Year: 1977
Type: article
Abstract: Protein and energy requirements of deer and supplies of these nutrients in native forage are synthesized into a model to estimate carrying capacity of seasonal ranges of a migratory mule deer population in north central Colorado. The model indicates that summer forage will support many times the number of deer present, but winter forage will not sustain deer at any population level. Instead, duration and severity of winter determine the length of time deer can survive on these ranges. Habitat evaluation based on quantification of nutrient supplies and their availability offers a more logical alternative for evaluating deer winter ranges than traditional methods based on measurements of twig lengths of so-called "key" species.
Source: Journal of Range Management
DOI: 10.2307/3897753
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W145803244