Decline of Mule Deer Population at Saguaro National Park (Rincon Mountain District)
Beaupre KA. 2012. Decline of Mule Deer Population at Saguaro National Park (Rincon Mountain District). The University of Arizona
Saguaro National Park has over 60 years of deer survey and vegetation cover data. The deer survey data demonstrated a shift in the deer population at Saguaro National Park leaving resource managers curious about what factors may have been responsible for the change. I investigated if there was a correlation between vegetation life form cover, housing density and the shift of deer populations from predominately mule deer (Odocoileus hemionius) in the lower elevations to Coues white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi). I found a 10% increase of vegetation cover generated by trees, shrubs, and succulents detected in the vegetation data sets. Increased vegetation cover in conjunction with the conversion 210km2 of adjacent private lands towards relatively high housing densities is the likely cause of the observed shifts in the deer populations at Saguaro National Park.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Beaupre, Kristen
- Date of Issue
- 2012
- Publisher
- The University of Arizona
- Units
- SAGU
- Keywords
- thesis