The food habits of Sika Deer in a coniferous plantation area, northern Kyushu

The seasonal food habits of sika deer (Cervus nippon nippon Temminck) were investigated by monthly fecal sampling of a coniferous plantation area with severe browsing damage by deer, on Mt. Kyoyomi, northern Kyushu, from January to December, 1996. Chamaecyparis obtusa, the major tree species of the plantation, was found in the feces throughout the year, although the percentage of it varied greatly in droppings, even within the same sampling period. The percentage of C. obtusa was low, 2.1 [similar to] 6.9%, other than in June, 20.8%. Dicotyledons comprised more than 20% of the fecal contents in every month, and their proportion increased especially in late spring, May, and winter, November to February. The proportion of monocotyledons increased up to 26.8% in April, although the percentages were relatively low, 3 [similar to] 17%, in other seasons. As the results coincide well with seasonal pattern of the damage to the plantation, the fecal analysis can be an effective method to study the seasonality of food habits in a local population.