Microhabitat characterization in the home range of the Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in arid zones

Abstract

Knowing the home range of a species helps to identify the resources it needs to survive and reproduce and how this behavior is expressed spatially. Within home ranges, core areas are the sites where the main resources are abundant. The microhabitat is a spatial area composed of variables that can affect individual behavior. In this sense, the characterization of this inner part of the home range can contribute significantly to understanding the elements that these areas offer compared to the rest of the habitat of a population. This work characterized the home range and areas outside it, as well as the core areas of female mule deer on a microhabitat scale in the Chihuahuan Desert, México. The structure and composition of the vegetation were characterized according to three habitat use hierarchies: interior of the core areas and zones within and outside the home ranges of seven female mule deer. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed, and a hierarchical clustering was used to relate the variables. The variation in structure and composition in each hierarchy was evaluated by performing multivariate permutation tests. Twenty-five plant species were recorded in the transects. The PCA showed the most similar use hierarchies are the core and home range inner areas. The core area presents higher density and cover-dominance values, and the zone outside the home range showed high values of distance to the individual closest to the central point and greater variation in this parameter. The MANOVA indicated a significant variation in vegetation structure and composition in relation to use hierarchies. Significant differences in vegetation structure and composition were found at the microhabitat level between the core area of activity and the zones within and outside the home range. The core area has a greater structural complexity of vegetation, with greater plant coverage-abundance and density; this suggests that the core area is located in a more competitive and saturated environment. Outside the home range, the microhabitat has greater spatial heterogeneity of vegetation, with greater distance and variation of plant cover. Future research could address the spatial (micro-macro) and temporal scales to better understand the ecological dynamics of the species in different habitat use hierarchies.