Seed dispersal in red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) dung and its potential importance for vegetation dynamics in subalpine grasslands

Abstract Background Long-distance seed dispersal (LDD) has strong impacts on the spatiotemporal dynamics of plants. Large animals are important LDD vectors because they regularly transport seeds of many plant species over long distances. While there is now ample evidence that behaviour varies considerably between individual animals, it is not clear to what extent inter-individual variation in behaviour alters seed dispersal by animals. Methods We study how inter-individual variation in the movement and feeding behaviour of one of Europe’s largest herbivores (the red deer, Cervus elaphus) affects internal seed dispersal (endozoochory) of multiple plant species. We combine movement data of 21 individual deer with measurements of seed loads in the dung of the same individuals and with data on gut passage time. These data serve to parameterize a model of passive dispersal that predicts LDD in three orientations (horizontal as well as upward and downward in elevation). With this model we investigate to what extent per-seed probabilities of LDD and seed load vary between individuals and throughout the vegetation period (May–December). Subsequently, we test whether per-seed LDD probability and seed load are positively (or negatively) correlated so that more mobile animals disperse more (or less) seeds. Finally, we examine whether non-random associations between per-seed LDD probability and seed load affect the LDD of individual plant species. Results The studied deer dispersed viable seeds of at least 62 plant species. Deer individuals varied significantly in per-seed LDD probability and seed loads. However, more mobile animals did not disperse more or less seeds than less mobile ones. Plant species also did not differ significantly in the relationship between per-seed LDD probability and seed load. Yet plant species differed in how their seed load was distributed across deer individuals and in time, and this caused their LDD potential to differ more than twofold. For several plant species, we detected non-random associations between per-seed LDD probability and seed load that generally increased LDD potential. Conclusions Inter-individual variation in movement and feeding behaviour means that certain deer are substantially more effective LDD vectors than others. This inter-individual variation reduces the reliability of LDD and increases the sensitivity of LDD to the decline of deer populations. Variation in the dispersal services of individual animals should thus be taken into account in models in order to improve LDD projections.

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Vocalizations in red deer (Cervus elaphus), sika deer (Cervus nippon), and red × sika hybrids

Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1017/s0952836998001149 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 244 (1) ◽

pp. 123-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. M. Long ◽

N.P. Moore ◽

T. J. Hayden

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Sika Deer ◽

Cervus Nippon

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The deer of the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy): literary references and osteological evidence

Archives of Natural History ◽

10.3366/anh.2002.29.1.51 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 51-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

MARCO MASSETP ◽

BRUNO ZAVA

Keyword(s):

Nineteenth Century ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Scientific Literature ◽

Taxonomic Relationships

During the nineteenth century, scientific literature and official reports recorded the occurrence of a population of red deer, Cervus elaphus, on the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy). Osteological specimens collected by the zoologist Enrico Hillier Giglioli towards the end of the century confirmed these references. Since cervids are not found among the fossil fauna of the island, the red deer must have been introduced by man although we do not yet know precisely when. The former existence of the species on Lampedusa is discussed by comparison of literary material and bone evidence. The population's probable origins and its taxonomic relationships with other Mediterranean red deer populations are also analysed.

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Role of ovarian failure in reproductive senescence in aged red deer (Cervus elaphus) hinds

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/jrf.0.1200211 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 120 (2) ◽

pp. 211-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. Fisher ◽

B. McLeod ◽

D. Heath ◽

S Lun ◽

P. Hurst

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Ovarian Failure ◽

Reproductive Senescence

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Production of interferon by red deer (Cervus elaphus) conceptuses and the effects of roIFN-tau on the timing of luteolysis and the success of asynchronous embryo transfer

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/reprod/118.2.387 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 387-395 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

KJ Demmers ◽

HN Jabbour ◽

DW Deakin ◽

AP Flint

Keyword(s):

Embryo Transfer ◽

Early Pregnancy ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Pregnancy Loss ◽

