The reasons for the mass mortality of Siberian roe deer in the wintering period in Western Siberia

Abstract

The article presents the analysis of the limiting environmental factors that determine the dynamics of the roe deer population in Western Siberia. The regularities of the extreme effect of winter anomalies, in particular, high snow, on the organisms of Siberian roe deer have been determined. The structure of winter nutrition and behavioral reactions of roe deer has been studied in terms of adaptation and maintaining the homeostasis in the conditions of fodder shortage and overcoming the resistance of the snow cover. The reasons for the mass mortality of roe deer in the winter have been found. To solve this problem, post-mortem examinations were made of the roe deer that died from starvation in the wild. Studies have shown that roe deer feeding on raw growing browse in the wintering period results in injuries of the digestive system. This browse has low nutritional value and is unable to ensure the energy balance in the organism of roe deer. It has been found that this process is accompanied by degeneration of the tissues and organs with disruption of their functions, resulting in nutritional depletion, which causes mass mortality of roe deer in the wild.