Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Ungulate populations in Europe have increased significantly in recent decades, leading to substantial impacts on ecosystem structure and composition. Understanding ungulate diets is crucial for managing their effects on ecosystems. This thesis used faecal DNA metabarcoding results to investigate the dietary patterns and resource partitioning of ungulate species in the Bavarian Forest National Park (BFNP). I tested three hypotheses: (1) diet diversity of red deer and roe deer increases with altitude, leading to less specialization; (2) roe deer alter their diet to include more head-up diet to lynx predation risk; and (3) both deer species select European silver fir as a food source. Results indicated that red deer diet diversity and evenness increased with altitude, while roe deer showed no significant altitudinal changes. Roe deer diets shifted towards shrubs and broadleaves in areas with high lynx presence, whereas red deer diets remained unaffected. Both species demonstrated a preference for Rosaceae and Vaccinium, with roe deer showing selective feeding on Abies. The findings illustrate the interactions between ungulate feeding behaviour, habitat conditions, and predator presence, providing essential insights for forest management and conservation strategies in the BFNP.