Management Implications of Cover Selection Data: Northern Bobwhite Example

Abstract: We derived a method of estimating the direction and magnitude of cover changes for potentially maximizing wildlife abundance on an area. We illustrate the method with data on cover selection by northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) collected in the Texas Panhandle from 2000 to 2003. We used radiotelemetry to determine use of cover associations, Geographic Information System analysis to determine their availability, and logic related to use-availability analysis to collapse 95% kernel home ranges to usable space. Bobwhites selected mixed-shrub cover consisting of sand plum (Prunus angustifolia) and fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), and they avoided or neutrally used 8 other cover associations. However, grass upland and sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) associations occurred in ≥86% of home ranges (n = 96 bobwhites with ≥30 radiolocations). Usable space averaged 54.2% ± 1.72 SE of kernel home ranges. The data indicated that adding about 226 ha of mixed-shrub cover or a structural homologue while simultaneously reducing the quantity of most other cover associations would maximize bobwhite abundance. An area with 30–60% mixed-shrub cover, with the balance in grass upland and sand sagebrush, and with cover dispersed such that no point was >30 m from mixed-shrub cover was hypothetically optimal for bobwhites in our region. Within certain constraints (e.g., financial, social, edaphic), managers can apply this method by manipulating cover types through relevant management practices (e.g., planting, prescribed burning, mechanical removal of vegetation). This method, with minor modification, could also be used to decrease usable space on an area, and thus decrease wildlife densities, should that be the manager's objective.     

Space Use and Survival of White-Tailed Deer in an Exurban Landscape

Abstract: Exurban development is nonmetropolitan, residential development characterized by a human population density and average property size intermediate between suburban and rural areas. Although growth in exurban areas is outpacing that of urban, suburban, or rural landscapes, studies of deer (Odocoileus spp.) ecology in exurban areas are nonexistent. During 2003–2005, we studied space use (i.e., seasonal home-range and core-area size and habitat use relative to human dwellings) and survival of 43 female white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) in an exurban setting near Carbondale, Illinois. Deer had larger home ranges than most suburban deer populations and generally smaller home ranges than rural deer populations. When we analytically controlled for habitat use, deer exhibited a subtle avoidance of human dwellings, especially during the fawning season. The annual survival rate was among the highest reported in the literature at 0.872 (SE = 0.048). Only 5 deer (cause-specific mortality rate = 0.091) were harvested by hunters, indicating major obstacles for wildlife managers when attempting to manage deer in exurban areas using traditional hunter harvest.     

Expanding and invading plant species in sagebrush steppe affect multiple aspects of small-mammal ecology

Invasion and expansion of non-native and native plants have altered vegetation structure in many terrestrial ecosystems. Small mammals influence multiple ecosystem processes through their roles as ecosystem engineers, predators, and prey, and changes to vegetation structure can affect habitat use, community composition, and predator-prey interactions for this assemblage of wildlife. In the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) shrublands of the western United States, invasion by non-native grasses and expansion of native conifer trees beyond their historical range has altered vegetation structure. These changes may potentially affect distributions and interactions of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), which are generalist omnivores, and Columbia Plateau pocket mice (Perognathus parvus), more specialized granivores. To assess the extent to which altered habitat affects small-mammal density, survival, and home-range size, we examined these aspects of small-mammal ecology along a gradient of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) invasion and western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) establishment in sagebrush shrublands in southwestern Idaho, USA. From 2017–2019, we used a spatially explicit mark-recapture design to examine attributes of small-mammal ecology along an invasion gradient. We did not find support for an effect of cheatgrass cover on density or survival of either species. Home-range size of deer mice was 2.3 times smaller in heavier cheatgrass cover (60%) compared to areas with little or no cheatgrass cover. Density of deer mice was highest (5 individuals/ha) in areas with 10% juniper cover and decreased with increasing juniper cover, whereas density of pocket mice was positively influenced by shrub cover. Survival of deer mice declined as juniper stem density increased. Conversely, survival of pocket mice increased with increasing juniper stem density. We found evidence for interspecific interactions between these 2 species, in the form of a density-dependent effect of deer mice on pocket mouse home-range size. Home-range size for pocket mice was 2 times smaller in areas with the highest estimated density of deer mice compared to areas with low densities of deer mice. Our data provides unique information about how small mammals in the sagebrush steppe are affected by expanding and invasive plant species and potential ways that habitat restoration efforts, in the form of conifer removal, may influence small mammals. Understanding the response of small mammals to conifer expansion or removal may shed light on the demographic and numerical responses of other wildlife associated with the sagebrush biome, including predators.     

