naa a22 4500 510745083 CHVBK 20180411083043.0 cr unu---uuuuu 180411e20131001xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s13364-013-0129-x doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s13364-013-0129-x Defecation rate in captive European bison, Bison bonasus [Elektronische Daten] [Amy Eycott, Katarzyna Daleszczyk, Jacqueline Drese, Adrià Cantero, Jennifer Pèbre, Samuel Gladys] Data on the digestive characteristics of European bison, Bison bonasus (L.), are needed for studies of their role as the largest extant herbivore in Europe and a potential keystone species of the temperate forest ecosystem. Very little published data are available, particularly on the defecation rate which affects population estimates from dropping counts and also the individual seed deposition rate. We gathered data from a captive bison group kept at the Show Reserve of the Białowieża National Park. Droppings accumulated in the enclosure over a 72-h period were counted in winter 2010. In addition, the group was observed over approximately 6-h periods three times in winter and 16 times in summer. The count of accumulated droppings over a 72-h period gave eight defecations per day. The summer direct observations recorded 7.5 defecations per day and winter observation 5.4 defecations per day. These estimates are within the range for other bovids of similar size. The difference between summer and winter observation-based estimates may be accounted for by a higher frequency of defecation in early morning and late afternoon, periods not covered in winter observations. Given the published density of seedlings emerging from droppings of the ∼470 free-living bison in the nearby forest, eight defecations a day mean that seed deposition by European bison may contribute significantly to realize seed dispersal and plant establishment. The Author(s), 2013 Behaviour nationallicence Seed dispersal nationallicence Endozoochory nationallicence Białowieża forest nationallicence Eycott Amy Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut Daleszczyk Katarzyna Białowieża National Park, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut Drese Jacqueline Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut Cantero Adrià Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut Pèbre Jennifer École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076, Toulouse Cedex, France aut Gladys Samuel École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076, Toulouse Cedex, France aut Acta Theriologica Springer Berlin Heidelberg 58/4(2013-10-01), 387-390 0001-7051 58:4<387 2013 58 13364 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-013-0129-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-013-0129-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Eycott Amy Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Daleszczyk Katarzyna Białowieża National Park, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Drese Jacqueline Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Cantero Adrià Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Pèbre Jennifer École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076, Toulouse Cedex, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Gladys Samuel École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076, Toulouse Cedex, France aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Acta Theriologica Springer Berlin Heidelberg 58/4(2013-10-01), 387-390 0001-7051 58:4<387 2013 58 13364 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer