Grouping in roe deer: an effect of habitat openness or cover distribution?

José, Cristina San; Lovari, Sandro; Ferrari, N.

doi:10.4098/at.arch.97-25

Cited by 25 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The territories are occupied in March/April and maintained throughout the summer, while in winter roe deer often form groups to feed in open habitat where available (e.g. Zejda 1978;Maublanc et al 1987;Cibien et al 1989;San José et al 1997). The territorial system, proposed to carry low risk and low gain , could be viewed as a strategy to reduce the frequency of dangerous fights (Owen-Smith 1977), and most bucks show lifetime fidelity to the area where they established their first territory (Bramley 1970;Ellenberg 1978;Linnell and Andersen 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fighting behaviour in territorial male roe deer Capreolus capreolus: the effects of antler size and residence

et al. 2006

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In all areas where they have been studied, male roe deer are believed to have a territorial mating system, although few quantitative studies have been conducted and there remains considerable debate about the function of male roe deer territories. We observed 139 aggressive interactions between male roe deer in Storfosna Island (Norway) during one territorial season (March-August). We recognised seven rank levels of escalation according to the potential danger of the behaviour. On the basis of the number of escalation levels included in the interactions, the complexity of the fights was also scored. We recorded the presence of other individuals during the interaction, the age, the antler size, the territorial status and the residency status of the two contestants and tested how these variables affected escalation, complexity and outcome of the fights. Most of the interactions ended with low levels of escalation, and physical contact occurred only in fights between two territorial bucks. The escalation was also affected by the difference in antler size index (the bucks escalated more when the difference in antler size was smaller) and increased with an increasing number of female deer present during the interaction. The resident buck won in 81% of the fights. When it drew or lost, it was generally both inferior in age and antler size, and the duration and escalation of the interactions were higher. However, even when a fight was lost, no territory loss occurred. These results are consistent with the evolutionary game theory and the proposed low risk-low gain strategy of roe deer bucks.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fighting behaviour in territorial male roe deer Capreolus capreolus: the effects of antler size and residence

et al. 2006

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“…The differences between open and closed habitats and relationship between males and females from these habitats are in effect differences in their social organization and sexual segregation caused by the availability and configuration of woodland habitats, or different choices made by males and females with respect to security and food availability in their living areas. The roe deer has two main resource requirements: nutrient‐rich forage and cover, which offers escape from predators and disturbance (Putman, ; Cibien et al ., ; Mysterud & Østbye, , ; Tufto, Andersen & Linnell, ; San José, Lovari & Ferrari, ; Mysterud, ). In open habitats, where cervids are generally more gregarious, females tend to look more like young males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation patterns in roe deer cranium: sexual dimorphism across different habitats

et al. 2016

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Complex evolutionary interactions can cause differential responses of males and females to environmental factors which result in variations of the degree of sexual dimorphism across different habitats. Roe deer Capreolus capreolus is an excellent model species for analyzing sexual dimorphism in the context of habitat variability as the most widespread ungulate species in Europe. The impact of three different habitat types (closed, intermediate and open) on the level of cranial integration in roe deer and patterns between sexes was tested by analyzing 761 adult craniums from 11 roe deer populations in Serbia. Our results confirmed higher level of integration and more pronounced sexual dimorphism in closed habitats in comparison with open habitats. Males also showed different patterns of integration across habitats than females. The general consistency of results across different tests suggests that patterns of integration between sex and habitat groups tend to be different for males and females from different habitat types. When faced with strong selective pressures, patterns of correlations among skeletal elements can evolve even within a species as an indirect influence of social organization through habitat and sexual selection. We propose that cranial integration in roe deer evolved according to the predictions of the adaptive model of phenotypic differentiation within a taxon in closed habitats channeled by stabilizing selection. The different patterns of cranial integration between sexes after successful colonization of intermediate and open habitats can be explained by a change in overall selective pressures to disruptive/ directional selection, thus breaking up observed patterns of integration, since they are treated as a constraint in changed circumstances.

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“…The field work was carried out in spring and summer 1996 and 1997 at 'Le Malandrine' estate, 20 km south of Siena, central Italy (43 • N, 11 • E). The study site extends over c. 400 ha, at an altitude of 150-250 m. One-third of the area is covered with small forest patches of Mediterranean deciduous scrubwood (see San José, Lovari & Ferrari, 1997), predominantly oaks Quercus pubescens and hornbeams Ostrya carpinifolia, with abundant shrublike cover, mainly juniper-agaric Prunetum-Ligustro and broom Spartium junceum thickets. The rest of the area consists of agricultural fields; during 1996-97 the main field type was represented approximately by Leguminosae (mainly sainfoin Onobrychis viciifolia) (49%), followed by ploughed/sown fields (24%), cereals (mainly wheat Triticum sativum) (17%) and sunflower Helianthus annucus (10%).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of food or cover removal on spacing patterns and habitat use in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Cimino

Lovari

2003

Journal of Zoology

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The knowledge of the ability of a species to adapt to a human-altered environment is important for developing wildlife management plans and, in turn, for conservation of the species. Radio-tracking was used to examine the effects of partial food or cover removal (owing to agricultural changes) on the spacing patterns and habitat use of adult roe deer Capreolus capreolus in a mixed wood/agricultural Mediterranean area, during spring-summer 1996-97. For both sexes, there were no changes in home-range and core-area sizes, or in inter-fix distances, after food (field ploughing) or cover (crop harvesting) removal. After food removal, both sexes shifted their home ranges and core areas, spending more time in woodland and less time in the ploughed fields. This suggests a change in feeding habits. In addition, similar responses by males and females indicate that their energetic requirements are comparable during the territorial/reproductive period. After removal of cover, males neither shifted their home ranges and core areas nor changed their habitat use, whereas females responded with significant shifts (by c. 90%) of the core area, and a significant decrease in the proportion of daytime spent in the harvested fields. Thus, crop harvesting in this period (May-June) has different effects on the two sexes, with adult females being much less tolerant than males. Differential responses to cover removal were related to the different security requirements of the two sexes around the period of parturition.

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Grouping in roe deer: an effect of habitat openness or cover distribution?

Cited by 25 publications

References 8 publications

Fighting behaviour in territorial male roe deer Capreolus capreolus: the effects of antler size and residence

Fighting behaviour in territorial male roe deer Capreolus capreolus: the effects of antler size and residence

Correlation patterns in roe deer cranium: sexual dimorphism across different habitats

The effects of food or cover removal on spacing patterns and habitat use in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

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