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Modeling habitat suitability and utilization of the last surviving populations of fallow deer (Dama dama Linnaeus, 1758)

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Abstract

Düzlerçamı Wildlife Reserve Area (WRA) is the last natural habitat of fallow deer (Dama dama) in the world. Fallow deer is native to Turkey, however, its geographical range is currently confined to Düzlerçamı WRA, Antalya. To date, a detailed habitat investigation of fallow deer distribution has not been conducted. This study is vital for the last surviving populations of fallow deer in Turkey. Therefore, we studied the habitat suitability and utilization of fallow deer in the Düzlerçamı WRA. Vegetation and wildlife inventory was surveyed across a total of 304 sample areas between 2015 and 2017. Plant species were recorded according to the Braun-Blanquet method and wildlife surveys were based on footprints, feces, and other signs of fallow deer. Classification and regression tree techniques, as well as MAXENT, were used to model vegetation and fallow deer habitat. Topographic position index, terrain ruggedness index, roughness index, elevation, and bedrock formation were also calculated and included in the models. Based on our results, we drafted a habitat protection map for fallow deer. To ensure sustainability of habitats where populations of fallow deer are found in Turkey, we developed recommendations such as closuring human access of the 1st-degree Protection Area and reintroduction of the species to other potential habitats.

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Acknowledgements

We thank fallow deer team (Ahmet Koca, Mehmet Şirin Yelsiz, Mevlüt Zenbilci, Kürşat Bal, Abdülkadir Eryılmaz, Hasan Uysal, Esra Bayram, Tayfun İsa Aygül, Eda Dönmez, Dilek Arslan) and we gratefully thank Ibrahim Ozdemir, Ahmet Mert, Serkan Ozdemir, Aslan Merdin, Gülşah Yılmaz for analysis, comments, and all contribution.

Funding

This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) with a Grant number of 214O248.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forestry, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, 32260, Isparta, Turkey

    Yasin Ünal & Serkan Gülsoy

  2. Gölhisar Vocational School, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, 15400, Burdur, Golhisar, Turkey

    Özdemir Şentürk

  3. Faculty of Forestry, Karabuk University, 78050, Karabuk, Turkey

    Ali Kavgaci

  4. Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Sütçüler Prof. Dr. Hasan Gürbüz Vocational School, 32950, Isparta, Turkey

    Halil Süel

  5. Environmental and Natural Sciences Application and Research Center, Istanbul Commerce University, 34840, Istanbul, Turkey

    Idris Oğurlu

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  1. Yasin Ünal
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Correspondence to Yasin Ünal.

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Project funding: This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) with a Grant Number of 214O248.

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Corresponding editor: Yanbo Hu.

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Ünal, Y., Şentürk, Ö., Kavgaci, A. et al. Modeling habitat suitability and utilization of the last surviving populations of fallow deer (Dama dama Linnaeus, 1758). J. For. Res. 33, 721–730 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01391-z

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