Article
Ecology
Louis C. Bender, Brock D. Hoenes, Cristina L. Rodden, Mara E. Weisenberger, Patrick C. Morrow, Patrick L. Mathis
Summary: Research identified pinyon-juniper woodland and oak-mountain mahogany shrubland as the habitats most associated with home range quality for mule deer in the San Andres Mountains, while grama grassland was the only habitat linked to male home range size.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gisele R. Aubin, Christa C. Nye, John H. Rohm, R. T. Stamps, W. Mark Ford, Michael J. Cherry
Summary: Some jurisdictions in the eastern United States have implemented restrictions on white-tailed deer hunting due to perceived declines in population size and recruitment. This study examined fawn survival on a military base in Virginia, USA, and found that factors such as oak mast abundance and winter severity affected mortality risk for fawns. The study highlights the importance of red oak mast in eastern deciduous forests and its impact on white-tailed deer recruitment.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kilian J. Murphy, David R. Roberts, William F. Jensen, Scott E. Nielsen, Sandra K. Johnson, Brian M. Hosek, Bruce Stillings, Jesse Kolar, Mark S. Boyce, Simone Ciuti
Summary: Wildlife population dynamics are influenced by climate, resources, density, and predator-prey interactions. Understanding the impact of human disturbances on these processes is important for wildlife conservation. However, there is a lack of long-term data on wildlife populations and the interplay between human activity, climate, and predator density. In this study, a 50-year time series was used to investigate the effects of landscape-level disturbance on mule deer fawn fall recruitment. The study found that density-dependent effects and harsh weather were the main drivers of fawn fall recruitment in the North Dakota Badlands.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaohan Mu, Xinjun Zheng, Gang Huang, Lisong Tang, Yan Li
Summary: In the context of global climate change, changes in precipitation patterns will have significant effects on desert plants. The study conducted an experiment to examine the responses of four dominant ephemeral plants to artificial control of precipitation. The results showed different tolerance and response strategies of the plants to drought, providing insights into vegetation dynamics in arid areas.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mehdi Nojoumi, Anthony P. Clevenger, Daniel T. Blumstein, Eric S. Abelson
Summary: Roads can have negative effects on animal populations, including fragmentation, deaths, and changes in behavior. A study found that elk and white-tailed deer increased vigilance and flight behaviors and spent less time foraging in response to passing vehicles. The study also revealed that animals were more likely to use wildlife underpasses when they were engaged in foraging behavior, but less likely to use them after exhibiting vigilance behavior.
Article
Ecology
Brett R. Panting, Eric M. Gese, Mary M. Conner, Scott Bergen
Summary: A study evaluated the survival rates of pronghorn fawns in Idaho, USA and found that coyotes were their main predators. The research indicated that nutrition status, lagomorph abundance, and DAPA were positively related to fawn survival.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Sam Chambers, Miguel L. Villarreal, Olivia Duane, Seth M. Munson, Erica Stuber, Gayle Tyree, Eric K. Waller, Michael C. Duniway
Summary: Wildlife avoidance of human disturbances, such as roads and development, can affect their energy expenditure and fitness. However, current management decisions rarely take into account an individual's energetic requirements.
Article
Ecology
Tayler N. N. LaSharr, Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Brittany L. L. Wagler, Hall Sawyer, Rhiannon P. P. Jakopak, Anna C. C. Ortega, Luke R. R. Wilde, Matthew J. J. Kauffman, Katey S. S. Huggler, Patrick W. W. Burke, Miguel Valdez, Patrick Lionberger, Douglas G. G. Brimeyer, Brandon Scurlock, Jill Randall, Rusty C. C. Kaiser, Mark Thonhoff, Gary L. L. Fralick, Kevin L. L. Monteith
Summary: Capture and handling techniques for individual-based, long-term research have greatly improved our understanding of animal ecology. However, there are risks associated with physical trauma or capture myopathy that can occur during or following capture events. This study evaluated the impact of capture and handling on survival rates of mule deer and found that direct mortality was low and capture-related factors had minimal effect on post-capture survival.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Geology
Guy Tau, Onn Crouvi, Yehouda Enzel, Nadya Teutsch, Paul Ginoux, Craig Rasmussen
Summary: The study shows that dust emission in the Sonoran Desert is closely related to climate, increasing during humid intervals and enhanced by fluvial sediment replenishment at dust sources. During dry periods, dust fluxes are lower and dominated by summer dust sources.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francisca Bravo-Risi, Paulina Soto, Thomas Eckland, Robert Dittmar, Santiago Ramirez, Celso S. G. Catumbela, Claudio Soto, Mitch Lockwood, Tracy Nichols, Rodrigo Morales
Summary: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prevalent prion disease affecting cervids, transmitted through direct animal contact or exposure to contaminated environmental fomites. Vertical and maternal transmissions have been suggested as mechanisms of propagation, with detection of CWD prions in farmed white-tailed deer fetal tissues. This study confirms previous findings and supports vertical transmission as a relevant mechanism of CWD dissemination.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Xin Guan, Giuseppe Mascaro
Summary: This study used the WEAP-MABIA model to simulate crop production in the main irrigation districts near Phoenix, Arizona, under different warming levels and water allocations. The results showed that crop production will decline in the coming decades, especially under higher warming scenarios, and will further decrease under water shortage measures, potentially reaching almost a 50% reduction by the end of the century.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stipan Cupic, Andres J. Garcia, Michaela Hola, Francisco Ceacero
Summary: Individual factors such as age, weight, presence of pasture, and season have significant influences on the faecal nutrients in captive red deer. These factors need to be taken into consideration when interpreting results from wild samples.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Molly R. Caldwell, J. Mario K. Klip
Summary: The study found that the underpasses were primarily used by migrating mule deer during spring and fall, while resident deer used them in the summer. However, deteriorating infrastructure, such as fencing and gates, led to some migrating deer crossing the highway directly and getting involved in traffic accidents.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David A. Schneider, Aaron D. Lehmkuhl, Terry R. Spraker, Robert O. Dittmar, Mitch A. Lockwood, Susan Rollo, Tracy A. Nichols
Summary: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is spreading in cervid populations and early antemortem testing is important. This study evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity of tonsil biopsy for CWD detection in farmed white-tailed deer. The results showed a sensitivity of 72% overall, with higher sensitivity in late preclinical infection (92%) and lower sensitivity in early preclinical infection (55%). The study also found that the sensitivity was lower in deer with the serine substitution at codon 96 of the prion protein gene (30% vs. 66% in deer with glycine at codon 96).
Article
Environmental Sciences
Feng Wang, Zhongping Lai, Guyu Peng, Lan Luo, Kai Liu, Xianmei Huang, Yantian Xu, Qinjing Shen, Daoji Li
Summary: The study found that the amount of microplastics in the Badain Jaran Desert is relatively high, mainly originating from populated areas southeast of the desert and transported long distances through atmospheric deposition. The tourism zone of the desert had a higher concentration of microplastics compared to the non-tourism zone, suggesting a potential contribution from tourism activities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
