Variation in harem size of red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i> L.): the effects of adult sex ratio and age‐structure

Bonenfant, Christophe; Gaillard, Jean‐Michel; Klein, François; Maillard, Daniel

doi:10.1017/s0952836904005552

Cited by 29 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Contrary to our findings, the decrease of female group size with the increase of male numbers has previously been reported in several ungulates, e.g. red deer (BONENFANT et al 2004) and wapiti (BENDER 1996). Also, for reindeer, L' ITALIEN et al 2012) reported that the mean number of females per mating group decreased with an increase in male percentage, possibly because of the energetic costs associated with keeping away competitors, while herding females.…”

Section: Group Sizecontrasting

confidence: 99%

Effects of males’ presence on female behaviour during the rut

Djaković

Holand

Hovland

et al. 2014

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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Females' dispersion during the mating season has been regarded as being determined primarily by the distribution of food resources. However, females' distribution and behaviour may also be affected by the males' availability during rut. Indeed, it is challenging to disentangle female dispersion for food from female mate choice. We present the results of female reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) behaviour in two manipulated herds during the peak week of the rut: one without males (MA) and one with males present (MP). Presence of males did not influence mean typical group size of females (MP herd: 10.14, MA herd: 11.85). However, females in the MA herd travelled longer daily distances (1.8 km) compared to females in the MP herd (1.3 km). The proportion of the time females spent feeding (~75%), walking (~16%), and standing (~8%) did not differ between the herds, whereas matingrelated behaviour was, as expected, significantly higher in the MP herd, although it accounted for only 1.4% of their observed activity. The high proportion of time spent feeding indicates that females' movement is driven primarily by maximizing forage intake. No difference in the females' somatic body weight change during rut between the two herds indicates low cost of female mating related activities during rut. Contrary to our predictions, the results showed that female reindeer behaviour during the mating season is not affected by male availability, male mating or courtship behaviour, but is primarily driven by distribution of food resources.

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Section: Group Sizecontrasting

confidence: 99%

Effects of males’ presence on female behaviour during the rut

Djaković

Holand

Hovland

et al. 2014

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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“…The mating system of the PPNR population is polygynous, with males competing to dominate harems of oestrous females between September and October (Bonenfant et al 2004). Telemetry work has suggested that dispersal is male biased and that female emigration is rare, leading to a close spatial association between female relatives in the study area (Hamann et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Telemetry work has suggested that dispersal is male biased and that female emigration is rare, leading to a close spatial association between female relatives in the study area (Hamann et al 2003). After the change in the management regime, the increase in the number of older males in the population led to a reduction in the variance in male reproductive success, as the number of the harems increased, but their size decreased (Bonenfant et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-scale genetic structure of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in a French temperate forest

2007

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Despite the classic population genetic view of a population as a network of sub-populations consisting of randomly mating individuals, the mating system and dispersal patterns of social animals affect the distribution of genetic variation on a local scale. The spatially open, forestdwelling red deer (Cervus elaphus) population at the Petite Pierre National Reserve in north-eastern France is culled annually, with the management aim of maximising the number of adult males in the population, and is a typical example of an exploited red deer population from continental Europe. Through a change in management policy, the number of adult males in the population has increased over time, leading to a reduction in variance of male reproductive success (Bonenfant et al., Ecography 25:446-458, 2002). In this study, we investigate the fine-scale genetic structure of the population using 14 microsatellite loci and attempt to find evidence for a change in this genetic structure over time. DNA was extracted from bone powder obtained by drilling into antlers and mandibular condyles. DNA was successfully extracted from up to 30-year-old samples, but it was necessary to genotype samples in duplicate to obtain reliable genetic profiles. Our results point towards a pattern of fine-scale spatial structure amongst female red deer in the study area, but not amongst males, as would be expected for a typical mammalian system with male-biased dispersal and female philopatry. In addition, our results hint at a decrease in spatial genetic structure amongst females over time, which might be related to a change in management policy, but small sample size limited the robustness of this conclusion.

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“…Human hunting can influence reproductive behavior of ungulates by skewing the sex ratio and/or by removing certain individuals from a population (Bonenfant et al, 2004; Mysterud et al, 2003). Such changes can profoundly impact mating dynamics (Mysterud, Coulson & Stenseth, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The association between continual, year-round hunting and bellowing rate of bison bulls during the rut

Sarno

Grigione

Higa

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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The impact of hunting (selective harvest, trophy hunting) on the demography of mammals is well documented. However, despite continual year-round hunting of bison in some populations, little is known about how the behavior of survivors may be altered. Therefore, in this initial study, we used focal-animal observations in adjacent populations of continually hunted and protected Plains bison (Bison bison bison) in western South Dakota, to examine the potential impact of hunting on bellowing rate—an important behavior that serves to intimidate rival bulls and potentially influences mate choice by females. In addition to hunting, we investigated how the number of attendant males, number of adult females, group size, and number of days from the start of rut influenced bellowing rate. Bulls bellowed an order of magnitude more often in the protected population than in the hunted populations, whereas bellowing rate was not significantly different in the hunted populations. Hunting was significantly and negatively associated with bellowing rate, while all other predictors were found to be positively associated with bellowing rate. Furthermore, the impact of hunting on bellowing rate became more pronounced (i.e., dampened bellowing rate more strongly) as the number of attendant males increased. Changes in bellowing behavior of bulls (and possibly mate choice by cows) can alter breeding opportunities. Therefore, our data suggest the need for studies with broader-scale geographical and temporal replication to determine the extent that continual year-round hunting has on bellowing rate of bison during the rut. If reduced bellowing is associated with human hunting on a larger scale, then wildlife managers may need to adjust hunting rate and duration, timing (season), and the time lag between hunting events in order to insure that bison are able to express their full repertoire of natural mating behaviors.

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Variation in harem size of red deer (Cervus elaphus L.): the effects of adult sex ratio and age‐structure

Cited by 29 publications

References 68 publications

Effects of males’ presence on female behaviour during the rut

Effects of males’ presence on female behaviour during the rut

Fine-scale genetic structure of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in a French temperate forest

The association between continual, year-round hunting and bellowing rate of bison bulls during the rut

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