Time Lags and Population Fluctuations in White-Tailed Deer

Fryxell, John M.; Hussell, David J. T.; Lambert, Anne; Smith, Peter C.

doi:10.2307/3808963

Cited by 95 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Although the demonstrated two-year lagged density-dependent e¡ects (table 1b) correspond to the observed ¢rst-age of reproduction of females in Norway (Langvatn et al 1996), we cannot, on the basis of the model presented here, determine whether the documented delayed density-dependence is cohort speci¢c or whether its e¡ect is across adult female age-groups. If time lag responses occur mainly through the density of females in the population, as demonstrated for red deer above, we would expect the oscillatory pattern to be especially pronounced when analysing the dynamics of the female segment (sensu Fryxell et al 1991). In fact, this was what we observed for red deer populations in Norway, where all populations but population 5 could be characterized as £uctuating when analysed through the female segment solely (¢gure 2d).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

“…In addition to evidence from other red deer populations (Clutton-Brock et al 1985, 1987a, the causal mechanisms for direct and delayed densitydependence, respectively, have been demonstrated in several other, mainly temperate ungulates (McCullough 1979;Houston 1982;Skogland 1990;Fryxell et al 1991;Clutton-Brock et al 1991, 1997Messier 1991;Jorgenson 1993). Our separate statistical analyses of female and male segments of the ¢ve Norwegian populations showed that direct, mortality-related densityRed deer, density-dependence and climatic variation M. C. Forchhammer and others 345 Table 1.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…climatic) in£u-ences on a spatio-temporal scale. In the biotic environment, two interactions have been reported to be a main in£uence on ungulate abundance: (i) intrinsic, density-dependent e¡ects (¢gure 1: 22 ) have, through depressed female fecundity and juvenile survival, a negative e¡ect on ungulate abundance (see, for example, Sauer & Boyce 1983;Clutton-Brock et al 1987a,b;Putman et al 1996 and references therein), often lagged several years in time (see, for example, Fryxell et al 1991); (ii) increased spatial and temporal abundance of plants, as documented through available biomass and length of the annual growth season, have been documented to increase ungulate abundance (¢gure 1: 12 ) through the e¡ects of increased body weight and thus reproductive performance as well as decreased age at maturity (see, for example, Albon et al 1983;Albon & Clutton-Brock 1988;Forchhammer 1995;Langvatn et al 1996). Also, the abiotic environment of both ungulates and plants exerts a considerable e¡ect on their respective abundances: (i) winter mortality of ungulates is negatively in£uenced by climatic conditions such as temperature, rainfall and duration of snow cover, resulting in a 1-year lagged depression of abundance (¢gure 1: 0 32 ) Mech et al 1987;Albon & Clutton-Brock 1988;OwenSmith 1990;Putman et al 1996); (ii) the spatio-temporal abundance of plants is considerably a¡ected by climatic conditions, primarily without time-lags (¢gure 1: 0 31 ), such as increased available biomass following increased amount of rainfall (Sinclair 1979;Owen-Smith 1990) and increased length of the annual growth season following increased length of snow lie (Langvatn & Albon 1986;Langvatn et al 1996;Post & Stenseth 1998a).…”

Section: A Model: Interactions Between Deer Plants and Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Population dynamics of Norwegian red deer: density–dependence and climatic variation

Forchhammer

Stenseth

Post³

et al. 1998

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

272

284

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We present a model on plant^deer^climate interactions developed for improving our understanding of the temporal dynamics of deer abundance and, in particular, how intrinsic (density-dependent) and extrinsic (plants, climate) factors in£uence these dynamics. The model was tested statistically by analysing the dynamics of ¢ve Norwegian red deer populations between 1964 and 1993. Direct and delayed densitydependence signi¢cantly in£uenced the development of the populations: delayed density-dependence primarily operated through female density, whereas direct density-dependence acted through both female and male densities. Furthermore, population dynamics of Norwegian red deer were signi¢cantly a¡ected by climate (as measured by the global weather phenomenon, the North Atlantic Oscillation: NAO). Warm, snowy winters (high NAO) were associated with decreased deer abundance, whereas the delayed (two-year) e¡ect of warm, snowy winters had a positive e¡ect on deer abundance. Our analyses are argued to have profound implications for the general understanding of climate change and terrestrial ecosystem functioning.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Model: Interactions Between Deer Plants and Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Population dynamics of Norwegian red deer: density–dependence and climatic variation

Forchhammer

Stenseth

Post³

et al. 1998

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

272

284

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“…The strong cohort effect on the adult body mass of roe deer is likely to influence their population dynamics. During the last decade, time-series analyses have demonstrated the pervasive occurrence of delayed density-dependence in ungulate populations (Solberg et al (1999) in moose; Aanes et al (2000) in reindeer; Forchhammer et al (1998) in red deer; Fryxell et al (1991) in white-tailed deer). Although most of these studies involved harvested populations in which delayed effects may come from humans, the strength of cohort variation in adult body mass reported in our study suggests that high density at the time of birth might be a mechanism whereby delayed density-dependence occurs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in adult body mass in roe deer: the effects of population density at birth and of habitat quality

Pettorelli

Gaillard

Laere

et al. 2002

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

156

139

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Body mass is a key determinant of fitness components in many organisms, and adult mass varies considerably among individuals within populations. These variations have several causes, involve temporal and spatial factors, and are not yet well understood. We use long-term data from 20 roe deer cohorts in a 2600 ha study area (Chizé, western France) with two habitats contrasting in quality (rich oak forest in the North versus poor beech forest in the South) to analyse the effects of both cohort and habitat quality on adult mass (i.e. median body mass between 4 and 10 years of age) of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Cohort strongly influenced the adult body mass of roe deer in both sexes: males born in 1994 were 5.2 kg heavier when aged between 4 and 10 years old than males born in 1986, while females born in 1995 were 4.7 kg heavier between 4 and 10 years old than females born in 1982. For a given cohort, adult males were, on average, 0.9 kg heavier in the rich oak forest than in the poor beech forest. A similar trend occurred for adult females (0.5 kg heavier in the oak forest). The effects of cohort and habitat were additive and accounted for ca. 40% of the variation observed in the adult mass of roe deer at Chizé (males: 41.2%; females: 40.2%). Population density during the spring of the birth accounted for about 35% of cohort variation, whereas rainfall in May-June had no effect. Such delayed effects of density at birth on adult body mass probably affect population dynamics, and might constitute a mechanism by which delayed density-dependence occurs in ungulate populations.

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“…1). Such pronounced fluctuations in abundance appear typical of white-tailed deer in many areas of North America (Fryxell et al 1991). However, demographic differences among populations of a species may be large dependent on extrinsic factors such as environment, harvest or predation (Halls 1984;Loison and Langvatn 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of forage competition, harvest, and climate fluctuation to changes in population growth of northern white-tailed deer

Patterson

Power

2002

Oecologia

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Recently there has been considerable interest in determining the relative roles of endogenous (density-dependent) and exogenous (density-independent) factors in driving the population dynamics of free-ranging ungulates. We used time-series analysis to estimate the relative contributions of density-dependent forage competition, climatic fluctuation, and harvesting on the population dynamics of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Nova Scotia, Canada, from 1983 to 2000. A model incorporating the population density 2 years previous, an interaction term for the harvest of females and population density 2 years previous, and the total snowfall during the previous 2 winters explained 80% of the variation in inter-annual population growth rate. Natality of adult females was negatively related to deer density during the present winter, whereas that of yearlings may have been correlated with the snowfall of three winters previous. Natality of fawns was related to deer density and total snowfall during the previous winter. Coyotes (Canis latrans) prey extensively on deer fawns in northeastern North America and the annual harvest of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), the major alternate prey of coyotes, explained 48% of the inter-annual variation in fawn recruitment. The proportions of fawn, yearling, and adult deer suffering from severe malnutrition during late winter were all correlated with deer density during the present winter. We conclude that the limiting effects of winter weather on over-winter survival of deer may be cumulative over two consecutive winters. During the late 1980s, density dependence and winter severity acted in concert to effect substantial declines in deer population growth both by effecting winter losses directly and by exacerbating predation by coyotes. During this period liberal harvesting did not relieve density-dependent forage competition and probably accelerated the decline.

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Time Lags and Population Fluctuations in White-Tailed Deer

Cited by 95 publications

References 17 publications

Population dynamics of Norwegian red deer: density–dependence and climatic variation

Population dynamics of Norwegian red deer: density–dependence and climatic variation

Variations in adult body mass in roe deer: the effects of population density at birth and of habitat quality

Contributions of forage competition, harvest, and climate fluctuation to changes in population growth of northern white-tailed deer

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