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Social rank, feeding and winter weight loss in red deer: any evidence of interference competition?

  • Behavioural Ecology
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Abstract

During winter at northern latitudes, large herbivores often exploit patches of concentrated, relatively high quality forage, which may lead to interference competition. The factors affecting success in contests and subsequent dominance rank, such as age and body weight, remain key issues in ungulate behavioural ecology. Maternal effects on offspring body weight are well known, but few studies have investigated if mother’s social rank influence offspring rank. Moreover, no study has related dominance rank in ungulates to weight loss during winter. Outcomes of social interactions (n=7,609), feeding time and spatial position in red deer (Cervus elaphus) hinds and calves, and weight loss of calves, were registered from 1981 to 1996 at six winter-feeding sites within the county of Sør-Trøndelag in Norway. The level of aggressiveness was higher among calves than among adult hinds, and the factors determining the outcome of contests also differed. The initiator won the majority of interactions (more than 90% in both hinds and calves). Social rank was related to both age and body weight in adult hinds, and related to body weight and mother rank in calves. The relationship between feeding time and rank was non-linear. Feeding time was correlated with rank only among high ranked hinds, while there was no such relationship among low ranked hinds or calves. There was no correlation between winter weight loss and social rank in calves. Our study therefore underlines that, although frequent aggression is observed at artificial feeding sites of northern herbivores, this is not necessarily sufficient to give rise to interference competition.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Nigel G. Yoccoz for statistical advice, Nathalie Pettorelli, Jean-Michel Gaillard and one anonymous referee for comments which improved an earlier version of the manuscript, and Magnhild Slørdahl and Anders Mjønes for their great hospitality during periods of field work. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support given by the Research Council of Norway to L.E. Loe and A. Mysterud.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Red Deer Center, 6914, Svanøybukt, Norway

    Vebjørn Veiberg

  2. Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1050 Blindern, 0316 , Oslo, Norway

    Leif Egil Loe, Atle Mysterud & Nils Chr. Stenseth

  3. University Center on Svalbard (UNIS), 9170 , Longyearbyen, Norway

    Leif Egil Loe & Rolf Langvatn

Authors
  1. Vebjørn Veiberg
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  2. Leif Egil Loe
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  3. Atle Mysterud
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  4. Rolf Langvatn
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  5. Nils Chr. Stenseth
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Correspondence to Atle Mysterud.

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Veiberg, V., Loe, L.E., Mysterud, A. et al. Social rank, feeding and winter weight loss in red deer: any evidence of interference competition?. Oecologia 138, 135–142 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1399-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1399-9

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