Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR23124
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 51(2)

Diet of fallow deer suggests potential for invasion of novel habitats in Tasmania

Thomas R. Guy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5751-5046 A * , Jamie B. Kirkpatrick B , Calum X. Cunningham A , Tina E. Berry https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7203-2437 C , Kathryn L. Dawkins https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5092-2378 C , Michael M. Driessen B D and Chris N. Johnson A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

B School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

C eDNA Frontiers, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia.

D Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

* Correspondence to: thomas.guy@utas.edu.au

Handling Editor: Catherine Collins

Wildlife Research 51, WR23124 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR23124
Submitted: 5 October 2023  Accepted: 24 December 2023  Published: 5 February 2024

© 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

Understanding the diet of invasive species can inform the potential for their distribution into novel habitats. Fallow deer are well established in the grassy woodlands of central Tasmania, Australia, in environments generally considered to be their optimum habitat. They are also increasing their range. The potential range of fallow deer in Tasmania will depend on their ability to vary their diet to exploit new habitats. Diet flexibility will also determine the ecological impacts that fallow deer might have in novel habitats.

Aims

We compared the diets of fallow deer in a lowland grassy woodland, where deer have been established for over 150 years, with diets of deer in highland woodlands and forest with less grass cover and higher rainfall, where deer have been established for a shorter time (<50 years). We expected that fallow deer in grassy woodlands would mainly eat grass and forbs, and we wanted to know to what extent the diet of deer differed between habitats.

Methods

A metagenomic analysis was performed on fallow deer faecal pellets collected at one lowland and three highland study areas. The method was chosen to maximise information on taxonomic composition of diet and identify plant species that might be affected by deer herbivory to the lowest possible taxonomic level.

Key results

Fallow deer ate a wide variety of plant taxa. Diets varied among study areas. In the lowland study area, deer predominantly ate forbs and grasses. In the highland study area deer were more likely to browse on eucalypts and a variety of shrubs.

Conclusions

Fallow deer in Tasmania have a broad dietary niche. Availability of specific plant taxa is unlikely to limit fallow deer expansion into most new habitats.

Implications

Without stronger management strategies, deer are likely to further increase their range in Tasmania, including into areas with high conservation values. The potential impacts on these areas may be high.

Keywords: Australia, browsing impacts, Dama dama, Eucalyptus, fallow deer, feeding ecology, invasive species, metagenomics, Tasmania, ungulates.

References

Bailey TG, Gauli A, Tilyard P, Davidson NJ, Potts BM (2015) Feral deer damage in Tasmanian restoration plantings. Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation 23, 10-12.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bengsen AJ, Forsyth DM, Pople A, et al. (2023) Effectiveness and costs of helicopter-based shooting of deer. Wildlife Research 50, 617-631.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bentley A (1957) A brief account of the deer in Australia. The Journal of Wildlife Management 21, 221-225.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bentley A (1998) ‘An introduction to the deer of Australia.’ (Koetong Trust, Forests Commission: Melbourne, Vic)

Botterill-James T, Cunningham CX, Johnson CN, et al. (2023) Projecting the dynamics of invading deer with pattern-oriented modelling to support management decision-making. Journal of Applied Ecology 61, 1-13.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bruno E, Apollonio M (1991) Seasonal variations in the diet of adult male fallow deer in a submediterranean coastal area. Revue d’Écologie (Terre et Vie) 46, 349-362.
| Google Scholar |

Burkepile DE, Parker JD (2017) Recent advances in plant-herbivore interactions. F1000Research 6, 119.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Calder JA, Kirkpatrick JB (2008) Climate change and other factors influencing the decline of the Tasmanian cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii). Australian Journal of Botany 56, 684-692.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Calleja MC (2001) Evaluations of rapid census methods on wild fallow deer (Dama dama) populations within NSW and the economic impacts of these herds. Bachelor of Landscape Management and Conservation (Hons) thesis. University of Western Sydney, Richmond.

