The influence of forest cover on mule deer habitat selection, diet, and nutrition during winter in a deep-snow ecosystem

Serrouya, Robert; D’Eon, Robert G.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2008.04.048

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(60 reference statements)

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“…Snow depth, density, and hardness determine the amount of forage that can be reached, the ability of ungulates to avoid predators, and the timing of fine‐scale daily habitat selection, movements, and migration (Parker et al 1984). Because digestible forage is generally more abundant in open areas, ungulates must make trade‐offs between the benefits and costs of forest cover, snow depth, and forage availability (Pauley et al 1993, Serrouya and D'Eon 2008).…”

Section: Conflict Between Human Development and Ungulate Rangesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of residential development on ungulates in the Rocky Mountain West

Polfus

Krausman

2012

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Rural residential development in the Rocky Mountain West of North America is resulting in increased conflict between ungulate habitat and infrastructure. Subdivisions, houses, and roads affect ungulates both behaviorally and demographically and reduce management options available to agencies. These habitat alterations need to be addressed if wildlife species are to coexist with humans. We reviewed literature (using 7 search engines and 16 key words) on the effects of land-use change (especially residential development) on elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), American pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Approximately 80 studies were directly related to the effects of human development on ungulates; however, only 25 specifically examined residential development and its influences on the focal species. Studies varied in methodology (i.e., aerial and ground surveys, pellet counts, movement rates) and analyses. The literature suggests most ungulates exhibit short-term behavioral reactions to human disturbance. However, few studies link these responses to population-level consequences or test the cumulative impact that multiple developments and development types (i.e., roads, housing, industrial development) have on seasonal habitat use and migratory behavior. Short-term and small-scale observational studies have articulated the conflict between humans and ungulates on shared habitat. Those studies need to be followed with well-designed experiments and large-scale multi-jurisdictional projects so that managers and planners can make more credible recommendations to direct future exurban development that benefits wildlife and humans. ß 2012 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Conflict Between Human Development and Ungulate Rangesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of residential development on ungulates in the Rocky Mountain West

Polfus

Krausman

2012

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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“…Diet quality is related to landscape structure which, under natural conditions, determines the diet composition of sedentary deer (Cornelis et al 1999;Serrouya and D'Eon 2008). Thus, landscape modifications such as fragmentation can provoke variation in both diet composition and quality, potentially increasing access to high-quality food, and in some cases improving the nutritional status of the host (Miyashita et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet quality and immunocompetence influence parasite load of roe deer in a fragmented landscape

et al. 2010

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International audienceThe influence of landscape structure and host diet on parasite load of wildlife is still largely unknown. We studied a roe deer () population in a fragmented agricultural landscape in southern France to explore the relationship of gastrointestinal nematode load with spleen mass (to index immunocompetence), faecal nitrogen (to index diet quality), landscape structure and age of 33 hunt-harvested roe deer. Gastrointestinal worm counts were negatively related to faecal nitrogen and spleen mass, explaining respectively 24.7% and 9.2% of the observed variability in parasite load. Landscape structure did not appear to have a direct influence on gastrointestinal worm counts, but since animals from more open areas have a diet that is richer in nitrogen, its influence may be indirect. In conclusion, in the study area, the colonisation of the agricultural landscape does not seem to have increased the risk of gastrointestinal nematode parasitism for roe deer, possibly because access to high-quality food enhances immunocompetence

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“…Researchers of mule deer in other deep-snow environments have suggested a snow depth threshold of 40-50 cm, above which deer avoid open areas and increase selection of closed canopy forests (Gilbert et al 1970, Armleder et al 1994, Poole and Mowat 2005, Serrouya and D'Eon 2008; however, snow conditions on all of our study areas, and the Whitefish study area in particular, often exceeded levels expected to preclude mule deer use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Climate, habitat interactions, and mule deer resource selection on winter landscapes

et al. 2022

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Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are a valued game species across their range in North America. At higher latitudes mule deer inhabit the Northern Forests ecoregion, where the winter season poses challenging conditions. We studied resource selection during winter by mule deer in northwest Montana, USA, focused on the effects of snow and canopy cover on deer behavior. Specifically, we assessed the effects of land cover type, terrain characteristics, snow accumulation, percent canopy cover, solar radiation, and forage biomass on resource selection by 126 mule deer captured during 2017–2019 in 3 partially migratory subpopulations. We collected pellet samples and conducted diet analyses to assess forage species by individual and study area. Deer displayed a shift from nitrogen‐rich forbs and shrubs in summer to nutrient‐poor evergreens like conifers in winter. Deer avoided areas with deeper snow and sought more closed canopy forests for their snow‐intercept advantages. Weather and vegetative variation among and within study areas resulted in disparities in selection for attributes such as land cover. Similarly, mule deer diets varied spatiotemporally as a function of snow, with some deer favoring coniferous species in deep snow, whereas others less constrained by snow had more diverse diets with more shrub species. Additional analyses revealed annual individual survival correlated with changes in snow depth, suggesting fitness consequences as snow accumulated. These differences suggest locally adapted behaviors as mule deer reflect energetic constraints of winter landscapes.

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The influence of forest cover on mule deer habitat selection, diet, and nutrition during winter in a deep-snow ecosystem

Cited by 15 publications

References 38 publications

Impacts of residential development on ungulates in the Rocky Mountain West

Impacts of residential development on ungulates in the Rocky Mountain West

Diet quality and immunocompetence influence parasite load of roe deer in a fragmented landscape

Climate, habitat interactions, and mule deer resource selection on winter landscapes

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