Abstract Precipitation affects large herbivore performance, but data is often available from only a limited number of weather stations that may not correspond with home ranges. Remotely-sensed estimates could potentially address this by providing estimates of precipitation at any point on the landscape. We tested whether 4-km resolution precipitation estimates derived from the Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) were related to nutritional condition of 3 species of large herbivores and accurately predicted precipitation as measured at weather stations in arid New Mexico. Canonical correlation analyses indicated that condition of elk, mule deer, and pronghorn was related to both PRISM estimates and actual precipitation, but lactation status always had a stronger effect on condition with the exception of pronghorn. Both PRISM and actual precipitation showed comparable influence of precipitation, and the same general ranking of importance of seasonal precipitation, on condition. PRISM estimates were generally positively related to actual precipitation, but deviance was often high and PRISM tended to underestimate actual precipitation. For our study populations, PRISM provided no advantage over the use of dispersed weather stations for assessing nutritional condition. Performance of PRISM may have been hindered because of lack of spatial autocorrelation in precipitation within our sites.

中文翻译：

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新墨西哥州南部干旱和半干旱地区的实际降水量、预测降水量和大型食草动物状况

摘要 降水会影响大型食草动物的表现，但通常只能从有限数量的气象站获得数据，这些气象站可能与家庭范围不符。遥感估计可以通过提供景观上任何一点的降水估计来解决这个问题。我们测试了从独立坡度模型 (PRISM) 上的参数-高程关系得出的 4 公里分辨率降水估计值是否与 3 种大型食草动物的营养状况有关，并准确预测了在干旱的新墨西哥州气象站测量的降水量。典型相关分析表明，麋鹿、骡鹿和叉角羚的状况与 PRISM 估计值和实际降水量均有关，但除叉角羚外，泌乳状态对状况的影响更大。PRISM 和实际降水都显示出降水的可比影响，并且在条件下季节性降水的重要性的总体排名相同。PRISM 估计通常与实际降水量呈正相关，但偏差往往很高，而且 PRISM 倾向于低估实际降水量。对于我们的研究人群，与使用分散的气象站评估营养状况相比，PRISM 没有任何优势。由于我们站点内降水缺乏空间自相关，PRISM 的性能可能受到阻碍。但偏差通常很高，PRISM 往往会低估实际降水量。对于我们的研究人群，与使用分散的气象站评估营养状况相比，PRISM 没有任何优势。由于我们站点内降水缺乏空间自相关，PRISM 的性能可能受到阻碍。但偏差通常很高，PRISM 往往会低估实际降水量。对于我们的研究人群，与使用分散的气象站评估营养状况相比，PRISM 没有任何优势。由于我们站点内降水缺乏空间自相关，PRISM 的性能可能受到阻碍。