A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Density-habitat relationships of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Finland
Authors: Poutanen Jenni, Fuller Angela K., Pusenius Jyrki, Royle J. Andrew, Wikström Mikael, Brommer Jon E.
Publisher: WILEY
Publication year: 2023
Journal: Ecology and Evolution
Journal name in source: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Journal acronym: ECOL EVOL
Article number: e9711
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Number of pages: 14
ISSN: 2045-7758
eISSN: 2045-7758
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9711
Web address : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.9711
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/178671105
In heterogeneous landscapes, resource selection constitutes a crucial link between landscape and population-level processes such as density. We conducted a non-invasive genetic study of white-tailed deer in southern Finland in 2016 and 2017 using fecal DNA samples to understand factors influencing white-tailed deer density and space use in late summer prior to the hunting season. We estimated deer density as a function of landcover types using a spatial capture-recapture (SCR) model with individual identities established using microsatellite markers. The study revealed second-order habitat selection with highest deer densities in fields and mixed forest, and third-order habitat selection (detection probability) for transitional woodlands (clear-cuts) and closeness to fields. Including landscape heterogeneity improved model fit and increased inferred total density compared with models assuming a homogenous landscape. Our findings underline the importance of including habitat covariates when estimating density and exemplifies that resource selection can be studied using non-invasive methods.
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