Disentangling demographic effects of red deer on chamois population dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Investigating the impact of ecological factors on sex- and age-specific vital rates is essential to understand animal population dynamics and detect the potential for interactions between sympatric species. We used block count data and autoregressive linear models to investigate variation in birth rate, kid survival, female survival, and male survival in a population of Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra monitored over 27 years within the Stelvio National Park, Central Italian Alps, as function of climatic variables, density dependence, and interspecific competition with red deer Cervus elaphus. We also used path analysis to assess the indirect effect of deer abundance on chamois growth rate mediated by each demographic parameter. Based on previous findings, we pred

SUBMITTER: Donini V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8216891 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature