Ecology of sympatric populations of mule deer and white-tailed deer in a prairie environment ecologyofsympatr1989wood Year: 1989 HABITAT USE Mule Deer Distribution Mule deer on the study area occurred in an aggregated pattern typical of animals occupying patchy environments. They were observed in only 37 of the 2,172, 25- ha cells covering the study area during all survey flights from 1975 through 1986. Only 20, 19, and 15 of the cells were occupied during autumn, winter, and spring, respectively. Density distribution also indicated aggregated distribution. During peak populations in Decembe
Ecology of sympatric populations of mule deer and white-tailed deer in a prairie environment ecologyofsympatr1989wood Year: 1989 HABITAT USE Mule Deer Distribution Mule deer on the study area occurred in an aggregated pattern typical of animals occupying patchy environments. They were observed in only 37 of the 2,172, 25- ha cells covering the study area during all survey flights from 1975 through 1986. Only 20, 19, and 15 of the cells were occupied during autumn, winter, and spring, respectively. Density distribution also indicated aggregated distribution. During peak populations in December 1983, density averaged deer/km2 across the entire area, but local concentrations ranged from 5 to 33 deer/km2. The general pattern of dispersion, illustrated by the distribution of mule deer groups observed during winter surveys from 1975 through 1985, is presented in Figure 10. Greatest concentrations and most continuous distribution occurred along the Yellowstone-Missouri drainage divide. Local areas of relatively high density were interspersed among vacant or low density areas. Fig. 10. Distribution of mule deer groups observed on the Cherry Creek study area during aerial surveys in winter, 1975-1985. There were no major changes in distribution associated with increases in mule deer numbers from 1975-1980, when population density was relatively low, to 1982- 1983 when density peaked. Deer seasonally used the same areas (25-ha cells) more than expected during both periods and used new cells less than expected during the population high (P<). Apparently, the availability of suitable habitat was sufficiently restricted and initial deer density was sufficiently low that population growth occurred almost entirely within initially occupied habitat. Mule deer were most widely dispersed during summer and autumn and became increasing aggregated during winter and spring as indicated by numbers of cells in which deer were recorded during aerial surveys. In part, these s
Size: 1850px × 1081px
Photo credit: © Bookend / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: archive, book, drawing, historical, history, illustration, image, page, picture, print, reference, vintage
