The effects of sex, season and habitat availability on patterns of habitat use by fallow deer (Dama dama).

Abstract

Diurnal habitat use by fallow deer Dama dama was studied between 1986-9 by direct observations from transects of eight populations in sites of differing environmental structure and composition. Sites chosen differed in the overall proportion of woodland cover, and ranged from virtually continuous woodland areas in the New Forest, southern England. to open agricultural sites with only scattered woodland copses.
Within both New Forest and agricultural areas, individuals in male groups and female groups showed similar patterns of habitat use. In the New Forest, the habitat used most overall by both sexes was open woodland, with extensive use also made of grassland, woodland clearings and closed woodland. In agricultural areas, most extensive use was made of closed woodland, with open woodland, arable land and grassland used to a lesser extent. Individuals in mixed-sex groups in the New Forest but not in agricultural areas made more extensive use of grasslands than those in single-sex groups.
Individuals in female groups in the New Forest showed pronounced seasonal variation in habitat use with utilization of open woodland higher in autumn and winter and grassland higher in spring and summer. Individuals in female groups in agricultural areas showed little seasonal variation in habitat use. There were insufficient data to investigate seasonal variation in habitat use by individuals in male and mixed-sex groups.
Availability of habitat types varied widely between study sites. Use of either open or closed woodland remained high in each site reflecting increased selection for woodland resources when they were of limited availability. Fallow deer appeared able to satisfy their ecological and behavioural requirements from a variety of environments through: (i) changing strength of selection of particular habitats to compensate for differing availability; and (ii) substitution of one habitat in one area for a different habitat in another area which offered the same effective resources. This flexibility in resource use parallels observed plasticity in other aspects of fallow behavioural ecology.