季通常被认为是北方纬度地区鹿最紧张的时期，长期食用劣质饲料往往是增加越冬死亡率的主要因素。虽然冬季饮食的白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）在北方黑山，南达科他州，已被记录，这些饮食的质量是未知的。有人认为，低生长的植被和农业用地是保持鹿种群在北方黑山的重要因素，但是，这一假设尚未得到验证。此外，在北方黑山的一些地区已经启动了一项补充喂养计划，但该计划的效果尚不清楚。我们用粪便指数监测饮食质量的变化，在5个研究领域（其中之一包含补充食物地块鹿）在2周的时间间隔，从1992年1月至1993年3月。我们测试的假设，粪便氮（FN）和粪便磷（FP）的浓度不会有不同的季节内或研究区域之间。在1992年的暖冬，FN和FP的浓度上升（P0.05），但与积雪深度呈负相关。在这两年中，补充饲料的鹿比未补充饲料的鹿消耗更高质量的饲料（P < 0.001）。在nonsupplemented鹿，农业用地的可用性提高了质量的冬季范围在北方黑山。粪便指数是监测膳食质量变化的有效方法。
Winter generally is considered the most stressful period for deer in northern latitudes, and prolonged consumption of poor-quality diets is often the primary factor increasing overwinter mortality. Although winter diets of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota, have been documented, quality of these diets is unknown. It has been suggested that low-growing vegetation and agricultural lands are important factors in maintaining deer populations in the northern Black Hills; however, this hypothesis has not been tested. Additionally, a supplemental feeding program has been initiated in some areas of the northern Black Hills, but effects of this program are unknown. We used fecal indices to monitor changes in dietary quality in five study areas (one of which contained supplemental food plots for deer) at 2-week intervals from January to March 1992 and 1993. We tested hypotheses that concentrations of fecal nitrogen (FN) and fecal phosphorus (FP) would not differ intraseasonally or among study areas. In the mild winter of 1992, concentrations of FN and FP rose ( P 0.05) but were related inversely to snow depth. Supplementally fed deer consumed higher-quality diets ( P < 0.001) than nonsupplemented animals during both years. Among nonsupplemented deer, availability of agricultural land improved quality of the winter ranges in the northern Black Hills. Fecal indices are an effective method for monitoring changes in dietary quality.