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Habitat modification when scent marking: shrub clearance by roe deer bucks
Juan Carranza1, Patricio Mateos-Quesada1
1Cátedra de Biología y Etología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, 10071, Cáceres, Spain.
Oecologia
|May 27, 2017
Summary
Roe deer bucks create clearings to enhance scent marking effectiveness. Habitat modification by these ungulates improves visual and chemical signal broadcasting within territories.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Zoology
Background:
- Ungulate marking behaviors often involve vegetation damage, impacting understory layers.
- Roe deer bucks (Capreolus capreolus) use chemical and visual signals within forest mating territories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe roe deer-created clearings and their associated marking activities.
- To analyze the impact of these clearings on vegetation and signal effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- Observation and analysis of roe deer marking behaviors, including fraying, scratching, and defoliation.
- Spatial analysis of clearings within male territories and their topographical location.
Main Results:
- Roe deer create distinct clearings (avg. 2700 m²) containing concentrated scent marks.
- Defoliation (>50% leaf loss) and stem fraying (full perimeter) were intensified within clearings.
- Clearings were selectively located in concave land formations, with one per male range.
Conclusions:
- Habitat modification, specifically clearing vegetation, is proposed as a component of roe deer marking behavior.
- Clearings enhance the effectiveness of both visual and chemical scent signals.
- This behavior may be favored by selection due to improved signal broadcasting and reduced marking costs.
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