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Stopover ecology of a migratory ungulate
Hall Sawyer1, Matthew J Kauffman
1Department of Zoology and Physiology, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA. hsawyer@west-inc.com
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|May 7, 2011
Summary
Migratory mule deer use stopover sites to maximize energy intake by aligning with plant green-up, not to speed up their journey. This highlights the importance of stopovers for land migrants, similar to birds.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Animal Migration
- Wildlife Biology
Background:
- Birds use stopover sites to optimize fuel loads and migration speed.
- Stopover use has been predicted to facilitate time-minimization in land migrants, but empirical evidence is lacking.
- Alternative migration strategies beyond time-minimization have not been fully explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ecological role of stopovers in migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using fine-scale movement data.
- To understand if mule deer employ a time-minimization or energy-maximization strategy during migration.
- To investigate the relationship between stopover site selection, forage quality, and plant phenology.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fine-scale movement data to track migratory mule deer.
- Analyzed the duration of migration and time spent at stopover sites.
- Assessed forage quality of stopover sites in relation to movement corridors, elevation, and distance from winter range.
- Correlated mule deer stopover use with plant phenology (green-up).
Main Results:
- Mule deer migration (18-144 km) averaged 3 weeks, with 95% of time spent at stopovers.
- Stopover sites exhibited higher forage quality than movement corridors, increasing with elevation and distance from winter range.
- Mule deer occupied stopovers 44 days before peak green-up, coinciding with optimal forage quality.
- Deer used stopovers frequently (1 per 5.3-6.7 km) and returned to the same sites in consecutive years.
Conclusions:
- Stopover use is a key strategy for mule deer, enabling migration in sync with plant phenology to maximize energy intake rather than speed.
- Stopover use is likely more prevalent in non-avian taxa than previously recognized.
- Stopover ecology principles, including applied and theoretical benefits, extend beyond avian species to land migrants like temperate ungulates.
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