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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 51(1)

Spatial and temporal variation in the diet of introduced sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) in an alpine landscape

Matthew J. Quin https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2376-6546 A B C * , John W. Morgan A C and Nicholas P. Murphy A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.

B College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Douglas, Qld., Australia.

C Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.

* Correspondence to: matthew.quin@my.jcu.edu.au

Handling Editor: Peter Brown

Wildlife Research 51, WR23017 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR23017
Submitted: 13 February 2023  Accepted: 31 August 2023  Published: 26 September 2023

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

In south-eastern Australia, the abundance and distribution of non-native sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) has increased dramatically in alpine environments. As a result, significant concern surrounds the potential for the species to impact rare plant species and vegetation communities through browsing.

Aims

We aimed to determine the diversity of the plant species eaten by sambar deer in the Alpine National Park and to understand any spatial and temporal variation in deer diets.

Methods

We collected 90 sambar deer faecal pellet samples over a 3-month flowering period across two contrasting study sites with differing elevation, vegetation and underlying geology. We performed DNA sequencing using the ITS2 gene region and assigned dietary items to the lowest taxonomic level possible. The frequency of occurrence and sequencing read depth of each dietary item was calculated to investigate the diet of sambar deer at spatial and temporal scales, and dietary preferencing was assessed by comparing the frequency of occurrence of dietary items to the observation records for each dietary item in the study area.

Key results

We detected a total of 369 unique plant Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) from sambar deer faecal samples, representing 35 families and 80 genera. Considerable variation in the diet was observed over small spatial scales, and evidence of temporal diet variation was noted in one of the study sites. We detected Silky Snow-daisy (Celmisia sericophylla), which is currently listed as critically endangered under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, and Hawkweed (Pilosella spp.), a highly invasive, non-native taxon that is sparingly established in Alpine ecosystems.

Conclusions

Sambar deer displayed an intermediate feeder behaviour in alpine environments, foraging on a variety of forbs and shrubs, but forbs were the dominant dietary items. The spatial variation observed in the diet of sambar deer suggests that individual deer are unlikely to be dispersing widely while foraging.

Implications

Our results emphasise the need for careful evaluation of sambar deer impacts within individual sites and at small spatial scales. The detection of species of conservation significance in the diet indicates that the presence of sambar deer should be considered a significant risk to biodiversity in areas of high conservation value.

Keywords: Alpine, DNA sequencing, faecal DNA, invasive species, native species, preference, spatial variation, temporal variation.

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