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Hokkaido University Collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers >
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Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, etc >
Culling Versus Density Effects in Management of a Deer Population
| Title: | Culling Versus Density Effects in Management of a Deer Population |
| Authors: | Ueno, Mayumi Browse this author | | Kaji, Koichi Browse this author | | Saitoh, Takashi Browse this author |
| Keywords: | Cervus nippon | | cohort analysis | | density dependence | | female harvest | | harvest-at-age | | Japan | | population growth | | population reconstruction | | recruitment | | sika deer |
| Issue Date: | 2010 |
| Publisher: | The Wildlife Society |
| Journal Title: | Journal of Wildlife Management |
| Volume: | 74 |
| Issue: | 7 |
| Start Page: | 1472 |
| End Page: | 1483 |
| Publisher DOI: | 10.2193/2009-339 |
| Abstract: | Wildlife managers often manipulate hunting regulations to control deer populations. However, few empirical studies have examined the level of hunting effort (hunter-days) required to limit population growth and demographic effects through harvesting of females. Moreover, the relative importance of density effects on population growth has not been quantified. We reconstructed a sika deer [Cervus nippon] population over a period of 12 years (1990–2001) using age- and sex-specific harvest data. Using cohort analysis, we analyzed population dynamics, focusing on 1) the relationship between hunting effort and hunting-induced mortality rate, 2) relative contributions of hunting mortality and recruitment of yearlings to annual changes in population growth rate, and 3) annual variation in recruitment rate. Population size increased until 1998 and declined thereafter. The population growth rate changed more in response to annual changes in recruitment rate than hunting mortality rate. Temporal variation in recruitment rate was not controlled by birth rate alone; direct density dependence, intensities of hunting mortality for fawns, and for females ( L2 yr of age), which accounted for the fawn survival rate, were required as factors to explain temporal variation. Density effects on the recruitment rate were not strong enough to regulate the population within the study period; high hunting mortality, with intensive female harvesting, was necessary to prevent population growth. Hunting effort was a good predictor of the hunting mortality rate, and female harvest had a negative effect on the recruitment rate through fawn survival. We suggest that .3,500 hunter-days and prioritization of female harvesting are required to prevent increases in this deer population. |
| Type: | article |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2115/44461 |
| Appears in Collections: | 北方生物圏フィールド科学センター (Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere) > 雑誌発表論文等 (Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, etc)
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Submitter: 上野 真由美
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