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GPS telemetry and activity measurement focused on even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla)
Peterka, Tomáš ; Bartoš, Luděk (advisor) ; Komárková, Martina (referee)
GPS telemetry is a recently expanding method for research on most animal species. It provides automatical scanning of position and related data on large distances and often on large temporal scale. The research studies has changed dramatically during the development of this method. Experiments using this technology deal with scanning of incidence, management and species conservation, activity pattern of controlled animals, estimation of behavior in various scales and so on. Activity sensors which are often included to GPS collars serve for determination of behavior of monitored species. In this thesis there are summarized basics of VHF and GPS technology. In available articles of great terrestrial mammals like even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) and marginally also bears (Ursidae) we show possible application of GPS technology for activity measurement, methods, restrictions and results of experiments. At the end we introduce experimental approach for activity measurement of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and results of the pilot study.
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Towards a better understanding of ungulate diets: a methodological approach
Holá, Michaela ; Červený, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Stádník, Luděk (referee)
Populations of European ungulates have grown substantially over recent decades, resulting in considerable environmental and socio-economic impacts. Availability and quality of natural and supplemental food sources are among the main factors driving their population dynamics. Detailed knowledge of feeding strategies of management-targeted species is therefore of primary importance for their successful management. Over time, methods to study the feeding strategies of animals have also evolved considerably but each has its advantages as well as limitations. This doctoral thesis uses a combination of traditional methods (i.e. stomach content analysis) and novel methods (i.e. stable isotope analysis, near infrared reflectance spectroscopy) to achieve a better understanding of feeding strategies of two important ungulate species (i.e. wild boar and red deer) in the Czech Republic, where their populations are on the rise and supplementary feeding is rampant. Next, this dissertation aims to introduce and to establish a basis for these novel methodological approaches for the study of free-ranging individuals. In this respect, it also addresses methodological issues related to their application in this field.
The diet composition of wild boar was investigated by examining stomach contents in order to identify their dependence on food resources of human origin (i.e. agricultural crops and supplemental foods). Foods of human origin were the dominant diet type and constituted the bulk of the diet of wild boar throughout the year. A necessary prerequisite for application of stable isotope analysis is the trophic discrimination factor (i.e. systematic difference between the isotopic composition of the consumer tissues and that of the diet), which was experimentally determined for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, the two most commonly used in ecology, in hair tissue of wild boar and red deer. Furthermore, possible sources of variation (such as sex, age, body weight, and lactation) on isotopic discrimination were investigated. The results of the experiments provide a starting point for the successful use of stable isotope analysis in field studies on wild boar and red deer. Finally, application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy was proven to be useful in measuring faecal indices of food quality for red deer. The results of this thesis will contribute towards efficient management of wild boar and red deer in the Czech Republic.
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Effect of hunting pressure on red deer activity
Rohla, Jan ; Ježek, Miloš (advisor) ; Obleser, Petr (referee)
In this work, I dealt with the impact of hunting pressure on the activity of red deers (Cervus elaphus) in Doupov mountains. The main goal was to find out, whether intensive killing will change the activity of deers, and also hinds. Evaluated data should be useful for easier reduction of these animals not only in Doupov Mountains. Numbers of deers have been very high in the last few years and it would be necessary to achieve effective reductions, which would reduce the population to a tolerable limit. That should contribute to decreasing animal causes in forests and agriculture crops. Decreasing the numbers of deers should also lead to improving the quality of this spiecies not only in terms of trophies, but also the overall physical condition. It turned out that the activity decreased significantly during hunting.
The reduction of activity began basically with the sunrise and ended in the sunset. For most individuals the activity increased in the night hours. In both July and August it turned out that there is a significant difference in activity among both day and sunset as well as day and night, while the lowest amount of activity was in the daytime, and in the sunset it has increased significantly. The highest activity was basically at dusk.
From these results we can say that when comparing the two periods, the significant activity is mainly in the evening and night hours.
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Effect of supplementary feeding on the spatial activity of red deer
Kilhofová, Blanka ; Bejček, Vladimír (advisor) ; Otakar, Otakar (referee)
Military Training Area Hradiste occupies the entire central part of Doupov Mts. Restrictions on public access and unified huntsmen management of the large area
gave rise to a unique habitat of red deer. There is a series of studies conducted on game populations, including research of spacial activity of red deer using GPS telemetry. Telemetry data were used to evaluate the effect of the feeding device on the spatial activity of red deer. This impact was affected in the observational period by the mild winter, yet the effect on the spatial activity is apparent. Males are much more active during feeding period than females and their relation to feeding equipment is also higher than in females.
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Habitat preference of red deer and sika deer in the Doupov Mts.
Silovský, Václav ; Ježek, Miloš (advisor) ; Zdeněk, Zdeněk (referee)
The bachelor thesis is focused on habitat preferences of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and sika deer (Cervus nippon nippon). The objective of study was to determine, which types of landscape the red deer (Cervus elaphus) and sika deer (Cervus nippon nippon) prefer during the year. Study area is located in northwest Bohemia in Doupov mountains. Data were collected by GPS telemetry from 13 stags and 13 hinds of red deer, and 6 stags and 2 hinds of sika deer during the days between 19th September 2010 and 8th February 2015. From GPS telemetry we received a total of 176982 red deer pozitions and other 38932 sika deer pozitions. Analyzed home ranges have shown main preferences of male and female red deer to shrubbery and natural grasses. Males of sika had main preferences to shrubbery and mixed forest during the year. Sika females have preferred shrubbery and natural grasses. The bachelor thesis results provided very interesting information of red and sika deer ecology and could be used in future game management or when creating a new emerging legislation, especially in the area of minimum hunting grounds quantities.
