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Dryad

Data from: Born in heterogenous landscapes: birth timing, body mass and growth of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) fawns in contrasting habitats

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Jan 16, 2024 version files 17.20 KB

Abstract

Although the widespread effects of global change impact almost all ecosystems, we lack a detailed understanding of how wildlife that thrive in human-dominated environments are able to adjust their life history to modifications in land use of their natural habitat. In particular, spatial variation in environmental conditions is predicted to influence development during the crucial early life phase, with marked impacts on individual performance and population dynamics for long-lived species. Large herbivores such as roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), a synanthropic species, have increased substantially in number and distribution over the last half century across Europe. Roe deer have been particularly successful, gradually colonizing agricultural landscapes to cope with a global warming-driven phenological mismatch in their natural forest habitat. However, to date, little is known about how habitat heterogeneity impacts their demographic performance in this heavily human-impacted environment. Specifically, we predicted that fawns born in predominantly cultivated local habitats would achieve faster early development due to the food subsidies obtained by their mothers from agricultural crops. Contrary to our expectations, fawns in semi-natural forest habitats were around 10% heavier at birth than those born in more mixed (by 0.163 ± 0.058 kg) and open (by 0.169 ± 0.006 kg) agricultural habitats. However, all fawns subsequently grew at a similar average rate (0.148 ± 0.058 kg/day), irrespective of their habitat. This habitat-dependent variation in birth mass appeared to be driven by reproductive phenology, as i) early-born fawns were heavier than late-born fawns, and ii) mothers living in the forest gave birth around 10 days earlier than those living in the mixed and open habitats. As natural habitats become increasingly scarce and fragmented due to the activities of humans, the prospects for many wild populations will depend on their ability to subsist in the heavily modified habitats of anthropogenic landscapes.