Remote sensing reveals the role of forage quality and quantity for summer habitat use in red deer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The habitat use of wild ungulates is determined by forage availability, but also the avoidance of predation and human disturbance. They should apply foraging strategies that provide the most energy at the lowest cost. However, due to data limitations at the scale of movement trajectories, it is not clear to what extent even well-studied species such as red deer (Cervus elaphus) trade-off between forage quality and quantity, especially in heterogeneous alpine habitats characterized by short vegetation periods.

Methods

We used remote sensing data to derive spatially continuous forage quality and quantity information. To predict relative nitrogen (i.e. forage quality) and biomass (i.e. forage quantity), we related field data to predictor variables derived from Sentin

SUBMITTER: Rempfler T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11654361 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature