Body condition has a strong influence on reproduction and survival. Consequently, understanding spatiotemporal variation in body condition may help identify processes that determine life history, and thus demography. The effect of environmental variables on individuals' body condition, although widely documented, is generally achieved by investigating habitat, plant phenology, or density separately, such that cumulative or interactive effects can rarely be considered. We investigated how spatial and annual variation in habitat composition, deer density, and vegetation productivity influenced white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) body condition during the breeding period. We detailed changes in body condition using several indices, including body mass, peroneus muscle mass, rump fat, kidney fat index, and antler size in >4,000 male and female deer of different ages harvested during September–December, 2002–2006 on Anticosti Island, Québec, Canada. Overall, females and yearlings harvested in fir forests were in poorer condition than those harvested in peatlands or spruce forests, whereas body condition of adult males was greater when open habitats were highly available. High deer density reduced autumn gains in fat, muscle mass, and body mass in males and yearlings, and in fat for females. Surprisingly, density positively affected the size of male antlers. High density at birth favored fat accumulation in adult females, suggesting strong selective pressure that removed low‐quality individuals in early age at high deer density. Low Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in spring was associated with delayed but rapid spring green‐up, and favored higher body condition in autumn. Reproduction affected most parameters of body condition; lactating females had less mass, fat, and muscle than non‐lactating females, whereas mass and fat of males >4 years old steeply declined during the rut. Body mass and fat reserves showed a stronger response to density, habitat, NDVI, and reproduction than muscle mass. Body mass was a good integrating measure of fat and muscle mass, although allocation between muscle growth and energy storage was confounded. Our study highlighted the influence of environmental conditions on individual fat reserves, muscle mass, and body mass in autumn, with potential effects on reproduction and winter survival. Appropriate monitoring of body‐condition indices in the fall can track the effect of environmental variables and management practices on animal populations. © 2014 The Wildlife Society

中文翻译：

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北部白尾鹿种群的栖息地组成，植物物候和种群密度对秋季身体状况指标的影响

身体状况对生殖和生存有很大影响。因此，了解身体状况的时空变化可能有助于识别确定生活史的过程，从而确定人口统计学。尽管环境变量对个人身体状况的影响已得到广泛记录，但通常是通过分别调查栖息地，植物物候或密度来实现的，因此很少考虑累积或交互作用。我们调查了栖息地组成，鹿密度和植被生产力的空间和年度变化如何影响白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）繁殖期间的身体状况。我们使用2002年9月至2006年12月在Anticosti岛上收获的4000多只不同年龄的雄性和雌性鹿的体重，腓骨肌肉质量，臀部脂肪，肾脏脂肪指数和鹿角大小等多个指标详细描述了身体状况的变化。 ，魁北克，加拿大。总体而言，在杉木林中收获的雌性和一岁幼犬的状况要比在泥炭地或云杉林中采伐的雌性和一岁幼犬要差，而在开放的栖息地高度可用的情况下，成年雄性的身体状况会更好。高鹿密度降低了男性和一岁鸽的秋季脂肪，肌肉和体重的增加，而女性则减少了脂肪。令人惊讶的是，密度对雄性鹿角的大小有积极影响。出生时密度高有利于成年女性的脂肪积累，这表明强大的选择压力可以在高鹿密度的早期消除低质量的个体。春季的低归一化植被指数（NDVI）与春季延迟但快速的春季绿化有关，并有利于秋季更高的身体状况。生殖影响大多数身体状况参数；哺乳期女性的体重，脂肪和肌肉少于未哺乳期女性，而在4岁以上的男性中，体重和脂肪在发情期间急剧下降。体重和脂肪储备对密度，栖息地，NDVI和生殖的反应比肌肉更强。体重是衡量脂肪和肌肉质量的一个很好的综合指标，尽管在肌肉生长和能量存储之间的分配是混乱的。我们的研究强调了环境条件对个体脂肪储备，肌肉质量，和秋季的体重，对繁殖和冬季生存有潜在影响。在秋天适当监测身体状况指标可以跟踪环境变量和管理实践对动物种群的影响。©2014野生动物协会