White-tailed deer distribution in response to patch burning on rangeland

Meek, Michael Glenn; Cooper, Susan M.; Owens, M. K.; Cooper, Richard Massey; Wappel, A. L.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2008.06.002

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 31 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…For example, Meek et al. () documented avoidance of recent burns, but in their study fire was followed by extreme drought delaying vegetation recovery. Lashley et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Studies have reported variable responses by white-tailed deer to fire. For example, Meek et al (2008) documented avoidance of recent burns, but in their study fire was followed by extreme drought delaying vegetation recovery. Lashley et al (2015b) reported that white-tailed deer avoided recent burns, while Main and Richardson (2002) reported that white-tailed deer increased use of recent burns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Fire‐mediated foraging tradeoffs in white‐tailed deer

2017

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Abstract. Predation risk can induce individual prey to express behavioral, physiological, and morphological traits that can influence population-level processes. Maternal care is an intuitive link between predator-mediated traits of individuals and population-level processes because maternal investment can decrease with predation risk, and often influences processes such as neonatal growth, survival, and recruitment. During fawn-rearing, many ungulate species restrict space use to a fraction of their home range. Selection of and within these areas can influence the quality of concealment cover for fawns and forage availability during early lactation which is the peak of maternal investment. Fire influences the distribution of food resources and cover for prey and their predators. In frequently burned systems, ungulates typically move into recently burned areas to exploit increased forage quality and detection of predators that use cover to stalk their prey. We investigated the effects of time since fire on the selection of and within fawnrearing areas and foraging behavior in white-tailed deer in a frequently burned pine savanna. White-tailed deer selected woodlands with greater time since fire and avoided recently burned areas, likely sacrificing forage quality for concealment cover during fawn-rearing. We then used camera data to test the effects of time since fire on foraging behavior and found that with increased time since fire female white-tailed deer are more likely to be feeding while foraging at concentrated resources of standardized quality and quantity. By combining these data, we revealed that the counterintuitive avoidance of high-quality forage in recently burned areas can be explained by predation risk. We documented fire effects on proactive (i.e., avoidance of recent burns) and reactive (decreased vigilance with increasing time since fire) antipredator behaviors in white-tailed deer during the fawning season. Our results suggest that fire can spatially and temporally alter a landscape causing dynamic predation risk to which prey must respond to maximize fitness.

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“…For example, Meek et al. () documented avoidance of recent burns, but in their study fire was followed by extreme drought delaying vegetation recovery. Lashley et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Fire‐mediated foraging tradeoffs in white‐tailed deer

2017

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“…However, recently burnt areas provide tender vegetation that might be particularly palatable for herbivores (Meek et al 2008) and the seed banks might become easily available for granivores (Krall 2012 Species distribution models offer a way to rank habitat quality based on probability of occurrence of a species (Johnson 2007). Based on northern quoll locations recorded across the Pilbara bioregion, Molloy et al (2015) developed a species distribution model and found a higher probability of occurrence in areas with high complexity such as rugged accumulate seeds but may be associated with higher predation risk (Cramer and Willig 2002).…”

Section: Potential Sources Sinks and Habitat Quality Implications Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

Hernández-Santín¹

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The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is an endangered carnivorous marsupial in the family Dasyuridae that occurs in the northern third of Australia. It has declined throughout its range, especially in open, lowland habitats. This led to the hypothesis that rocky outcrops where it persists provide a safe haven from introduced predators and provide greater microhabitat heterogeneity associated with higher prey availability.Proposed causes of decline include introduced cane toads (Rhinella marina, which are toxic), predation by feral cats (Felis catus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and the dingo (Canis lupus), and habitat alteration by changes in fire regimes. The National Recovery Plan highlighted knowledge gaps relevant to the conservation of the northern quoll. These include assembling data on ecology and population status, determining factors in survival, especially introduced predators, selecting areas that can be used as refuges, and identifying and securing key populations. The Pilbara region in Western Australia is a key population currently free of invasive cane toads (a major threat).The Pilbara is a semi-arid to arid area subject to cyclones between December and ). These are dominated by spinifex (hummock) grasslands, with rugged rock outcrops, shrublands, riparian areas, and some soft (tussock) grasslands. They are subject to frequent seasonal fires, creating a mosaic of recently burnt and longer unburnt areas. The overall aim of this study was to assess the ecology of the northern quoll in the Pilbara to understand drivers of density and distribution of this endangered species, to enhance species-specific conservation efforts. I collected field data on six one-month trips over three years, predominantly using live-trapping, camera-trapping, sampling invertebrates, vegetation surveys, habitat structure, and den availability surveys.In the Pilbara, the largest mammalian predators are the introduced dingo and feral cat. The largest native mammalian carnivore is the northern quoll, which is smaller than the introduced predators but larger than the other dasyurids in the guild. In Chapter 2, I explored spatial and temporal associations among introduced predators and quolls and their associations with habitat to assess the impact of introduced predators on quolls. I found evidence that dingo control programs prevent dingoes from fulfilling their role as top predators, leading to mesopredator release of feral cats. Feral cats were associated with 3 open habitats (spinifex grasslands and recently burnt areas), and showed inverse associations to those of quolls, suggesting that quolls avoid cats in space. Quolls were positively associated with rocky habitats. In Chapter 3, I assessed spatial and temporal associations among dasyurids to understand the current role of northern quolls within their guild. I found that range contraction of northern quolls into rocky habitats prevent them from fulfilling their role as top predators across the landscape, potentially leading to mesopredator release of kalutas (Da...

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“…Fires in early spring remove detritus and increase the amount of solar radiation to the soil, resulting in earlier emergence of shoots, which are then susceptible to herbivory (Knapp and Seastedt, 1986;Meek et al, 2008). Fire also increases the availability of non-N nutrients, like phosphorus, that may be limiting resources to legume growth (Knapp and Seastedt, 1986;Ritchie and Tilman, 1995;Roscher et al, 2011).…”

Section: Burning Effects On Selectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Selective Herbivory on Five Prairie Legume Species

Nisi¹,

Hernández²,

English³

et al. 2015

The American Midland Naturalist

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Historic, wide-spread destruction of native prairies in Minnesota was caused by conversion to agricultural land, disruption of disturbance regimes, and loss of key species. Attempts to restore tall-grass prairies have resulted in a new ecosystem type on the Midwestern landscape, with novel assemblages of both plant and animal species. The mammalian herbivore community, once dominated by bison, is now primarily comprised of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus), and small mammals such as meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). The role of this assemblage of herbivores in restored prairies is not well understood. This study characterizes patterns of mammalian herbivory on five legume species in restored prairie in southern Minnesota. Legumes were sampled along transects that varied in their distance from the prairie-forest boundary and time since prescribed burning. Herbivore selectivity was determined for each legume species using an electivity index based on the total number of stems of each species and the percent of stems grazed. Herbivory was highly variable among legume species: Desmodium canadense was strongly preferred, Dalea candida and Dalea purpurea were moderately preferred, and Amorpha canescens and Lespedeza capitata were avoided. Both Dalea species and Lespedeza experienced increased rates of herbivory in burned sites. Avoided species were characterized by either low tissue nitrogen content or a high proportion of recalcitrant carbon relative to preferred species. These results suggest mammalian herbivores have an important functional role in prairie communities with potential consequences for community dynamics and the success of prairie restorations.

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White-tailed deer distribution in response to patch burning on rangeland

Cited by 19 publications

References 31 publications

Fire‐mediated foraging tradeoffs in white‐tailed deer

Fire‐mediated foraging tradeoffs in white‐tailed deer

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

Patterns of Selective Herbivory on Five Prairie Legume Species

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