Chital deer (Axis axis) are an ungulate species introduced to northern Queensland, Australia, in an environment where land is managed for large scale cattle production. Rainfall and pasture growth are markedly seasonal and cattle experience a nutritional shortfall each year before monsoon rain. The presence of chital is perceived by land managers to reduce dry-season grass availability and this study sought to estimate the potential effect of free-living chital on regional cattle production. Diet overlap was greatest during the wet season when both ungulates principally consumed grass, and least during the dry season when chital diet comprised only ~50% grass. Using local estimates for energy values of wet and dry season grass, and the maintenance energy requirements of chital and cattle, we estimated the relative dry-matter seasonal grass intakes of both ungulates. The grass consumed annually by 100 chital could support an additional 25 cattle during the wet season and an additional 14 cattle during the dry season.

鹿（轴轴）是一种有蹄类动物，被引入澳大利亚昆士兰州北部，在管理土地以进行大规模养牛的环境中。降雨和牧场生长明显是季节性的，每年季风降雨之前，牛的营养不足。土地管理者认为，有金属残基的存在会减少旱季草的可利用性，本研究旨在评估自由生金属残基对区域牛生产的潜在影响。当两个有蹄类动物主要消耗草时，饮食重叠最大，而在旱季中，仅手性饮食仅占〜50％的草，则重叠最少。使用当地对湿季和旱季草能量值的估计，以及对金属和牛的维持能量需求，我们估算了有蹄类动物的相对干物质季节性草摄入量。