Landscape influence on dispersal of yearling male white‐tailed deer

Abstract

Landscape features can alter the transfer phase of dispersal and dispersal‐mediated disease transmission and gene flow. The transfer phase is poorly understood, but improved understanding of landscape effects on dispersal distance and direction would allow better prediction and mitigation of disease spread and improved delineation of management zones. To investigate how ecological settings influence dispersal in white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), we captured and radio‐collared 409 juvenile male deer from 2 study areas in Wisconsin, USA, one dominated by public forest and another by row‐crop agriculture. Dispersal directions were non‐directed in the heavily forested study area, but there was a southeastern bias in the farmland study area. Individual dispersal distances were not related to forest cover, and study area average and maximum distances differed from expected, based on published relationships between forest cover and population‐average dispersal distance. Roads, rivers, and cities were semipermeable barriers to dispersal, but effects of barriers differed with respect to study area, suggesting that natural and anthropogenic features influence dispersal‐mediated disease transmission and gene flow. Our results suggest that dispersal models should consider movement barriers in more developed landscapes, and barriers can also be used to inform designation of biologically meaningful management units. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

Spatial population genetics in heavily managed species: Separating patterns of historical translocation from contemporary gene flow in white-tailed deer

“…rivers, highways) as being semipermeable to gene flow (Kelly et al, 2014; Locher et al, 2015; Miller et al, 2020; Robinson et al, 2012). This, despite the potential complication caused by re-stocking efforts, and in accordance with radio-telemetry data (Peterson et al, 2017).…”

“…However, many of these studies relied upon (now) obsolescent molecular markers (e.g., mtDNA or reduced panels of microsatellite DNA markers) that captured substantially less polymorphism than do next-generation methods (Hodel et al, 2017;Jeffries et al, 2016;Lemopoulos et al, 2019). Subsequent studies at finer spatial scales have supported the role of large-scale geomorphic configurations (e.g., rivers, highways) as semipermeable barriers to WTD gene flow (Kelly et al, 2014;Locher et al, 2015;Miller et al, 2020;Robinson et al, 2012), despite the potential complication caused by restocking efforts, and in accordance with radio-telemetry data (Peterson et al, 2017).…”

Land use and dispersal influence mortality in white‐tailed deer

“…The overall dispersal rate (55%) was lower than rates reported in Pennsylvania (68–70%; Long et al ); however, we observed a greater proportion of fall dispersal (83%) relative to spring dispersal (17%) than has been reported elsewhere (Long et al ). Spring dispersal is thought to be influenced by population structure (Hölzenbein and Marchinton ; Long et al , ) with spring dispersal becoming less common as density of adult females decreases and fall dispersal more common as density of adult males increases (Shaw et al , Long et al , Peterson et al ). The seasonality of dispersal timing we observed may suggest strong male–male competition in the study area (Rosenberry et al ), with limited female aggression towards yearling males.…”

Deer harvest variation in small and large management units in Pennsylvania

“…As a result, the influence of different deer population objectives in neighboring management units would have less effect on large WMUs than on small county units. In addition to the effect of unit size, use of roads and rivers as boundaries may act as semi‐permeable barriers to emigration and immigration, further reducing the influence of emigration and immigration on overall population parameters within WMUs compared with county‐based units (Rosenberry et al , McCoy et al , Long et al , Peterson et al ). Wildlife management units may reduce expected variation by reducing the influence of neighboring management units due to larger area and semi‐permeable nature of physical boundaries.…”