Home range and habitat selection of pampas deer

The southernmost subspecies of pampas deer Ozotocerus bezoarticus celer is an endemic and endangered cervid of the Argentine Pampas. The aim of our study was to describe the habitat use of this deer on the coast of Samborombón Bay. Twelve adult pampas deer (seven female and five male) were radiotracked and their home-range sizes and habitat selection studied from 1995 to 2001. The mean home-range size was 898±181 ha, and the core area was concentrated in 22% of their range. The home-range size of males was three times larger than that of females (1422 vs. 523 ha). Deer home ranges overlapped extensively. No sex differences were found regarding habitat selection. Celtis tala forests and Spartina densiflora grasslands were used more than expected by their availability, while wetlands, coastal grasslands and Salicornia ambigua beaches were avoided. Their habitat selection was affected by cattle presence, suggesting avoidance: they tended to use areas free of cattle, and their home ranges were larger when cattle were absent. An action plan for this endangered population of pampas deer should include initiatives involving private landowners in pampas deer conservation, the use of fire and cattle grazing management tools to improve deer habitat, and studies to provide biological and health data related to pampas deer coexistence with cattle.     

Home-Range Attributes of Raccoons in a Fragmented Agricultural Region of Northern Indiana

Abstract: For many wildlife species, agricultural landscapes undergo spatial and temporal fluctuations in the composition of food and cover annually with the planting and harvesting of crops. Raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations have flourished in agricultural landscapes, where crops increase foraging opportunities and efficiencies. However, information is lacking regarding the effects of temporal shifts in food and cover resulting from agricultural activities on raccoon home ranges. We examined home-range characteristics of 60 (33 M, 27 F) adult raccoons in northern Indiana, USA, from May 2003 through June 2005 to identify shifts in the size of home ranges and core use areas among seasons defined by crop availability and crop developmental stages. Mean fixed-kernel home-range (92 ± 6 ha; xM ± SE) and core-area sizes (20 ± 2 ha) of males were significantly larger than those of females (58 ± 7 ha and 13 ± 2 ha, respectively), and both were smaller than those reported for raccoons in other fragmented agricultural landscapes. Home-range sizes varied little among seasons for either sex. However, home ranges of males were smallest during the crop maturation stage, whereas home ranges of females were smallest during the crop growing season. The results of our study suggest that even in expansive rural landscapes, raccoons can maintain small home ranges when food, water, and denning resources are readily available. Additionally, the lack of differences among seasonal home-range sizes, despite the presence of an ephemeral superabundant food source (i.e., corn) during the maturation season, was likely due to the close proximity of foraging and denning resources across seasons.     

Applying Landscape-Scale Habitat-Potential Models to Understand Deer Spatial Structure and Movement Patterns

Abstract: Ecologically based management must incorporate components that consider how individuals associate temporally and spatially to environments that provide specific habitat requirements. Recent research has assessed how environments could be classified based on potential to provide deer (Odocoileus virginianus) habitat components. If habitat potential (HP; i.e., capability of habitat types to provide annual life requisites) classifications can be correlated to deer spatial structure and seasonal movement patterns, managers could better understand how spatial distribution of habitat components influences deer distribution. We analyzed home-range distribution and seasonal movement patterns from 45 adult (≥2 yr old) female deer radiocollared between 1999-2002, and deer habitat characteristics in northeastern Lower Peninsula, Michigan, USA, to investigate whether we can predict deer seasonal movement patterns based on the distribution of HP. We constructed logistic regression models that calculated the probability of deer migration given specific HP within seasonal home ranges of migratory and nonmigratory deer. Our results suggested that the probability of seasonal deer migrations relates to the juxtaposition (arrangement) of different habitat types that collectively provide all annual life requisites. We demonstrated that use of habitat-type classifications and HP models can track and predict deer movement patterns, which can facilitate establishment of management units and ecologically based deer management practices.     

