Determining Optimal Sampling Schemes to Study Red Deer Diets by Fecal Analysis

 

Maria João Maia*¹, Francisco Rego** and Francisco Sousa Machado***

*Degree in Project Management and Rural Areas

***Forest Engineer

ERENA, Ordenamento e Gestão dos Recursos Naturais, Av. Visconde Valmor, 11-3º, 1000-289 LISBOA

**Associate Professor

Instituto Superior de Agronomia. CEABN, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-018 LISBOA

 

Abstract. Studies on red deer feeding ecology have been conducted in Portugal for several years and in various locations using microhistological techniques on feces. These analyses are extremely time consuming requiring the optimization of the multistage sampling scheme used. Estimates of variance components based on samples from red deer pellets in Vila Viçosa (southern Portugal) indicate that variability among individual pellets of the same pellet group is minimal. It is concluded that using 100 plant fragments observed per pellet, a minimum number of 4 pellet groups provides a reasonable compromise between precision and cost.

Key words: red deer; microhistological analysis; sampling; diet

 

Sumário. Nos últimos anos têm-se vindo a realizar em Portugal diversos estudos sobre a ecologia alimentar do veado com o recurso à utilização da análise micro-histológica de fezes. Estas análises exigem enorme consumo de tempo, pelo que interessa optimizar os esquemas de amostragem a múltiplos níveis geralmente utilizados. Baseados em amostras fecais de veado em Vila Viçosa (no Sul de Portugal) as estimativas das componentes de variância indicam uma variação mínima entre os diversos elementos constituintes do mesmo grupo fecal. Conclui-se que, com a identificação de 100 fragmentos epidérmicos por cada elemento do grupo fecal, é necessário um mínimo de 4 grupos para atingir um compromisso razoável entre precisão e custo.

Palavras-chave: veado; análise micro-histológica; amostragem; dieta

 

Résumé. Pendant les dernières années plusieurs études ont été réalisées au Portugal sur l'écologie alimentaire du cerf à l'aide de l'analyse micro-histologique de fèce. Ces analyses exigent énormément de temps d'où l'interêt d'optimiser des schémas d'échantillonage généralement utilisés à plusieurs niveaux. Basées sur les échantillon fécaux du cerf à Vila Viçosa (dans le sud du Portugal), les estimations des composantes de variance indiquent une variation minimum parmi les divers éléments constituants du groupe fécal. On conclu que, avec l'identification de 100 fragment épidermiques pour chaque élément du groupe fécal un minimum de 4 groupes est nécessaire pour atteindre un compromis raisonnable entre la précision et le coût.

Mots clés: cerf; analyse micro-histologique; échantillonage; alimentation.

 

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(Submetido para publicação em Janeiro de 2001)

(Aceite para publicação em Dezembro de 2001)

 

¹ Corresponding Author E-mail: mjfmaia@clix.pt