Research in northern latitudes confirms that climate teleconnections exert important influences on ungulate fitness, but studies from regions with milder climates are lacking. We explored the influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Northern Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on male, 2.5-year-old white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) antler and body mass in Mississippi, USA, a region with mild winters and warm, humid summers. Explanatory variables were seasonal averages of each climate index extending back to 3 years prior to account for possible maternal and lag effects. Seasonal climate indices from the period of gestation and the first year of life were correlated with deer morphometrics. Reduced antler mass was largely correlated ( R 2 = 0.52) with PDO values indicating dry conditions during parturition and neonatal development and NAO values indicating warmer than normal winters during gestation and the first year of life. Body mass was less correlated ( R 2 = 0.16) to climate indices, responding negatively to warmer winter weather during the first winter of life. Climate may promote variable fitness among cohorts through long-term effects on male competition for dominance and breeding access. Because broad-scale climate indices simplify complex weather systems, they may benefit management at larger scales. Although this study compared climate with morphological variables, it is likely that demographic characteristics can likewise be modeled using climate indices. As climate change in this region is projected to include greater variability in summer precipitation, we may see concomitantly greater variability in fitness among cohorts of white-tailed deer.

中文翻译：

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在温和的气候中，鹿角大小表明环境压力

北纬地区的研究证实，气候遥相关对有蹄类动物的适应性有重要影响，但缺乏来自气候较温和地区的研究。我们探索了太平洋年代际涛动 (PDO)、北大西洋涛动 (NAO) 和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动 (ENSO) 对雄性 2.5 岁白尾鹿 (Odocoileus virginianus) 鹿角和体重的影响美国密西西比州，冬季温和，夏季温暖潮湿。解释变量是每个气候指数的季节性平均值，可以追溯到 3 年前，以考虑可能的母体效应和滞后效应。妊娠期和生命第一年的季节性气候指数与鹿形态测量学相关。减少的鹿角质量在很大程度上相关（R 2 = 0。52）PDO 值表示分娩和新生儿发育期间的干燥条件，NAO 值表示妊娠期和出生后第一年比正常冬季温暖。体重与气候指数的相关性较低（R 2 = 0.16），在生命的第一个冬天对温暖的冬季天气产生负面反应。气候可能会通过对雄性竞争优势和繁殖途径的长期影响来促进群体之间的可变适应性。因为大尺度气候指数简化了复杂的天气系统，它们可能有利于更大规模的管理。尽管这项研究将气候与形态变量进行了比较，但人口特征很可能同样可以使用气候指数进行建模。由于该地区的气候变化预计将包括夏季降水的更大变化，