A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids
We present a microhistological key for identification of plant fragments consumed and partially digested by free-roaming, forest cervids based on collection of 92 plant species representing forage availability of the Western Carpathian forests. The key represents a determination tool to facilitate m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1229 |
| _version_ | 1797519244931366912 |
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| author | Alexandra Veselovská Peter Smolko Rudolf Kropil |
| author_facet | Alexandra Veselovská Peter Smolko Rudolf Kropil |
| author_sort | Alexandra Veselovská |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present a microhistological key for identification of plant fragments consumed and partially digested by free-roaming, forest cervids based on collection of 92 plant species representing forage availability of the Western Carpathian forests. The key represents a determination tool to facilitate microhistological analyses of faecal and ruminal material. We summarized, integrated, and developed current knowledge on microstructures of plants consumed by <i>Cervidae</i> using specific diagnostic features of plant fragments including type, shape, orientation, and arrangement of cells and stomata, type of venation, presence, and type of trichomes and crystalline inclusions. Since most plant species of the same taxa show common patterns in morphology of the different epidermal traits, we categorized collected material into seven functional botanical groups, i.e., grasses and sedges, herbs and leaves of broadleaved trees, needles, ferns and mosses, seeds and fruits, and genera <i>Rubus</i>, <i>Rosa</i>, <i>Vaccinium</i>. The key is consistent with classifications used in the majority of studies on diet of wild cervids and is supported with photographs of the main diagnostics features. The key has the potential to decrease amount of time needed for processing of the reference material, and to improve consistency between users studying feeding behaviour of forest cervids in central Europe. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:40:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f68bd86b780c42f1b9b6f088483f22e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:40:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-f68bd86b780c42f1b9b6f088483f22e82023-11-22T13:08:01ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-09-01129122910.3390/f12091229A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest CervidsAlexandra Veselovská0Peter Smolko1Rudolf Kropil2Department of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, TG Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, SlovakiaDepartment of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, TG Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, SlovakiaDepartment of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management, Technical University in Zvolen, TG Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, SlovakiaWe present a microhistological key for identification of plant fragments consumed and partially digested by free-roaming, forest cervids based on collection of 92 plant species representing forage availability of the Western Carpathian forests. The key represents a determination tool to facilitate microhistological analyses of faecal and ruminal material. We summarized, integrated, and developed current knowledge on microstructures of plants consumed by <i>Cervidae</i> using specific diagnostic features of plant fragments including type, shape, orientation, and arrangement of cells and stomata, type of venation, presence, and type of trichomes and crystalline inclusions. Since most plant species of the same taxa show common patterns in morphology of the different epidermal traits, we categorized collected material into seven functional botanical groups, i.e., grasses and sedges, herbs and leaves of broadleaved trees, needles, ferns and mosses, seeds and fruits, and genera <i>Rubus</i>, <i>Rosa</i>, <i>Vaccinium</i>. The key is consistent with classifications used in the majority of studies on diet of wild cervids and is supported with photographs of the main diagnostics features. The key has the potential to decrease amount of time needed for processing of the reference material, and to improve consistency between users studying feeding behaviour of forest cervids in central Europe.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1229microhistological analysisdiet compositionlarge forest herbivores |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra Veselovská Peter Smolko Rudolf Kropil A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids Forests microhistological analysis diet composition large forest herbivores |
| title | A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids |
| title_full | A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids |
| title_fullStr | A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids |
| title_short | A Key for the Microhistological Determination of Plant Fragments Consumed by Carpathian Forest Cervids |
| title_sort | key for the microhistological determination of plant fragments consumed by carpathian forest cervids |
| topic | microhistological analysis diet composition large forest herbivores |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/9/1229 |
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