Influence of the density of a sika deer population on activity, habitat use, and group size

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 1369-1374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Borkowski

The influence of population density of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on their activity, habitat use, and habitat-related group size was studied in the area of Japan's Tanzawa Mountains in early winter. The percentage of active sika deer was higher in January 1994 (a low-density period) than in January 1995 (a high-density period). The pattern of habitat use differed between periods. During the high-density period, deer increased their relative use of lower quality habitats. A possible mechanism and implications of this are discussed. Changes in population density had a positive effect on group size in sika deer, though the variation among habitat types supported the hypothesis that food biomass is an important determinant of group size.

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 503-511
Author(s):  
Hayato Takada ◽  
Riki Ohuchi ◽  
Haruko Watanabe ◽  
Risako Yano ◽  
Risako Miyaoka ◽  
...  

AbstractDifferential resource use allows for diverse species to specialize in ecological niches and thus coexist in a particular area. In the Japanese archipelago, increasing sika deer (Cervus nippon, Temminck 1836) densities have excluded the Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus, Temminck 1836), but in places where deer population densities are low, the two species coexist. We wanted to better understand their habitats and how these two ungulates manage to coexist. We evaluated the role of habitat use in the coexistence of these two sympatric ungulates on Mt. Asama, central Japan. Deer frequently used the dwarf bamboo-rich communities in autumn and winter, and their habitat use was not associated with topography. Serows frequently used deciduous broadleaf shrub-rich communities and steep slopes throughout the year. Consequently, their habitat use was significantly different in terms of vegetation and topography. Niche breadth suggests that deer tend to be generalists, whereas serows tend to be specialists. Niche differentiation in habitat use between deer and serows may make the coexistence of these similarly sized ungulates possible in Japanese mountainous zones. Therefore, the fine-grained habitat mosaic of different vegetation and topography areas might be the underlying feature that allows the coexistence of these two species.


Mammal Study ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Uno ◽  
Mayumi Ueno ◽  
Yoshihiro Inatomi ◽  
Yuichi Osa ◽  
Nobuhiro Akashi ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikuyo Maeji ◽  
Shotaro Yokoyama ◽  
Ei'ichi Shibata

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoge Ping ◽  
Chunwang Li ◽  
Zhigang Jiang ◽  
Wuhua Liu ◽  
Huanbing Zhu

FORMATH ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (0) ◽  
pp. 135-146
Author(s):  
H. Kondoh ◽  
K. Ikeda ◽  
T. Koizumi ◽  
T. Murakami ◽  
S. Yoshida

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