Landscape structure influences space use by white-tailed deer

Variation in space-use patterns among free-ranging mammal populations has been an important area of study in behavioral ecology. We investigated the influence of landscape characteristics associated with landscape fragmentation and diversity on the home-range size of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus vi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mammalogy 2013-04, Vol.94 (2), p.398-407
Main Authors: Quinn, Amy C. Dechen, Williams, David M., Porter, William F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Animal behavior
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
composition
configuration
Deer
FEATURE ARTICLES
Female animals
fragmentation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Habitats
home range
Land cover
Landscape ecology
landscape structure
Landscapes
Mammalia
Mammalogy
Odocoileus virginianus
space use
Studies
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
white-tailed deer
Wildlife ecology
Wildlife management
Winter
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Summary:Variation in space-use patterns among free-ranging mammal populations has been an important area of study in behavioral ecology. We investigated the influence of landscape characteristics associated with landscape fragmentation and diversity on the home-range size of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We evaluated the relative contribution of 3 main land-cover types (forest, agriculture, and rangeland) to the composition of each home range and constructed sex- and season-specific linear regression models using landscape metrics relevant to habitat fragmentation and diversity. Both core and home-range areas were dominated by forest, agriculture, and rangeland. We found that landscape configuration metrics aimed at quantifying landscape fragmentation were good predictors of space use by white-tailed deer and that deer occupied smaller home ranges in highly fragmented areas. Our results indicate that once important cover types are present and patches are sized to meet the resource needs of the individual, configuration of those resource patches influences overall space use. These findings support the assertion that space use by white-tailed deer varies along a gradient of fragmentation.
ISSN:0022-2372
1545-1542
1545-1542
DOI:10.1644/11-MAMM-A-221.1