Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) survival and population growth in north‐central New Mexico, USA, was previously reported to be limited by nutritional constraints due to poor forage conditions in degraded habitats. Management recommendations suggested thinning of pinyon–juniper to improve habitat quality for mule deer. To evaluate the influence of these vegetation treatments, we monitored habitat selection by 48 adult female mule deer from 2011 to 2013 in a population previously reported to be nutritionally limited. Monitoring occurred 1–4 years after completion of treatments that were intended to improve forage conditions, including mechanical reduction of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) density and senescent brush (Quercus gambelii–Cercocarpus montanus) cover. During the summer season, deer selected recently treated areas, but odds ratios decreased with treatment age. However, during winter, deer avoided more recently treated areas and selected thinned areas >4 years old. Deer selected mixed oak (Quercus spp.) and pinyon–juniper savanna vegetation cover types with a moderately open canopy and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests while avoiding grasslands and montane shrublands across all seasons. Deer selected areas closer to water and developed areas, northeast aspects, on gentle slopes, and at lower elevations. Creating a savanna‐like cover type may elicit a positive deer response as a result of their strong avoidance of dense, closed canopy pinyon–juniper woodlands. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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新墨西哥州植被稀疏处理后的Following鹿栖息地选择

据报道，由于退化生境中恶劣的牧草条件，美国新墨西哥州中北部的ule鹿（Odocoileus hemionus）生存和种群增长受到营养限制。管理建议建议减薄松柏，以改善m鹿的栖息地质量。为了评估这些植被处理的影响，我们在2011年至2013年间监测了48只成年雌性ule鹿的栖息地选择，这些鹿先前受到营养限制。在旨在改善饲草条件的处理完成后的1-4年进行监测，包括机械减少松柏（Pinus edulis）和杜松（Juniperus spp。）密度和衰老刷（盖氏栎（Quercus gambelii–Cercocarpus montanus）封面。在夏季，鹿选择了最近接受治疗的地区，但是优势比随着治疗年龄的增长而降低。但是，在冬季，鹿避开了最近处理过的区域，并选择了年龄大于4岁的稀疏区域。鹿选择了混合橡树（Quercus spp。）和Pinyon–Juniper稀树草原植被覆盖类型，并有适度开放的冠层和美国黄松（Pinus muderosa）的森林，同时在所有季节都避开草原和山地灌木丛。鹿所选择的地区更靠近水和发达地区，东北地区，缓坡和较低海拔。由于强烈避开了茂密的，封闭的树冠松-杜松林地，因此创造出像大草原一样的覆盖物类型可能会引起积极的鹿反应。©2020野生动物协会。