Could the Content of Soluble Carbohydrates in the Young Shoots of Selected Willow Cultivars Be a Determinant of the Plants’ Attractiveness to Cervids (Cervidae, Mammalia)?

Ten willow cultivars grown in experimental plots were evaluated for performance, attractiveness to foragers, and the content composition of soluble carbohydrates. The survival cuttings a thicket browse differed subject cultivar, soil quality, moisture content. number stump sprouts varied considerably, from 1.1 shoots weakest soils S?onin, Poland, 3.43 plot Czempin, Poland. Browse established 2017. They cut, fencing was removed early spring 2019. Young (10 cm shoot tip with buds, preferably eaten by animals) sampled analyses carbohydrates as potential attractors foraging cervids. All contained same carbohydrates: glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, myo-inositol, galactinol, raffinose. Total carbohydrate ranged 21.31 (S. amygdalina 1045) 69.37 mg/g?1 DM (dry matter) purpurea). Glucose predominant sugar all cultivars, excluding S. viminalis. fructose approximately twice lower than their glucose cultivars. Smaller differences observed which 4.61 8.26 fragilis cv. Kamon/Resko). phloem species small quantities galactinol trace amounts Weak negative correlations noted between total content, galactose vs. remaining that occurred smaller not correlated