Habitat use by female mule deer in north central California

Graduation Date

1993

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, Natural Resources, Wildlife Management, 1993

Committee Chair Name

Archie S. Mossman

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Northern, California, Habitat, Mule deer, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Wildlife Management

Abstract

Summer habitats used by 17 female mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) near McCloud, California, were estimated using radio telemetry. Deer from two vegetatively distinct sub-regions within the study area displayed differences in home range behavior. Six out of 9 deer from the Porcupine Butte sub-region moved 3.7 to 19 km to second summer home ranges. In contrast, 7 out of 8 mule deer in the Hambone Butte sub-region occupied single home ranges throughout the summer. Home ranges estimated from minimum convex polygon method, averaged 197 ha for the 8 deer at the Hambone Butte sub-region and 130 ha for 9 deer at the Porcupine Butte sub-region for first home ranges. The mean pooled home range size (areas for each home range were added together into one overall home range for each deer that exhibited this behavior) for all deer within each sub-region was 221 ha. The difference in behavior patterns between the two sub-regions may have been in response to the habitat types available within each sub-region. The first home ranges of the 6 deer in the Porcupine Butte sub-region that moved to a second summer home range consisted of pine plantations and manzanita shrub habitats and later moved to habitats consisting of mixed conifer or the mixed trees/shrub habitat types. Results from the Chi-Square analysis showed that deer occupying the Porcupine Butte sub-region selected tree plantations 15 years old and avoided mixed conifer habitats, plantations 15 years old and shrub habitats (when including dual home ranges together). The deer from Hambone Butte selected mixed conifer over other habitat types and avoided the mixed trees/shrub and shrub habitats. The Hambone Butte sub-region had significantly greater habitat diversity than the Porcupine Butte sub-region (P=0.035) based on the Shannon-Wiener index. The differences in the number of habitat edges within deer home ranges were also compared between sub-regions. The Hambone Butte sub-region had a significantly greater number of habitat edges than the Porcupine Butte sub-region (P=0.027). Vegetation characteristics did not differ significantly between plot types ("Use" plots and random plots) measured within sub-regions. However, four out of five variables differed significantly between sub-regions. Percent canopy cover was significantly greater at the Hambone Butte sub-region (P=0.029), while percent shrub cover (P=0.004), vegetation height (P=0.001) and percent low cover (P0.001) were significantly greater at the Porcupine Butte sub-region. Deer movements from Porcupine Butte may indicate a deficiency in some needed habitat elements. Further research is needed to determine what elements are missing from the Porcupine Butte sub-region so that land managers conducting habitat improvements to benefit deer populations could then incorporate this knowledge when designing their management strategies.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/dn39x4029

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