Environmental and Intraspecific Interrelations with the Nutritional Behaviour of Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus L.)

1991

95 S.

17 Abb., 9 Tab., zahlr. Lit. Ang.

Unselbständiges Werk

200048858

Prace Instytutu Badawczego Lesnictwa 1991 ; Nr. 723, 95 S.

On the basis of results of own studied conducted on cervids in the Bialowieza Primeval Forest and an roe deer reared in fenced areas, as well as on the basis of papers of other researchers, the author discussed comprehensively the nutritional behaviour of roe deer living in forest environment. She analysed the influence of abiotic facotrs, of intraindividual and intraspecific biotic factors, as well as of environmental factors on the nutritional behaviour of this species. She discussed the role of man in restoration or maintanance of balance between the forest environment and living in it roe deer. The nutritional requirements of roe deer are very high. Quick passage of the nourishment through the alimentary canal, intensive process of fermentation and specific composition of symbiotic microorganisms cause that roe deer have to make many times small quantities of nourishment. Quickly and lightly digested plants or their parts are suitable food for them. At the same time, however, there are necessary in the whole digestion process indigestible substances, mainly the fibrin. The composition of nourishment of roe deer is determined by the food basis, i.e. by the accessible for roe deer biomass of plants being nourishment of this species. These animals get suitably diversified composition of diet by feeding in various biotops and thanks to developed nutritional preferences: (1) special willingness to eat determined groups or species of plants, (2) eating of plants grown in determined conditions, (3) special willingness to eat some parts of plants and (4) seasonal changes of nutritional taste. The composition of the nourishment in the seasons of the year is determined by changes in the vegetation: the richest food basis exists in spring and summer, the poorest one - in autumn and winter. The spring diet of roe deer is characterized by: (1) quickly progressing changes in its composition (enrichment with species), (2) prevalence of dicotyledonous herbaceous plants, (3) considerable share of generative parts (flowers and fruits), and (4) a share of the group of grasses and sedges, as well as of fungi fructifying in spring. The summer diet of roe deer is characterized by: (1) rich species compositions, (2) still growing role of woody plants, (3) diminiching share of generative parts of herbaceous plants, (4) lack or inconsiderable share of grasses and sedges, and (5) periodical increase of the share of fungi. The autumn diet of roe deer is characterized by: (1) gradual impoverishment of cotyledonous herbaceous species, (2) temporary diminishing share of woody plants, (3) small share of grasses and sedges, and (4) considerable share of acorns in years of good crop. The winter diet of roe deer is characterized by: (1) almost complete lack of herbaceous plants and dwarf shrubs, (2) poor species composition, and (3) radical changes of diet composition...