ISSN 1940-0829
June 2015 | Vol. 8 | Issue 2 | pages 284-597
Classification of vegetation types in the habitat of white-tailed deer in a location of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
Ariana Barrera-Salazar,
Salvador MandujanoOscar A. Villarreal Espino-Barros & Daniel Jiménez-García
Abstract
This paper classifies the vegetation types that comprise the habitat of the white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus at a location within the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (TCBR) in Mexico.
The vegetation was sampled, identified, and mapped at 308 points distributed along 28 transects (each of 500 m in length). To determine the effect of the classified and mapped vegetation types on the white-tailed deer, we estimated population density using the PELLET procedure based on the pellet-group count method.
The principal vegetation types at the study site are tropical dry forest (TDF, 63% of the area) dominated by tetecho (Neobuxbaumia tetezo), uña de gato (Mimosa spp.) and mulato (Bursera spp.), and crassicaule scrub dominated by mantecoso (Parkinsonia praecox).
The TDF can be sub-classified into four spatially different clusters (vegetation types) depending on the dominance of these species. The white-tailed deer population density varied significantly depending on vegetation type. Our results contribute to the ecological knowledge of the white-tailed deer in tropical habitats and are of value for the implementation of effective conservation and management.
(contacta a los autores, pulsando sobre sus nombres)
This paper classifies the vegetation types that comprise the habitat of the white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus at a location within the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve (TCBR) in Mexico.
The vegetation was sampled, identified, and mapped at 308 points distributed along 28 transects (each of 500 m in length). To determine the effect of the classified and mapped vegetation types on the white-tailed deer, we estimated population density using the PELLET procedure based on the pellet-group count method.
The principal vegetation types at the study site are tropical dry forest (TDF, 63% of the area) dominated by tetecho (Neobuxbaumia tetezo), uña de gato (Mimosa spp.) and mulato (Bursera spp.), and crassicaule scrub dominated by mantecoso (Parkinsonia praecox).
The TDF can be sub-classified into four spatially different clusters (vegetation types) depending on the dominance of these species. The white-tailed deer population density varied significantly depending on vegetation type. Our results contribute to the ecological knowledge of the white-tailed deer in tropical habitats and are of value for the implementation of effective conservation and management.
(contacta a los autores, pulsando sobre sus nombres)
