The composition of the autumn and winter diets in two Polish populations of fallow deer

Abstract

The diets of fallow deerDama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) were analysed on the basis of the rumen contents of 69 individuals harvested between October and January in two areas of Poland: Iława, where animals are fed artificially in winter and Pszczyna, where almost no winter feeding is applied. The composition of the diet was found to be similar in both areas, with graminoids — as the staple food — accounting for 43.1% in Iława and 45.9% in Pszczyna. Further similarities between the areas were noted in regard to the other main foods eaten, ie the foliage of broadleaved deciduous trees and Scots pine, as well as forbs. Together, these four categories of food accounted for 73.1% and 73.0% of the diet in Iława and Pszczyna, respectively. Browse and bark were eaten in very small amounts, an observation suggesting that the contribution made by fallow deer to overall cervid-induced damage at least in some Polish forests is relatively small. Sample size limitations confined analysis of monthly food composition to the data from Iława only. These revealed graminoids as the major food each month, though shares of the diet ranged between 56.4% in November and 30.3% in January. Maximum levels of consumption of broadleaved deciduous foliage (21.9%) and forbs (10.3%) were recorded in October, and afterwards decreased. In turn, the role of pine foliage share increased from October (7.8%) through January (14.5%). The maximum availability of artificial forage occurred in January and its share in the diet was then as high as 21.2%.