Spatial avoidance between red deer and cattle in alpine pastures

Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy

article

Alessandro Forti¹  Matteo Nava³  Alessia Bortoloni²  Valentina Sommei²  Camilla Luzzago²  Luca Pedrotti¹  Luca Corlatti¹ 

[1] Stelvio National Park – ERSAF Lombardia;Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6;Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano;Coordinated Research Center "EpiSoMI", Università degli Studi di Milano;Sustainable Development and Protected Area Service, Stelvio National Park Office, Autonomous Province of Trento;University of Freiburg, Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management

关键词: avoidance;    cattle;    distance sampling;    pastures;    pellet group count;    red deer;   

DOI  :  10.4404/hystrix-00447-2021

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Associazione Teriologica Italiana

【 摘 要 】

The interaction between wild and domestic ungulates may have positive or negative effects. Cattle grazing, for example can preserve open space and improve forage quality but also decrease forage availability and favor disease transmission. Consequently, multiple patterns of space use can be expected between wild ungulates and livestock. Here, we investigate the spatial overlap between red deer (Cervus elaphus) and cattle in alpine summer pastures in the Stelvio National Park (central Italian Alps), using pellet groups counts estimated with distance sampling for red deer and bovine scats estimated with strip transects. After accounting for environmental covariates, our results showed that with increasing bovine scat density, red deer pellet group density decreased. These results suggest that red deer may avoid bovines, though other mechanisms (e.g., human presence) may concur to trigger spatial avoidance. Understanding the drivers of the interactions between wildlife and livestock in Italian Alps would help conservation measures by enhancing coexistence on pastures.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC