Home range sizes of red deer in contrasting landscapes and implications for management
Cite this dataset
Wikenros, Camilla; Jarnemo, Anders; Nilsson, Lovisa (2022). Home range sizes of red deer in contrasting landscapes and implications for management [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qrfj6q5jk
Abstract
Knowledge about deer spatial use is essential for damage mitigation and management coordination. Here we assess annual and seasonal home range sizes for red deer in Sweden, based on data from GPS-marked deer in two regions with different management systems and contrasting landscapes. We compare our findings with reviewed data on European red deer (Cervus elaphus) home range sizes in Europe. We found that female annual home ranges (95% kernels) were 2.7 times larger in a mixed agricultural-forest landscape compared to a forest-dominated landscape. Core areas (50% kernels) were approximately 1/5 of the full annual home ranges (90% kernels) regardless of region. Home range size in the forest landscape showed little inter-seasonal variation whereas in the agricultural-forest landscape, home ranges were significantly larger during calving, hunt, and winter-spring compared to summer and rut. In the forest landscape, females had home range sizes that enables single red deer management areas to manage their own females. Whereas, within the agricultural-forest landscape, female spatial use cover several license units. Here, the coordinated license system is needed to reach trade-offs between goals of conservation, game management, and damage mitigation. Males had in general larger home ranges than females. The majority of the males made a seasonal migration to and from the rutting areas. The license system in the agricultural-forest landscape is large enough to manage migrating males, but in the forest landscape a coordination of several deer management areas is needed in order to encompass male spatial use.
Funding
Svenska Jägareförbundet
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Scania Regional Council
Stiftelsen Skånska Landskap
Carl Piper
Högestads & Christinehofs Fideikommiss
Holmen Skog AB
Johan Hansen och Ittur Jakt AB
Caesar Åfors och Virå Bruk AB
Sveaskog
Karl-Erik Önnesjös stiftelse för vetenskaplig forskning och utveckling
Marie-Claire Cronstedts Stiftelse
Stiftelsen Oscar och Lili Lamms Minne
Ericsbergs Fideikommiss AB
Helge Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse
Ågerups & Elsagårdens Säteri AB
Håkan Wikholm Assmåsa Gods AB
Kolmårdens insamlingsstiftelse/Tåby Allmänning