Competition in sympatric white-tail deer and cattle populations in southern pine forests of Oklahoma and Arkansas, USA
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Authors: J. A. Jenks, D. M. Leslie, Jr, R. L. Lochmiller, M. A. Melchiors, and F. T. McCollum, III
Date: 1996
Journal: Acta Theriologica
Volume: 41
Number: 3
Pages: 287-306
Summary of Methods: For two years competitive interactions between cattle and white-tailed deer were studied to compare dietary characteristics in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Three grazing treatments (heavy, moderate to light, no grazing) were applied. Fecal samples were collected in October, February, May, and August. Dietary composition of plant material within feces was categorized by vegetation type. A dietary quality index was determined from nitrogen levels in fecal samples.
Article Summary / Main Points: In winter, white-tailed deer diets were affected by cattle causing a shift to more conifers and less browse and forbs. Overall, dietary overlap was more than 35%. Dietary overlap was at its highest in February and lowest in May and August. Fecal samples showed that deer consumed a higher quality diet.
Vegetation Types: Grazed Forest
MLRA Ecoregions: 135B Cretaceous Western Coastal Plain
Agrovoc Control Words: Stocking rate Ungulates Competition
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: odocoileus virginianus, cattle, competition, diet composition, diet quality, fecal nitrogen, white-tailed deer
Annotation: This replicated study was conducted over two years and its corresponding results are applicable to southern grazed forests and adjacent rangelands. As is true for all grazing research, the results are most directly applicable to areas with similar landscapes, type of ungulates, weather conditions and season of use. Locations were treated as independent replicates and therefore results can be applied to similar areas, where concern for competition between resources, especially in winter, is high between ungulates. Additionally, Jenks and Leslie (2003, Acta Theriologica 48:131-144) studied the effect of cattle stocking rates on the overall nutritional conditions of white-tailed deer, also available on the RSIS website. Both articles detail how cattle grazing can negatively impact the health of white-tailed deer when they compete for forage on shared rangelands.
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