Scale of Management for Mature Male White-Tailed Deer as Influenced by Home Range and Movements

Abstract: The scale at which populations use landscapes influences ecological processes and management. We used dispersal and home-range data of 3 age groups of male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to determine the scale at which management will be effective. Home-range size at 5.5 years of age (182 ha ± 24.9 SE) was 56% smaller (P < 0.001) than home-range size of the same 13 males as yearlings (416 ± 59.4 ha). Percent overlap of yearling and 5.5-year-old home ranges was 62.7 6 10.3% (n = 13). Distance between home-range centers of yearling and mature deer was 1,264.9 ± 407.4 m, including 3 deer that dispersed after 2.5 years of age. Average 95% fixed-kernel home-range size was 207.4 ± 20.4 ha and 225.7 ± 30.1 ha for all mature males in years 1 and 2 of our study, respectively. We found that properties >10,000 ha were needed to manage >50% of original yearling males found on the property, whereas properties of 4,500 ha would maintain 50% of original middle-aged (2.5-4.5 yr of age) and mature males (≥4.5 yr of age). Movements after dispersal were minimal, with deer shifting their center of activity <600 m and <350 m each year for middle-aged and mature males, respectively. These data could be used by managers developing management plans, recommending harvest rates, and interpreting harvest data of male white-tailed deer and by biologists attempting to understand ecological processes such as spread of disease.     

Socio-spatial ecology of pine marten (Martes martes) in conifer forests,Ireland

Understanding the social organisation and spacing patterns of wildlife populations is an important aspect of conservation management and applied science. The present study investigated the spatial ecology of pine marten (Martes martes) inhabiting conifer forests in Ireland, the largest habitat resource available for the species. It represented the first study of pine marten spacing patterns in Irish conifer forests. Pine marten (n?=?7; five males and two females) were live-trapped and radio-tracked for between 4 and 10 months from March 2008 to March 2009. Mean annual home-range estimates (95 % fixed kernel) for males (150.7 ha) were generally larger than those of females (90.2 ha). There was considerable inter-seasonal overlap in home ranges (approx 85 %) with less inter-sexual (12.0 %) or intra-sexual (11.8 %) overlap, although the sample size of individuals for comparison was small. Pine marten home ranges were stable from season to season. Core ranges varied in size from 10.6 to 104.1 ha, and as a mean percentage of home-range area were 22.9 and 42.5 % for males and females, respectively. In terms of forest management, potential under occupancy of available space by pine marten and vulnerability of very small core ranges to clear felling practices needs further research to determine any impacts on individuals and populations.     

Crop,Native Vegetation,and Biofuels: Response of White-Tailed Deer to Changing Management Priorities

ABSTRACT The expansion of the cellulosic biofuels industry throughout the United States has broad-scale implications for wildlife management on public and private lands. Knowledge is limited on the effects of reverting agriculture to native grass, and vice versa, on size of home range and habitat use of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We followed 68 radiocollared female deer from 1991 through 2004 that were residents of DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) in eastern Nebraska, USA. The refuge was undergoing conversion of vegetation out of row-crop agriculture and into native grass, forest, and emergent aquatic vegetation. Habitat in DNWR consisted of 30% crop in 1991 but removing crops to establish native grass and wetland habitat at DNWR resulted in a 44% reduction in crops by 2004. A decrease in the amount of crops on DNWR contributed to a decline in mean size of annual home range from 400 ha in 1991 to 200 ha in 2005 but percentage of crops in home ranges increased from 21% to 29%. Mean overlap for individuals was 77% between consecutive annual home ranges across 8 years, regardless of crop availability. Conversion of crop to native habitat will not likely result in home range abandonment but may impact disease transmission by increasing rates of contact between deer social groups that occupy adjacent areas. Future research on condition indices or changes in population parameters (e.g., recruitment) could be incorporated into the study design to assess impacts of habitat conversion for biofuel production.     

Influence of Landscape Characteristics on Hunter Space Use and Success

Sport hunting of ungulates is a predominant recreational pursuit and the primary tool for managing their populations in North America and beyond, given its influence on ungulate distributions, social organization, and population performance. Similarly, land management, such as motorized vehicle access, influences ungulate distributions during and outside hunting seasons. Although research on ungulate responses to hunting and land use is widespread, knowledge gaps persist about space use of hunters and what landscape features discriminate among hunt types and between successful and unsuccessful hunters. We used telemetry location data from hunters (n = 341) to estimate space use from 2008–2013 during 3 types of controlled, 5-day hunts for antlered mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) in northeastern Oregon, USA: archery elk, rifle deer, and rifle elk. To evaluate space use, we developed utilization distributions for each hunter, created core areas (50% contours) for groups of hunters, and derived several metrics of space-use overlap between successful and unsuccessful hunters. We also modeled predictors of space use using resource utilization functions with beta regression and stepwise model building. Hunter space use was compressed, with even the largest core area (unsuccessful rifle elk hunters) encompassing <16% (1,178 ha) of the area. We found strong similarities in space use of rifle hunters compared to archers, and core areas of successful hunters were markedly smaller than those of unsuccessful hunters (e.g., = 104 ha vs. 681 ha, respectively, for archers). Percentage cover and distance from open roads were the most consistent covariates in the 6 final models (successful vs. unsuccessful for each of 3 hunts) but with different signs. For example, predicted use of archery and rifle elk hunters increased with cover but decreased for rifle deer hunters. Although the same covariates were in the final models for unsuccessful and successful rifle elk hunters, their negligible spatial overlap suggested they sought those features in different locales, a pattern also documented for rifle deer hunters. Our models performed well (Spearman's rank correlation coefficients = 0.99 for 5 of 6 models), reflecting their utility for managing hunters and landscapes. Our results suggest that strategic management of open roads and forest cover can benefit managers seeking to balance hunter opportunity and satisfaction with harvest objectives, especially for species of special concern such as mule deer, and that differences in space use among hunter groups should be accounted for in hunting season designs. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.     

基于核密度估计的动物生境适宜度制图方法

生境适宜度制图能提供动物适宜生境的空间分布信息,对野生动物种群管理、保护地规划等非常重要。生境适宜度制图的关键是构建生境适宜度模型(habitat suitability model, HSM),只基于动物出现位置数据构建HSM的方法在实践中得到了非常广泛的应用。然而现有的只基于动物出现位置数据构建HSM的方法还不能很好地直接表达动物生境适宜度和环境因子之间具有生态学意义的数量关系,因此也就不能很好地体现环境因子对动物生境利用的生态学作用。 本文提出了一种基于核密度估计构建HSM的方法,在地理信息系统技术支持下,通过运用核密度估计从代表性的动物出现位置数据中估计出动物出现对各个环境因子的概率密度函数来直接表达生境适宜度与各个环境因子之间的数量关系,以体现环境因子对动物生境利用的生态学作用,在此基础上对生境适宜度与各个环境因子之间的数量关系进行综合构建了具有明确生态学意义的HSM用于动物生境适宜度制图。以美国Voyageures国家公园的白尾鹿(Odocoileus virginianus)生境适宜度制图为例,基于365个出现位置点位数据并结合积雪深度、地表覆被类型、森林边界长度和坡度等环境因子数据,开展了该方法的案例研究。通过交叉验证计算连续Boyce指数对制图结果进行评价,结果表明：基于核密度估计方法构建的HSM预测能力强,所得出的生境适宜度图经10次交叉验证,连续Boyce指数平均值为0.75,标准差为0.11,达到了较高精度。此外,由于基于核密度估计的方法能以“生境适宜度和环境因子之间具有生态学意义的数量关系”的形式来直接体现环境因子对动物生境利用的生态学作用,就模型的可解释性而言,该方法要优于现有的其他构建HSM的方法。     

Home range and habitat selection of an insular fallow deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dama dama</Emphasis> L.) population on Little St. Simons Island,Georgia, USA

A better understanding of habitat use and home range size for an exotic fallow deer (Dama dama L.) population in coastal Georgia is needed to understand the relationship between this introduced species and the barrier island ecosystem. These spatial requirements will aid in management decisions to limit negative impacts to the deer or sensitive habitats. We describe annual and seasonal home range and habitat use of seven fallow deer fitted with GPS collars. Home ranges of females averaged 130.3 ± 0.45 ha based on a 95% local convex hull (LoCoH) nonparametric kernel method. Home ranges of adult males were highly variable, ranging from 56.9 to 354.8 ha. We examined site fidelity by analyzing shifts in core areas and percent overlap across seasons. Only one individual exhibited a seasonal range shift; all other deer demonstrated a high level of site fidelity. Based on compositional analysis of habitat use versus availability, fallow deer avoided salt marshes but showed individual variation in selection of other habitats. Maritime shrub was the most commonly preferred habitat type on the barrier island. Fallow deer have adapted to effectively use available habitats on the barrier island and have successfully excluded native white-tailed deer from recolonizing LSSI.     

Correcting Home-Range Models for Observation Bias

Abstract: Home-range models implicitly assume equal observation rates across the study area. Because this assumption is frequently violated, we describe methods for correcting home-range models for observation bias. We suggest corrections for 3 general types of home-range models including those for which parameters are estimated using least-squares theory, models utilizing maximum likelihood for parameter estimation, and models based on kernel smoothing techniques. When applied to mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) location data, we found that uncorrected estimates of the utilization distribution were biased low by as much as 18.4% and biased high by 19.2% when compared to corrected estimates. Because the magnitude of bias is related to several factors, future research should determine the relative influence of each of these factors on home-range bias.     

Home range and habitat selection of spotted owls in the central Sierra Nevada

We studied home range and habitat selection of radio-marked adult California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) randomly selected from among the breeding population of owls in the central Sierra Nevada, California from June to October 2006. The most parsimonious home-range estimate for our data was 555 ha (SE = 100 ha). Home-range size was positively correlated with the number of vegetation patches in the home range (habitat heterogeneity). We used resource selection ratios to examine selection of vegetation types by owls within our study area. Owl home ranges contained a high proportion of mature conifer forest, relative to its availability, although the confidence interval for this estimate overlapped one. We also used resource selection functions (RSF) to examine owl foraging habitat selection. Relative probability of selection of foraging habitat was correlated with vegetation classes, patch size, and their interaction. Owls showed highest selection rates for large patches (>10 ha) of pole-sized coniferous forest. Our results suggested that spotted owls in the central Sierra Nevada used habitat that contained a high proportion of mature conifer forest at the home-range scale, but at a finer scale (foraging site selection) owls used other vegetation classes interspersed among mature forest patches, consistent with our hypothesis that spotted owls may use other forest types besides old growth and mature forests when foraging. Our study provides an unbiased estimate of habitat use by spotted owls in the central Sierra Nevada. Our results suggest that forest managers continue to protect remaining mature and old-growth forests in the central Sierra Nevada because owl home ranges contain high proportions of these habitats. However, our results also showed that owls used younger stands as foraging habitat so that landscape heterogeneity, with respect to cover types, may be an important consideration for management but we did not attempt to relate our findings to fitness of owls. Thus management for some level of landscape heterogeneity for the benefit of owls should proceed with caution or under an adaptive management framework. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Impact of livestock grazing on biodiversity and giant panda habitat

Livestock grazing occurs in many protected areas for wildlife and has become a threat to wildlife worldwide. Livestock grazing within protected areas causes negative effects to rare wildlife (e.g., giant panda [Ailuropoda melanoleuca]) and their habitat. We used the 2,000-km² Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, southwestern China, to document the effects of livestock on the giant panda and its habitat. We monitored arrow bamboo (Bashania fangiana), wildlife sign (i.e., feces and tracks), and characteristics of plant communities in intact habitat (IH; limited livestock grazing) and disturbed habitat (DH; with grazing disturbance) to assess the effects of livestock grazing and the responses of giant pandas and sympatric species across spatial and temporal scales. Bamboo coverage and the height and basal diameter of bamboo in IH were greater than those in DH, whereas the number of herbaceous species and herbaceous coverage in IH were lower than those in DH. Wildlife signs in IH were greater than those in DH; specifically, giant panda and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) signs were greater, whereas signs of sambar (Rusa unicolor) and tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) in IH were similar to those in DH. Livestock grazing reduced bamboo, which may threaten the long-term survival of the giant panda. Our results have implications for understanding and management of livestock grazing in the Wolong National Nature Reserve and elsewhere. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

