The effects of spatial vegetation and land-use pattern of feral Sika deer on nutritive condition

Abstract

In recent years, the damage caused to agriculture and forestry by wild animals, such as deer, has increased in Japan. Hunting for wildlife and promoting the consumption of game meat are recommended to address this problem. Therefore, we examined the effects of spatial vegetation and land-use patterns on the nutritional components of deer meat in feral sika deer habitats. Game meat harvested in central Japan in winter (25 deer) was used for chemical analysis. We conducted spatial analysis experiments at multiple scales to examine the relationship between the nutritive components of meat and vegetation/land use within the assumed home range using a geographic information system. Based on the model selection of the nutritional components of meat as objective variables and vegetation/land use as explanatory variables, the developed land and Rhododendron macrosepalum–Pinus densiflora community were selected in the fat models, and the clear-cut area was selected in the best fat and crude protein models across the home range sizes. Moreover, clear-cut areas and developed land positively affect the fat content of deer meat; therefore, these areas are expected to contribute to maintaining nutritive conditions for deer during winter and early spring.