Red Deer ◽

Interferon Tau ◽

Recombinant Interferon ◽

Uterine Flushing ◽

Calving Rate

The role of interferon in early pregnancy in red deer was investigated by (a) measuring production of interferon by the conceptus, (b) testing the anti-luteolytic effect of recombinant interferon-tau in non-pregnant hinds, and (c) treatment of hinds with interferon after asynchronous embryo transfer. Blastocysts were collected from 34 hinds by uterine flushing 14 (n = 2), 16 (n = 2), 18 (n = 8), 20 (n = 13) or 22 (n = 9) days after synchronization of oestrus with progesterone withdrawal. Interferon anti-viral activity was detectable in uterine flushings from day 16 to day 22, and increased with duration of gestation (P < 0.01) and developmental stage (P < 0.01). When interferon-tau was administered daily between day 14 and day 20 to non-pregnant hinds to mimic natural blastocyst production, luteolysis was delayed by a dose of 0.2 mg day(-1) (27.3 +/- 1.3 days after synchronization, n = 4 versus 21 +/- 0 days in control hinds, n = 3; P < 0.05). Interferon-tau was administered to hinds after asynchronous embryo transfer to determine whether it protects the conceptus against early pregnancy loss. Embryos (n = 24) collected on day 6 from naturally mated, superovulated donors (n = 15) were transferred into synchronized recipients on day 10 or day 11. Interferon-tau treatment (0.2 mg daily from day 14 to 20) increased calving rate from 0 to 64% in all recipients (0/11 versus 7/11, P < 0.005), and from 0 to 67% in day 10 recipients (0/8 versus 6/9, P < 0.01). The increased success rate of asynchronous embryo transfer after interferon-tau treatment in cervids may be of benefit where mismatched embryo-maternal signalling leads to failure in the establishment of pregnancy.

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Predisposition assessment of mountainous forests to bark peeling by red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) as a strategy in preventive forest habitat management

Wildlife Biology in Practice ◽

10.2461/wbp.2011.7.7 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ursula Nopp-Mayr ◽

Friedrich Reimoser ◽

Friedrich Voelk

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Habitat Management ◽

Red Deer ◽

Forest Habitat ◽

Bark Peeling

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The population of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) in Tulcea county (Romania)

Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” ◽

10.2478/v10191-010-0026-3 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 351-356

Author(s):

Sorin Geacu

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Forest Land ◽

The West ◽

Spreading Area ◽

Deer Population ◽

The North ◽

Natural Expansion ◽

North Western

The population of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) in Tulcea county (Romania) The presence of the Red Deer in the North-western parts of Tulcea County is an example of the natural expansion of a species spreading area. In North Dobrogea, this mammal first occurred only forty years ago. The first specimens were spotted on Cocoşul Hill (on the territory of Niculiţel area) in 1970. Peak numbers (68 individuals) were registered in the spring of 1987. The deer population (67 specimens in 2007) of this county extended along 10 km from West to East and 20 km from North to South over a total of 23,000 ha (55% of which was forest land) in the East of the Măcin Mountains and in the West of the Niculiţel Plateau.

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Pestivirus infections in cervids from the Czech Republic

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/29/2009-vetmed ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 191-193

Author(s):

K. Sedlak ◽

T. Girma ◽

J. Holejsovsky

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Competitive Inhibition ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Border Disease Virus ◽

Serum Samples ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Diarrhea Virus ◽

Border Disease

372 sera of cervids from the Czech Republic were examined for antibodies to the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and border disease virus (BDV) by competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and for the presence of the BVDV by AgELISA. Antibodies to BVDV/BDV were found in 0.6% (two positive/305 tested) red deer (Cervus elaphus). BVDV/BDV antibodies were not found in four sika deer (Cervus Nippon) and 63 fallow deer (Dama dama). All serum samples were BVDV antigen negative. Our results confirmed that red deer in the Czech Republic are only rarely infected with Pestiviruses. This was the first survey of pestiviruses in farmed and wild cervids in the Czech Republic.

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