Roque  G. Ramirez-Lozano, Maria Del  S. Alvarado, Humberto  Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Israel  Cantu-Silva, Marco  V. Gomez-Meza, Mauricio  Cotera-Correa, Enrique  Jurado-Ybarra, Tilo  G. Dominguez-Gomez, 
    Macro Mineral Content in Five Shrubs Browsed by White-Tailed Deer (<I>Odocoileus virginianus</I>), Northeastern Mexico,
    Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances,
    Volume 11,Issue 22,
    2012,
    Pages 4182-4189,
    ISSN 1680-5593,
    javaa.2012.4182.4189,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2012.4182.4189)
    Abstract: The Ca, K, Mg, Na and P contents were determined, seasonally 
  during 2 consecutive years in leaves of native browse plants such as <I>Castela 
  erecta</I> Turp sp. Texana (Torr &amp; A. Gray) Cronquist (Simaroubaceae),<I> 
  Celtis pallida</I> Torr. (Ulmaceae), <I>Forestiera angustifolia</I> Torr. (Oleaceae), 
  <I>Lantana macropoda</I> Torr. (Verbenaceae) and <I>Zanthoxylum fagara</I> (L.) 
  Sarg (Rutaceae) that were collected from August 2004 to May 2006 in a semiarid 
  and subtropical area of the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico at three county (Los 
  Ramones, China and Linares) sites which are grouped under a similar climatic 
  pattern. Mineral contents were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer 
  with exception of P content that was estimated using a colorimeter. All minerals 
  in all species were significantly different among years, sites and seasons and 
  interactions were also significant. In general, plants at Linares site which 
  historically registered the highest rainfall had higher mineral content followed 
  by Los Ramones and China. Moreover, during the 2nd year, all plants species 
  showed higher mineral content than the 1st year. Furthermore, during the Summer 
  session, all plants species had higher mineral content followed by Autumn, Winter 
  and Spring. Regardless of spatio-temporal differences, all plant species had 
  suitable levels of Ca, Mg and K to satisfy range domestic and wild ruminant 
  requirements. In contrast, P and Na contents showed marginal inadequacies in 
  some seasons throughout the year. Seasonal variations in minerals could be associated 
  to climatic conditions like excessive irradiance levels during Summer and extreme 
  low temperatures in Winter and rainfall events.
    Keywords: Nutrition;Tamaulipan thornscrub;wild ruminants;minerals;native forages