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Microhabitat preference of male red deer in the Doupov Mts.
Vlasák, Tomáš ; Ježek, Miloš (advisor) ; Kušta, Tomáš (referee)
My work engages problems of microhabitat preference of male red deer (Cervus elaphus). Location of research was occured in the Military Training Area Hradiště on the forest administration district Dolní Lomnice in the Doupovské Mts. Research was conducted using a GPS device. The first part of bachelor thesis is focused on literary analysis as a description, biology, ethology and damage by red deer on the forest stands. The second part of bachelor thesis is research itself. Home range size was calculated from winter and summer habitats. Monitored male red deer prefered visibility to the south. The lowest visibility was found to the west. During the day occurrence of hunting facilities is minimum in winter and summer periods. Greater occurrence of hunting facilities was only found in the night and morning time in the winter. Collected data were analyzed using graphs and tables, which are situated in the final part of this bachelor thesis.
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Role of laterality in agonistic behaviour of red deer II
Jirsová, Adéla ; Bartoš, Luděk (advisor) ; Kouba, Marek (referee)
The theoretical part of this diploma thesis deals with the role of brain laterality of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in agonistic behaviour. Therefore, the largest part of the review of published scientific outcome is devoted to the agonistic behaviour, namely it focuses on the fights between males during the autumn rut. Battles are strictly ritualized and males adhere to strict rules. The role of laterality in animals is being recently studied and the outcomes so far indicates that, particularly in agonistic interactions the laterality may play a significant role. Brain lateralization is simply a preference for one or the other hemisphere in certain activities. The main topic of this thesis is how laterality affects combat of red deer.
The research part took place in a deer-park Zátoň where the duels between stags in rut were recorded. We also used videos from farms Podlesko and Žalany and a deer-park Milešov. These records were processed in the program Noldus Observes, with emphasis placed on the facts which deer was the initiator of the fight and his position to opponent, or with which eye the opponent was perceived at the beginning, but also during the fight. Data were statistically evaluated in SAS software (version 9.4., SAS Institute Inc.). We observed a strong tendency that the winner also initiates the interaction. Chance, that the winner will be the initiator, was compared to recipient 15 times higher. Initiator estimates his option in the battle to win, so he does not let the duel quit before it comes to physical confrontation. Regardless of the character of the behaviour initiator approached his rival more likely on right eye. There was statistically significant demonstrated initiator access to the recipient from the right side in parallel walk as well as in direct physical engagement. As stags train fights during the whole year, so even in the rut are information processed by the left hemisphere, which controls the routine affairs. We can say, that the deer fights during the rut are so frequent, when applies the routine of using antlers as a weapons and therefore we observe right side preference.
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Clicking in cervids - basic parameters, origin and function?
POJEROVÁ, Lucie
It is well known that some ungulates produce clicking sound by limbs, but often without more details. This study deals with the clicking sound in five cervid taxons, specifically in Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), Pere David´s Deer (Elaphurus davidianus), Western Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Moose (Alces alces), Barbary stag (Cervus elaphus barbarus) in detail. Dominant frequency, 25% quartile, 50% quartile, 75% quartile were investigated for these species, with the particular attention to sex, age and limb position (forelimb, hind-limb) of studied individuals. Clicks sounds were recorded by solid state recorder Marantz PMD 620 with microphone and handset and analysed using program Avisoft-SAS Lab Pro Software, verze 5.0.01 (2010). Statistical analysis of obtained sound parameters were performed using program STATISTICA, version 12 (ANONYMUS 2012).Individuals within the species were compared using discriminant analysis and one-way ANOVA, species using discriminant analysis and nested ANOVA. Nested ANOVA was also used for testing of the sex and age influence on click parameters. Phylogenetic distribution of clicking was determined using the parsimony approach. Results suggest differences among within particular taxon, but differences among species depend on used methods (they are different using nested ANOVA, but they are not different except for Barbary stag in discriminant analysis). Click parameters were significantly associated with age, but not with sex of particular individuals. Ancestor of cervids seems to produce clicking, the evolution of this sound was associated later with its reduction in course of cervid evolution.
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Vyhodnocení kvality populace jelena evropského (Cervus elaphus) v honitbě VLS ČR, s.p. Hradiště a jejich změn v závislosti na změnách početnosti populace
Dospivová, Eva
Abstract This thesis deals with breeding and hunting of the European deer in hunting ground Hradiště managed by VLS ČR s. p., a division of Karlovy Vary. In this study, a total of 7731 pieces of deer caught in the seasons from 2005/2006 to 2013/2014 was assessed. From the total number, there were 1639 pieces of deer, 3200 pieces of doe and 2892 pieces of fawn. Deer were hunted by selective catch according to breeding and the resulting data were classified into 3 categories. Deer, does and fawns were considered by invoiced weight according to CIC point values. These data were statistically processed and analyzed using MS Excel methods of single-factor ANOVA, Scheffe test and regression analysis. The results of quality assessment statistical analysis showed the change in the quality between specific hunting seasons. There were also highlighted several factors that affect the use of selective catch as a proper means for improving the quality of deer population. From the regression analysis there was found that the reduction of the total number of deer does not improve its quality yet.
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Quantifying the production of feces - excrement selected deer herds in accordance with special regulations.
SVOBODA, Zdeněk
The work is focused on the production of deer droppings, black, fallow deer and mouflon. For this reason, the aim of this work is to determine the content of selected elements and findings of spring tribal condition of the game in the Highlands and the total amount of excreted droppings. According to collected information it can be concluded that a standard condition of deer causes no environmental pollution. In contrast, when there is an overpopulation of deer it can cause a negative impact on the environment and pollution of groundwater.
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