Estimating diet composition for mountain hares in newly established native woodland: development and application of plant-wax faecal markers
Knowledge of the feeding ecology of mammalian herbivores is fundamental in predicting their responses to habitat change. Where native woodlands are newly established in open moorland, the extent to which trees form part of the diet of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) is unknown. This information is ne...
| Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2003
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z03-093 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z03-093 |
| Summary: | Knowledge of the feeding ecology of mammalian herbivores is fundamental in predicting their responses to habitat change. Where native woodlands are newly established in open moorland, the extent to which trees form part of the diet of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) is unknown. This information is necessary for predicting the potential effects of mountain hare browsing on woodland establishment. The n-alkanes and a long-chain fatty alcohols found in the cuticular wax of diet plants and faeces (N = 240) were used as markers to estimate the composition of the diet of mountain hares in an area of moorland with newly established Pinus sylvestris and Betula pubescens woodland. During winter, the diet of mountain hares was dominated by Calluna vulgaris, but there was a seasonal shift to a diet dominated by grasses, sedges, and rushes in summer. Pinus sylvestris and B. pubescens were minor dietary components in all seasons. A higher proportion of grasses, sedges, and rushes was found in the diet of lactating females. Results suggest that when an alternative browse species such as C. vulgaris is widely available, mountain hares may not have a large impact on the establishment of native woodland. The dietary results from this study are in broad agreement with those from previous studies using other techniques. |
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