Diet Overlap of Native and Translocated Northern White-Tailed Deer in Southeastern Louisiana Brian Matthew Zielinski
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School Spring 3-30-1999 Diet Overlap of Native and Translocated Northern White-Tailed Deer in Southeastern Louisiana Brian Matthew Zielinski Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Part of the Life Sciences Commons DIET OVERLAP OF NATIVE AND TRANSLOCATED NORTHERN WHITE-TAILED DEER IN SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in The School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries by Brian Matthew Zielinski B.A., State University of New York at Plattsburgh, 1996 May 1999 MANUSCRIPT THESES Unpublished theses submitted for the Master’s and Doctor’s Degrees and deposited in the Louisiana State University Libraries are available for inspection. Use of any thesis is limited by the rights of the author. Bibliographical references may be noted, but passages may not be copied unless the author has given permission. Credit must be given in subsequent written or published work. A library which borrows this thesis for use by its clientele is expected to make sure that the borrower is aware of the above restrictions. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to genuinely thank my major professor, Dr. Mark K. Johnson. Professor of Wildlife, School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries for his guidance and encouragement throughout this project, and for the many enjoyable memories during my tenure at LSU. For his trust in me, and my abilities as a graduate student, 1 am grateful. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to the members of my graduate committee: Dr. Robert. H. Chabreck, Professor of Wildlife, School of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, and Dr. Alan Afton, Adjunct Professor of Wildlife, School of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries for their assistance during my research and in preparation of this manuscript. Special thanks are extended to Mr. Arlen “Benny” Cenac and the Golden Ranch Hunting Farm, for their assistance and contributions to this project. Particularly, 1 would like to thank Mr. Randy Moertle, Lanny LeDay Sr., Lanny LeDay Jr., and Don Hohense for their cooperation and incite during this study. Much appreciation is extended to Darren Redfurn, Randy Walz, Linda Zeringue, and Jamie Rogers of the Louisiana Agricultural Center, Southeastern Research Station, for their time and effort in analyzing plant and fecal samples for my study. A very special thanks goes to Mr. Jonathan W. Day for his unselfish assistance during this project. For his field support and friendship, 1 am grateful. Thanks also go to Stacey Robinson for developing my reference slide collection. Appreciation is also extended to Dr. Lowell Urbatch, Associate Professor of Plant Biology, and Roland Roberts, Ph. D candidate in Plant Biology, for their assistance with plant identification. ii Finally I would like to thank my parents, Ronald W. Zielinski and Susan H. Repsher, along with my father and mother in-law, Dennis and Judy Peterson, for providing me encouragement and Financial support during my tenure at LSU, and molding me into the man I am today. But above all, 1 would like to dedicate this work to my lovely wife and best friend, Nikole L. Zielinski, who has given me her unfailing love and support throughout my academic career. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................. ii LIST OF TABLES...............................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................vii LIST OF PLATES............................................................................................................. viii ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1 LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................................... 5 DeerNutrition.......................................................................................................... 5 Macro-Nutrient Requirements.....................................................................6 Crude Protein (CP)..........................................................................6 Forage Quality and Palatability....................................................................7 Diet Quality.................................................................................................8 Estimation of Diet Quality.......................................................................... 10 Microhistological Analysis....................................................................................... 11 Plant Fragment Identification..................................................................... 14 Differential Digestion and Fragment Discemability....................................15 Frequency Sampling.....................................................................................22 DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA..................................................................................25 Location.................................................................................................................. 25 Hydrology...............................................................................................................25 Soils........................................................................................................................28 Climate................................................................................................................... 29 Flora and Fauna......................................................................................................30 Deer Management Program....................................................................................31 Spring-Summer...........................................................................................31 Fall-Winter.................................................................................................32 METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................. 33 Translocation of Northern Deer...............................................................................33 Experimental Design............................................................................................... 33 Fecal Sampling and Analysis.................................................................................. 37 Reference Slide Preparation..................................................................................... 39 Statistical Analysis................................................................................................... 40 IV RESULTS............................................................................................................................42 Diet Composition....................................................................................................42 Forage Diversity......................................................................................................52 Fecal Crude Protein.................................................................................................52 DISCUSSION......................................................................................................................55 Native vs. Translocated Deer...................................................................................55 Diet Composition........................................................................................55 Forage Diversity..........................................................................................56 Fecal Crude Protein...................................................................................... 56 Native and Translocated Deer..................................................................................57 Diet Composition....................................................................................... 57 Fecal Crude Protein................................................................................... 61 MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS................................................................................. 62 LITERATURE CITED...................................................................................................... 64 APPENDIX....................................................................................................................... 78 VITA................................................................................................................................. 82 v LIST OF TABLES Estimated botanical compositions (% dry weight ± standard error) of fecal pellets from Native, Southern and Translocated, Northern white-tailed deer on Golden Ranch Hunting Farm, Gheens, Louisiana, during Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 1997, (n=30/population/season)....................................................................................... 43 Chi-Square analyses using a = 0.05 w/ Bonferroni adjustment, for frequency of occurrence of shared plants identified