The effect of livestock on the physiological condition of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is modulated by habitat quality.

ABSTRACT: Free-range livestock grazing is a widespread human activity that not only modifies natural vegetation but also leads to interactions with wild ungulates. Most commonly, the interactions between cattle and wild ungulates have been studied with a focus on competition for high-quality forage. However, other mechanisms, such as the risk of parasite infection, might better describe this interaction. We aim to determine whether livestock affect roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758) by reducing habitat quality and increasing the probability of infection by shared parasites. We measured noninvasive fecal cortisol metabolites as an indicator of habitat quality as well as the lung nematode larvae burden from the Dictyocaulus genus. A higher Dictyocaulus larvae load was found in the presence

SUBMITTER: Horcajada-Sanchez F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6828671 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature