New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Home range and habitat use of introduced rusa deer (Cervus
timorensis russa) in a mosaic of savannah and native
sclerophyll forest of New Caledonia
J. Spaggiari
M. De Garine-Wichatitsky*
Institut Agronomique
néo-Calédonien
Programme Elevage et Faune Sauvage
BP 73, 98890 Païta
Nouvelle-Calédonie
*Present
address and author for correspondence: CIRAD-EMVT, UPR22 Gestion
intégrée de la faune, TA/30 F
Campus International de Baillarguet, 34 398 Montpellier Cedex
5, France. mdegarine@iac.nc
Abstract New
Caledonia’s unique flora evolved in the absence of ruminant
herbivores until the 19th century. Native sclerophyll forests have been
drastically reduced in extent, and browsing by introduced rusa deer is
considered a major threat. We carried out a radio-tracking study on
wild rusa deer on a mosaic of savannahs and sclerophyll forest. The
estimated mean home range size was 501 ± 33 ha,
with little seasonal variation. Deer showed a remarkable site fidelity
(the average distance between the site of capture and the geographic
centre of activity was 1042 ± 149 m). They used
preferentially the sclerophyll forest and flood plains, especially
during the dry season. These results confirm that rusa deer are likely
to have a significant impact on the threatened sclerophyll forests, and
they give some positive prospects for population control implemented
locally.
Keywords biodiversity
conservation; Cervidae; home range; habitat use;
introduced ungulates; radio-tracking; wildlife management
Z05034; Received 27 September 2005; accepted 19 April 2006;
Online publication date 5 July 2006
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2006, Vol. 33:
175–183
0301–4223/06/3303–175 © The Royal
Society of New Zealand 2006
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