Abstract:

Aims: Nutritional resources are fundamental to wildlife survival, reproduction, and environmental adaptation, and are a critical determinant of population persistence and viability. The Taohongling sika deer, the only extant wild sika deer population in Jiangxi Province, holds significant ecological value. However, its seasonal foraging ecology and nutritional strategies remain unclear.

Methods: Fresh fecal samples were collected at the Jiangxi Taohongling Sika Deer National Nature Reserve in autumn (October 2022), winter (January 2023), spring (April 2023), and summer (July 2023). Seasonal dietary composition and nutritional characteristics were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and physicochemical assays.

Results: The Taohongling sika deer consumed plants from 31 families, 37 genera, and 37 species. Primary forage plants varied seasonally: in spring, the main food sources were Rubus spp. (32.56%) and Quercus fabri (13.13%); in summer, Dalbergia hupeana (30.20%), Rubus spp. (12.45%), and Persicaria hastatosagittata (12.04%) predominated; in autumn, Loropetalum chinense (65.21%) and Rubus spp. (11.19%) were dominant; and in winter, Rubus spp. (53.21%) and Carex spp. (18.92%) were the primary forages. Dietary diversity differed significantly among seasons: the summer diversity index was the highest, while autumn and winter indices were relatively low. Analysis of food nutrition and estimated nutrient intake showed higher intake in summer and winter and lower intake in autumn. Furthermore, the nutritional content of available food did not appear to be the primary factor influencing the deer’s food selection.

Conclusions: These findings clarify the seasonal foraging and nutritional strategies of the Taohongling sika deer and provide an evidence-based foundation for developing targeted conservation measures for the South China sika deer population.

Key words: sika deer, Taohongling Reserve, DNA metabarcoding, dietary diversity, nutritional strategy, seasonal variation