Bark stripping preference of sika deer, Cervus nippon, in terms of bark chemical contents
2003
Ando, Masaki | Yokota, Hiro-Omi | Shibata, Ei'chi
Recent increases in the population of sika deer, Cervus nippon, on Mt. Ohdaigahara in central Japan, have resulted in severe damage to trees through bark stripping. We evaluated which tree species are selectively barked using Ivlev’s selection index and the bark chemical contents of each tree species. We measured the area of stripped bark for 25 tree species from July to September 1999 and analyzed the crude protein, fiber and mineral contents of the trunk bark of eight tree species. Sika deer preferred the bark of Clethra barbinervis and Ilex geniculata but not Fagus crenata and Acer shirasawanum. The bark chemical contents showed no significant relationships with Ivlev’s selection index except for Ca, which had a negative relationship. The bark contents analyzed in this study do not explain the tree bark preferences of sika deer.
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