Habitat Selection by Female Sitka Black-Tailed Deer in Logged Forests of Southeastern Alaska
Yeo JJ and Peek JM. 1992. Habitat Selection by Female Sitka Black-Tailed Deer in Logged Forests of Southeastern Alaska. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 56(2):253-261
Habitat use by Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) has not been determined in areas where logged forests comprise a large part of the available habitat. Consequently, we determined seasonal home ranges of radio-collared female Sitka black-tailed deer on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, from June 1986 to April 1988. Annual home ranges averaged 198 ha (range = 24-599 ha). Seasonal core areas within home ranges overlapped and were small (mean = 45 ha and 32 ha, summer and winter respectively). Females selected shrub communities (_10 yr after logging) within their home ranges during summer and winter. Hiding cover in shrub communities was greater within summer core areas than noncore areas of home ranges. Canopy cover and bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis) cover were the best predictors of habitat selected by deer in old-growth western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forest. Retention of shrub communities and high timber volume, old-growth forest in 40-ha areas that approximate the size of home ranges will help retain deer in these managed forests.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Yeo, Jeffrey; Peek, James
- Units
- GLBA , KLGO , SEAN , SITK
- Keywords
- clearcuts, Cornus canadensis, Forestry, Habitat Use, Home Range, Mammals, Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis, Old-Growth Forest, Second-Growth Forest, Tsuga heterophylla, Ungulates