Chakanya C, Dokora A-E-M, Muchenje V, Hoffman LC (2016) The fallow deer (Dama spp.); endangered or not? Der Zoologische Garten 85, 160-172.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Chapman D, Chapman N (1975) ‘Fallow deer: their history, distribution, and biology.’ (Terrace Dalton Limited: Suffolk, England)

Chapman NG, Chapman DI (1980) The distribution of fallow deer: a worldwide review. Mammal Review 10, 61-138.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Claridge AW, Hunt R, Thrall PH, Mills DJ (2016) Germination of native and introduced plants from scats of Fallow Deer (Dama dama) and Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) in a south-eastern Australian woodland landscape. Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 56-62.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Clavel J, Julliard R, Devictor V (2011) Worldwide decline of specialist species: toward a global functional homogenization? Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9, 222-228.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Cowell S, Cameron A, Sprod D, Appleby M (2013) Midlandscapes: matching actions to opportunities in landscape conservation in the Tasmanian Midlands. In ‘Linking Australia’s landscapes: lessons and opportunities from large-scale conservation networks’. (Eds J Fitzsimons, I Pulsford, G Wescott) pp. 85–94. (CSIRO: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)

Cunningham CX, Perry GLW, Bowman DMJS, et al. (2022) Dynamics and predicted distribution of an irrupting ‘sleeper’ population: fallow deer in Tasmania. Biological Invasions 24, 1131-1147.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Czernik M, Taberlet P, Świslocka M, Czajkowska M, Duda N, Ratkiewicz M (2013) Fast and efficient DNA-based method for winter diet analysis from stools of three cervids: moose, red deer, and roe deer. Acta Theriologica 58, 379-386.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Davidson NJ, Bailey TG, Burgess S (2021) Restoring the Midlands of Tasmania: an introduction. Ecological Management & Restoration 22, 3-10.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Davis NE, Forsyth DM, Bengsen AJ (2023) Diet and impacts of non-native fallow deer (Dama dama) on pastoral properties during severe drought. Wildlife Research 50, 701-715.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Duncan A (1992) The winter diets of fallow deer (Dama dama) and forester kangaroos (Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis) in the midlands of Tasmania. The Tasmanian Naturalist 110, 1-6.
| Google Scholar |

Erickson DL, Reed E, Ramachandran P, Bourg NA, McShea WJ, Ottesen A (2017) Reconstructing a herbivore’s diet using a novel rbcL DNA mini-barcode for plants. AoB PLANTS 9, plx015.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Esattore B, Saggiomo L, Sensi M, Francia V, Cherin M (2022) Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you…where you live: an updated review of the worldwide distribution and foraging ecology of the fallow deer (Dama dama). Mammalian Biology 102, 321-338.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Genovesi P (2005) Eradications of invasive alien species in Europe: a review. Biological Invasions 7, 127-133.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hall GP, Gill KP (2005) Management of wild deer in Australia. Journal of Wildlife Management 69, 837-844.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hofmann RR (1989) Evolutionary steps of ecophysiological adaptation and diversification of ruminants: a comparative view of their digestive system. Oecologia 78, 443-457.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Holechek JL, Vavra M, Pieper RD (1982) Botanical composition determination of range herbivore diets: a review. Journal of Range Management 35, 309-315.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Holz A, Wood SW, Veblen TT, Bowman DMJS (2015) Effects of high-severity fire drove the population collapse of the subalpine Tasmanian endemic conifer Athrotaxis cupressoides. Global Change Biology 21, 445-458.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Jackson J (1977) The annual diet of the Fallow deer (Dama dama) in the New Forest, Hampshire, as determined by rumen content analysis. Journal of Zoology 181, 465-473.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kamler J, Homolka M (2011) Needles in faeces: an index of quality of wild ungulate winter diet. Folia Zoologica 60, 63-69.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kerridge FJ, Bullock DJ (1991) Diet and dietary quality of red deer and fallow deer in late summer. Journal of Zoology 224, 333-337.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kirkpatrick J, Bridle K (2007) ‘People, sheep and nature conservation: the Tasmanian experience.’ (CSIRO: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)

Kirkpatrick JB, McDougall K, Hyde M (1995) ‘Australia’s most threatened ecosystems: the southeastern lowland native grasslands.’ (Surrey-Beatty & Sons: Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Kitchener A, Harris S (2013) ‘Forest to Fjaeldmark: descriptions of Tasmania’s vegetation.’ 2 edn. (PWS: Hobart, TAS, Australia)

Koziol A, Stat M, Simpson T, et al. (2019) Environmental DNA metabarcoding studies are critically affected by substrate selection. Molecular Ecology Resources 19, 366-376.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Kress WJ, Erickson DL (2007) A two-locus global DNA barcode for land plants: the coding rbcL gene complements the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer region. PLOS ONE 2, e508.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Lethbridge M, Stead M, Wells C, Shute E (2020) Baseline aerial survey of fallow deer and forester kangaroo populations, Tasmania. Ecoknowledge, Mylor, SA, Australia.