DISPERSAL BY YEARLING MALE WHITE-TAILED DEER AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

Abstract: The scale at which populations use the landscape influences ecological processes and management decisions. Dispersal and home-range size define the scale of landscape use for many large-mammal species. We measured dispersal and home-range size of yearling male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in southern Texas, and compared our results to values from the literature to understand the implications of dispersal in management of deer populations. We used radiotelemetry to monitor 22 yearling deer on 1 study site from October 1998 to October 1999, and 27 yearling deer on a second study site from October 1999 to October 2000. On the 2 study sites, 68% and 44% of yearling deer established new areas of use 4.4 ± 1.0 km and 8.2 ± 4.3 km, respectively, from the center of their autumn home range. Yearling males with spike antlers (2 points) were less likely to disperse than yearlings with fork antlers (>2 points) on 1 study site. Computer simulation showed that the scale at which deer use the landscape is large compared to property sizes in southern Texas and probably in other areas of the white-tailed deer's range. Differences in scale between land ownership patterns and landscape use by deer may result in a failure to meet management objectives and conflict among managers. High harvest rates for male deer occur in part because deer movements are large relative to property size, creating a “tragedy of the commons.” Cooperative management groups are beneficial if all landowners in an area agree on management objectives. Otherwise, deer-proof fences often are erected to reduce conflicts among property owners.     

Spatial ecology of white-tailed deer fawns in the northern Great Plains: Implications of loss of conservation reserve program grasslands

Few studies have evaluated how wildlife, and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in particular, respond to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands. We conducted a 3-year study (2007–2009) to determine the influence of CRP on fawn ecology during a time of declining CRP enrollment. We captured and radiocollared 81 fawn white-tailed deer during 15 May to 15 June 2007–2009 in north-central South Dakota, collected 6,505 locations, and documented 70 summer home ranges. Mean summer home ranges increased temporally during 2007–2009 (P < 0.001) and corresponded to a 41% loss of CRP grasslands in the area (2.3% loss in land cover and approx. 21% loss in cover habitat in the study area) over the duration of the study. Additionally, mean movement between daily locations increased (P < 0.001) from 2007 to 2009. Analysis of covariance models indicated that change in CRP influenced home-range size, and change in CRP and wheat influenced daily movement. Smaller home ranges and reduced movements were associated with greater quantity of CRP available to fawns, and increased movements were associated with more acreage of wheat available to fawns. Fawns shifted resource selection during the summer at a mean age ranging from 48.8 days to 58.6 days, and this shift was associated with height of corn (83–87 cm). During early summer, fawns consistently selected for CRP; selection of wheat progressed temporally from avoidance in 2007 to selection in 2009. During late summer, fawns consistently selected for corn habitat and used CRP at least in proportion to its availability. Reduction in CRP-grasslands seemed to increase fawn home-range size and daily movements and, influenced change in resource selection to wheat. Current legislation mandates continued decrease in CRP enrollment and concomitant increase in the planting of corn for ethanol production. Management of habitat throughout the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains that maximizes cover habitats would provide neonates with adequate cover for protection from predators. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

白山原麝国家级自然保护区獐春夏生境选择

生境与动物个体密切相关,生境中元素的不同影响着动物个体对不同生境的选择。2018年5-7月和2019年3-4月在吉林省白山原麝国家级自然保护区对獐（Hydropotes inermis）的春夏季生境选择进行了研究,共记录利用样方104个（春季53个,夏季51个）,对照样方85个（春季46个,夏季39个）。利用卡方检验对植被类型、优势植物、坡位、坡向4种非数值型环境因子进行分析,结果表明春季和夏季獐对这4种环境因子的选择均具有显著性差异,偏好选择以青蒿（Artemisia carvifolia）为优势植物,位于中坡位,坡向为阳坡的草地生境活动。利用独立样本T检验和Mann-Whitney U检验对海拔、人为干扰距离、水源距离、草本覆盖度、优势草本高度、隐蔽级、坡度7种数值型环境因子进行分析,结果表明春季和夏季獐均偏好选择隐蔽级较高（春季30.189±14.609,夏季62.745±29.737）、优势草本高度较高（春季87.359±16.190,84.510±29.618）、坡度较缓的生境（春季14.245±3.721,13.333±5.260）活动。此外,资源选择函数模型对獐的春季和夏季的生境选择预测正确率均大于90%,表明该模型可以较好地预测獐的生境选择。白山原麝国家级自然保护区獐种群数量较小,适宜性栖息地面积较少,应加强对其种群及适宜性生境的保护。