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Red deer Cervus elaphus resting place characteristics obtained from differential GPS data in a forest habitat

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Abstract

We recorded 30 24-h monitoring periods with 10-min sampling intervals on seven (three female; four male) Global-Positioning-System-collared adult free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus), from June 1999 to December 2000, in the Parc National des Cévennes, France. We observed the duration of resting bouts (n = 385) and then microhabitat variables (aspect, slope, presence of edge and litter, visibility, abundance of vegetation consumed or not) at 178 resting places. Resting bouts were shorter during the night than during the day from June to October but did not vary between sexes. Resting place visibility was lower during the day, especially in August. Daytime resting places generally offered more litter. Females used steeper slopes than males. We found higher variability in visibility and slope during the night. Aspect used did not vary from month to month or between day and night. Observed differences between day and night resting place characteristics suggest that red deer were probably facing a tradeoff between feeding and cover. Use of cover prevailed during the daytime whereas night resting place characteristics were more variable, indicating less constrained behaviour. Thus, cover (as a protection from disturbance), as well as food, is an important factor in red deer habitat use (at least during the day in disturbed areas) and should not be neglected in forest carrying capacity management.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique and Office National des Forêts for financial support and the Parc National des Cévennes for technical support. We thank J. M. Angibault, B. Cargnelutti, N. Cebe, J. Joachim and D. Picot for assistance in data collection. Vicky Moore kindly improved the English in an earlier version of the manuscript. Capture methods were approved by the French Ministry of Environment, and two authors of this paper (G. J. and D. P.) were entitled by the French Ministry of Agriculture to experiment on free-living mammals (certificates 7382 and 7060).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEMAGREF, Domaine des Barres, 45290, Nogent sur Vernisson, France

    Christophe Adrados & Christophe Baltzinger

  2. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UR 35: Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage, CRA Toulouse, BP 52627, 31326, Castanet Tolosan, France

    Georges Janeau & Dominique Pépin

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  1. Christophe Adrados
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  2. Christophe Baltzinger
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  3. Georges Janeau
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  4. Dominique Pépin
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Correspondence to Christophe Baltzinger.

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Communicated by W. Lutz

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Adrados, C., Baltzinger, C., Janeau, G. et al. Red deer Cervus elaphus resting place characteristics obtained from differential GPS data in a forest habitat. Eur J Wildl Res 54, 487–494 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-008-0174-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-008-0174-y

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