Density dependence in mule deer: a review of evidence
Density dependence in mule deer: a review of evidence
复制标题
DOI：
10.2981/wlb.00012
复制
发表时间：
2015-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Holland, A. Andrew
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bergman, Eric J.;Doherty, Paul F., Jr.;Holland, A. Andrew
野生动物管理者通常需要种群密度依赖的有形证据来支持决策。进行田间试验以确定依赖于密度的效应通常成本和时间都很高。因此，将现有知识吸收到概率平衡中，可以作为实验研究的替代品。在科罗拉多州的骡鹿Odocoileus hemion us群中发现了这样一个过程的案例研究。野生动物管理人员和猎人对科罗拉多州西部骡鹿数量最近的下降表示担忧，但这种下降的根本原因尚未确定。为了回应这一管理问题，我们对科罗拉多州骡鹿种群动态的科学证据进行了审查。这次审查是在一个概念模型的背景下进行的，该模型将人口增长描述为人口规模、人均增长率和人口承载能力的函数。20世纪60年代和90年代初发生的类似下降导致了类似的审查，确定了有利于骡鹿的研究和管理主题。这些主题包括：收获、捕食、种内竞争、疾病、种间竞争以及栖息地的丧失和退化。从20世纪90年代末到现在，许多这样的话题都是通过研究来解决的。科罗拉多州的传统工作假设是，骡鹿群受到冬季牧场栖息地的限制。我们识别知识中的新差距，并提出潜在的、未来的研究主题以及潜在的管理战略。我们建议将重点放在通过密度降低实验对多种草食动物进行综合研究，以解决种内和种间竞争问题。此外，我们建议进行有针对性的实验，研究美洲狮捕食、黑熊捕食和疾病在骡鹿种群动态中的作用。
Wildlife managers often need tangible evidence of density dependence in populations to support decision making. Field experimentation to identify density dependent effects is often cost and time prohibitive. Thus, assimilation of existing knowledge into a balance of probabilities can serve as a surrogate for experimental research. A case study of such a process is found in the mule deer Odocoileus hemionus herds of Colorado. Wildlife managers and hunters expressed concern over a recent decline in western Colorado mule deer herds, yet the underlying cause of this decline is yet to be determined. In response to this management concern, we conducted a review of scientific evidence on Colorado's mule deer population dynamics. This review was done in the context of a conceptual model that portrays population growth as a function of population size, per capita growth rate and population carrying capacity. Similar declines that occurred during the 1960s and early 1990s resulted in similar reviews that identified research and management topics that would benefit mule deer. These topics included: harvest, predation, intraspecific competition, disease, interspecific competition, and habitat loss and degradation. Between the late 1990s and present time, many of these topics were addressed by research. The conventional working hypothesis in Colorado is that mule deer herds are limited by winter range habitat. We identify new gaps in knowledge and suggest potential, future research topics, as well as potential management strategies. We suggest a focus on integrated studies of multiple herbivores with density reduction experiments to address intra- and inter- specific competition. In addition, we suggest focused experiments that address the roles of mountain lion predation, black bear predation, and disease in mule deer population dynamics.