Diet composition of sika deer in Kasuya Research Forest of Kyushu University in northern Kyushu, Japan

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  • 九州北部の低山地におけるニホンジカの食性

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<p>We analyzed the diets of sika deer from Kyushu University’s Kasuya Research Forest based on point-frame fecal surveys conducted between February 2023 and January 2024. Leaves, mainly from evergreen species, accounted for 42.1% of the fecal contents in February, with the remainder comprising fiber and culms. In April, the leaf component decreased, whereas the fiber component increased to 45.8%. In August, grass leaves comprised only 11.2%, and culms increased to 56.5%, suggesting that deer ventured out of the forest to feed on grasses. In October, the leaf component decreased further, while culms decreased to 12.0% and the fiber content again increased to 39.0%. Acorns of Castanopsis cuspidata and seeds of pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra) seeds were recovered from fecal samples in October. In January, the leaf component decreased to 16.8% and the proportion of unidentifiable materials increased to 35.1%. The deer population in our study area increased rapidly over several years around 2010, profoundly affecting the local vegetation. The small occupation of green leaves in the deer diets (23–33%), even during the plant growth season, reflected the vegetation deterioration caused by the increase in deer.</p>

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