Dynamics of mule deer forage in the Sonoran Desert

Short-term vegetation response to wildfire in the eastern Sierra Nevada: Implications for recovering an endangered ungulate

“…In desert regions especially, weather conditions can have a strong affect on vegetation (Bennett et al, 2003) and also herbivore populations (Marshal et al, 2005). In the arid Sonoran desert, rainfall was positively correlated with mule deer population trends, and this was likely caused by the positive relationship between rain and forage biomass (Marshal et al, 2005). The results of our study were strongly affected by the near average weather conditions of 2008 and 2009.…”

“…We used the comparative yield method (Haydock and Shaw, 1975) to obtain a coarse estimate of total dry shrub biomass (sensu Marshal et al, 2005). We dried samples from 24 clipped plots (6 of each biomass category) at 100 C to a constant weight to develop a regression model that would convert categorical values into estimates of dry grams.…”

“…We were unable to ascertain the date of the first soaking storm as the weather station data from Independence (U.S. National Weather Service, Western Regional Climate Center http://wrcc.dri.edu/) is compiled monthly but expect that this factor, like overall precipitation and temperature was about average for the region. In desert regions especially, weather conditions can have a strong affect on vegetation (Bennett et al, 2003) and also herbivore populations (Marshal et al, 2005). In the arid Sonoran desert, rainfall was positively correlated with mule deer population trends, and this was likely caused by the positive relationship between rain and forage biomass (Marshal et al, 2005).…”

Precipitation impacts on mule deer habitat use in the chihuahuan desert of Mexico

“…Rain fell in all months and the vegetation looked green. After the rainy seasons, abundant growth of forbs is common and deer shift their diet in favor of forbs (Urness, 1981;Marshal et al, 2004Marshal et al, , 2005aHeffelfinger, 2006). In our study area, forbs were available over much of the area in the first, wet year.…”

Habitat use by a desert ungulate: Predicting effects of water availability on mountain sheep

“…The majority of plant biomass occurred in xeroriparian areas associated with major washes (Marshal et al, 2005a(Marshal et al, , 2006b, and vegetation outside those zones was sparse (Andrew, 1994). Each mountain range supported vast expanses of desert scrub vegetation dominated by creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), brittle-bush (Encelia farinosa), burro weed (Ambrosia dumosa), and ocotillo (Fouquiera splendens), as described by Andrew (1994) for the East Chocolate Mountains.…”