Lurgi M, Galiana N, López BC, Joppa LN, Montoya JM (2014) Network complexity and species traits mediate the effects of biological invasions on dynamic food webs. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 2, 36.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Masseti M, Pecchioli E, Vernesi C (2008) Phylogeography of the last surviving populations of Rhodian and Anatolian fallow deer (Dama dama dama L., 1758). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 93, 835-844.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

McHugh ML (2013) The Chi-square test of independence. Biochemia Medica 23, 143-149.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Mousavi-Derazmahalleh M, Stott A, Lines R, et al. (2021) eDNAFlow, an automated, reproducible and scalable workflow for analysis of environmental DNA sequences exploiting Nextflow and Singularity. Molecular Ecology Resources 21, 1697-1704.
| Google Scholar | PubMed |

Nakahara F, Ando H, Ito H, et al. (2015) The applicability of DNA barcoding for dietary analysis of sika deer. DNA Barcodes 3, 200-206.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Neyland M (1996) Tree decline in Tasmania. Land Water Management Council No. 44. Land Water Management Council, Hobart, Tas, Australia.

Nugent G (1990) Forage availability and the diet of fallow deer (Dama dama) in the Blue Mountains, Otago. The New Zealand Journal of Ecology 13, 83-95.
| Google Scholar |

Pompanon F, Deagle BE, Symondson WOC, Brown DS, Jarman SN, Taberlet P (2012) Who is eating what: diet assessment using next generation sequencing. Molecular Ecology 21, 1931-1950.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Potts JM, Beeton NJ, Bowman DMJS, Williamson GJ, Lefroy EC, Johnson CN (2015) Predicting the future range and abundance of fallow deer in Tasmania, Australia. Wildlife Research 41, 633-640.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Powell M (2023) Hundreds of deer carcasses left to rot in Tasmania’s World Heritage Wilderness Area after cull. ABC News. Available at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-26/711-deer-killed-in-tasmanias-first-aerial-shooting-cull/102391844 [Accessed 8 August 2023]

Prior LD, Sanders GJ, Bridle KL, Nichols SC, Harris R, Bowman DMJS (2013) Land clearance not dieback continues to drive tree loss in a Tasmanian rural landscape. Regional Environmental Change 13, 955-967.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Quarmby J, Kutt AS, Dickson CR, Hamer R (2023) Evaluating extinction risk in Tasmania’s vascular flora using rapid IUCN Red List assessments. Pacific Conservation Biology 30, 1-13.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Slatyer RA, Hirst M, Sexton JP (2013) Niche breadth predicts geographical range size: a general ecological pattern. Ecology Letters 16, 1104-1114.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Spitzer R, Felton A, Landman M, Singh NJ, Widemo F, Cromsigt JPGM (2020) Fifty years of European ungulate dietary studies: a synthesis. Oikos 129, 1668-1680.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Trabalza Marinucci M, Capecci A, Riganelli N, Acuti G, Antonini C, Olivieri O (2010) Dietary preferences and ruminal protozoal populations in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama) and mouflon (Ovis musimon). Italian Journal of Animal Science 4, 401-403.
| Google Scholar |

van der Heyde M, Bunce M, Wardell-Johnson G, Fernandes K, White NE, Nevill P (2020) Testing multiple substrates for terrestrial biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA metabarcoding. Molecular Ecology Resources 20, 732-745.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Wapstra H (1973) Fallow deer in Tasmania. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hobart, TAS, Australia.

Wilson DE, Mittermeier RA (2011) ‘Handbook of the mammals of the world, volume 2: hoofed mammals.’ (Lynx Ediciones: Barcelona, Spain)

Woodford L, Ramsey D, Robley A (2023) Assessing feral pig and deer abundance in Indigenous Protected Areas adjoining Budj Bim National Park. Technical Report Series No. 350. Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia.

Worth JRP, Jordan GJ, Marthick JR, et al. (2017) Fire is a major driver of patterns of genetic diversity in two co-occurring Tasmanian palaeoendemic conifers. Journal of Biogeography 44, 1254-1267.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |