White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations in the United States have increased in recent years, particularly in urban and suburban landscapes where traditional measures of population control are difficult to implement. As a result of rapid urban development in the last several years, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) located southeast of the Houston, Texas metroplex has become a refuge for an increasing, isolated urban white-tailed deer population. The use of the immunocontraceptive SpayVac™ has been proposed as a feasible measure in controlling the JSC deer population; however, the potential effects of the vaccine on deer movements are unknown. Furthermore, there is a need to estimate deer densities when using intensive management practices (e.g., contraceptive program) which requires an assessment of methods to estimate urban deer densities. The objectives of my study were to (1) compare female movements and ranges between deer treated with SpayVac™ versus non-treated (control) deer, (2) determine if the timing of SpayVac™ treatment affected efficacy, and (3) compare mark-resight and distance sampling methodologies in estimating urban deer densities. I captured and radio-marked 59 adult female deer at JSC. I found annual ranges between treated (mean 95% kernel = 82 ha, mean 50% kernel = 11 ha) and control (mean 95% kernel = 77 ha, mean 50% kernel = 11 ha) deer were similar (P > 0.05). Furthermore, I found daily movements between treated (mean = 430 m) and control (mean = 403 m) deer also were similar (P > 0.05). The use of SpayVac™ did not alter movements and ranges of treated deer, and is unlikely to increase deer-vehicle collisions due to increased movements. I found the timing efficacy (i.e., time needed for vaccine to prevent pregnancy) of SpayVac™ was 0% for does treated closer to the breeding season than previously believed. For JSC, this expands the application time for SpayVac™ treatment to a 5-6 month window rather than the 2-3 month window as previously recommended. I found mark-resight estimates (160-174 deer) were congruent with minimum known alive estimates at JSC (158), whereas distance sampling estimates (83-114) were biased low. The use of non-random road counts likely resulted in the low estimates using distance sampling. I recommend that future efforts to monitor population densities at JSC use mark-resight estimates along with the on-going contraceptive program.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) numbers on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas have increased in recent years and are a cause of urban-related accidents (e.g., deer-vehicle collisions, negative interation with humans). Safety personnel for the JSC are interested in reducing human-deer interaction by a reduction in overall population numbers. My overall study objectives were to (1) estimate population parameters for JSC deer, (2) develop a computer simulation model for the JSC deer, and (3) evaluate 2 management strategies to control JSC deer numbers a priori using the JSC deer model. The 2 management strategies I evaluated were the efficacy of SpayVac immunocontraceptive vaccine (sterilization) and trap and translocation (deer removal) efforts in managing white-tailed deer on JSC. In general, single treatments of removals or sterilization (less than 75 percent of female deer treated) were not effective in reducing population growth (R greater than 1). Approximately 50% of female deer needed to be removed annually to reduce population growth whereas approximately 25% of female deer needed to be treated annually with SpayVac for the same effects. A combination of trap and removals and sterilizations was effective in reducing population growth when applied to approximately 25% of the female population annually. I recommend the use of sterilization annually (25%) or a combination of sterilization and removal (25%) to achieve the goals of JSC in maintaining current deer numbers. Removing or sterilizing > 50% of the female deer annually caused the JSC deer population to decrease to a level near eradication.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) numbers on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas have increased in recent years and are a cause of urban-related accidents (e.g., deer-vehicle collisions, negative interation with humans). Safety personnel for the JSC are interested in reducing human-deer interaction by a reduction in overall population numbers. My overall study objectives were to (1) estimate population parameters for JSC deer, (2) develop a computer simulation model for the JSC deer, and (3) evaluate 2 management strategies to control JSC deer numbers a priori using the JSC deer model. The 2 management strategies I evaluated were the efficacy of SpayVac immunocontraceptive vaccine (sterilization) and trap and translocation (deer removal) efforts in managing white-tailed deer on JSC. In general, single treatments of removals or sterilization (less than 75 percent of female deer treated) were not effective in reducing population growth (R greater than 1). Approximately 50% of female deer needed to be removed annually to reduce population growth whereas approximately 25% of female deer needed to be treated annually with SpayVac for the same effects. A combination of trap and removals and sterilizations was effective in reducing population growth when applied to approximately 25% of the female population annually. I recommend the use of sterilization annually (25%) or a combination of sterilization and removal (25%) to achieve the goals of JSC in maintaining current deer numbers. Removing or sterilizing > 50% of the female deer annually caused the JSC deer population to decrease to a level near eradication.

Agricultural crops are a food subsidy for wild ungulates that can bring animals into close proximity, facilitating disease spread. We used stable isotope analysis to reconstruct the diets of elk and white-tailed deer in three areas in the Canadian prairies and calculated their isotopic niche breadth. Isotopic niche breadth was greater for deer than elk, indicating that deer are a generalist species composed of individual specialists with varied diets, while elk are individual generalists. White-tailed deer niche breadth decreased with increasing consumption of agricultural foods in early fall, but not on an annual timescale. Elk niche breadth did not change with consumption of agricultural foods. Agricultural sources were 40-80% of the diets of both species in all areas. Agricultural feeding may increase the risk of disease in elk and deer not only by increasing their apparent density at feeding sites, but also by subsidizing increases to their overall density.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF MARION F. CONLEE III, for the Master of Science degree in ZOOLOGY, presented on AUGUST 8, 2008, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: IMPACTS OF ILLINOIS OUTFITTERS ON WHITE-TAILED DEER AND WILD TURKEY POPULATIONS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Clayton K. Nielsen Midwestern states have little public land available for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunting and access to private land is critical for maintaining healthy wildlife populations through recreational hunting. Between 1980 and 2001 trophy deer harvest in the Midwest increased and created a market for deer and turkey outfitters. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) noticed outfitting operations increased and created policy to understand outfitter management practices; however these data have not been formally analyzed. I sent 2 mail-in surveys to assess attitudes and business practices of Illinois outfitters and residents from Pike and Adams counties. For Pike County outfitters, I calculated hunter density, success rates, harvest intensity, and outfitter ability to predict hunter and harvest numbers. Outfitters indicated most of their clients were non-resident hunters, 30% of outfitters did not offer firearm deer hunts, and the deer sex ratio was skewed towards females on outfitter property. Many survey respondents who hunted in west-central Illinois lost access to property because of outfitters, which caused some hunters to quit hunting. Hunters on outfitter property did not harvest as many deer as expected at the county level. Increasing trends of deer and turkey outfitters in Illinois suggests that the IDNR should monitor outfitter activities so that management can be altered if necessary.

Tallgrass prairie in North America has been highly reduced and degraded by human activity (e.g. agriculture) and now human facilitated restoration is necessary to preserve and reestablish the biodiversity, structure and function of this system. In historical tallgrass prairie large ungulates (e.g. Bison bison) were keystone species that regulated many ecosystem properties and functions. Today, restored prairie often lacks these historical ungulates and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have largely assumed the role of dominant ungulates in small, tallgrass prairie restorations. Little is known about how white-tailed deer affect the development of plant communities and ecosystem function during the onset of prairie restoration. In June 2012 an agricultural field was restored to native prairie species in Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) near Manhattan, KS. Immediately following seeding, experimental plots were established and fences were constructed in half of the plots to excluded white-tailed deer. From 2012 to 2013 deer browse of forbs, aboveground biomass (total, sown forbs, sown grasses, volunteer forbs and volunteer grasses), light availability at the soil surface, soil nutrients, and plant community composition were measure inside and outside of exclosures. The first year of this study occurred during a severe drought which diminished in year two, presenting the opportunity to examine the interaction of climate and deer browse on restoration. In plots where deer had access, the percentage of forbs browsed ranged from 1.3 to 10.5%. The effect of deer browsing on aboveground biomass varied across years for each category of biomass. Total biomass appeared to be regulated more strongly by deer than climate, as unbrowsed plots produced similar biomass in each year despite major climatic variation, while browsed plots did not follow this trend. Across all sampling periods, deer browsing increased light availability by 20%. In year two inorganic N was 19% lower in browsed plots, though potential net N mineralization did not vary between treatments. Plant communities were significantly different between years and, between browsed and unbrowsed plots as time and browsing affected community composition, diversity and richness. Deer browsing increased diversity and richness by 24% and 22% respectively. Community composition was most greatly affected by browsing in year one corresponding to the highest rates of browsing and greatest differences in aboveground biomass. These results indicate that deer can have substantial effects on the initial establishment of prairie communities as well as resource availability from the onset of restoration.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OFNicholas Seaton, for the Master of Science degree in Plant Biology, presented on December 4, 2019 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: THE EFFECT OF DEER BROWSE ON ACHYRANTHES JAPONICAMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. David GibsonPlants respond in many ways to damage. These responses vary between sites depending on the severity and duration of the incident. One common form of damage in the forest understory is herbivory or browse. White tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been observed to change the dominant species of forests by selectively browsing palatable species in the understory. These changes in species dominance can lead to unwanted consequences, sometimes resulting in a proliferation of weedy or invasive plants or a reduction in performance and competitive abilities based on morphological traits. Understanding the changes that occur to undesirable species after deer browse can help land managers in their prioritization of sites for land management and understand the driving forces behind a species’ success or failure. Using deer exclosure plots, this study looks at the effects of white-tailed deer on Achyranthes japonica, an herbaceous invasive species in the Ohio River floodplain of Illinois and surrounding states. White tailed deer have been observed to browse A. japonica throughout the invaders range, but little is known about the plant’s response. Deer browse data were collected in the summer of 2018 from May to August. Estimated deer densities among six study sites ranged from 8 to 22 deer per km2. Plants that were browsed during the growing season were morphologically different to those that were not browsed. Browsed plants were 11.5 ± 0.1 cm shorter (F1,218=11.658; p<0.001) on average and produced 0.33 ± 0.09 fewer nodes (F1,216= 4.045; p<0.05). Browsed plants also produced 2.7 ± 0.32 fewer flowering spikes and were similar in length to those of un-browsed plants. These morphological differences showed significant variation between sites. Floristic Quality Indices of the herbaceous plant communities (Ȳ =3.5) ranged from 3.2 to 3.9 among study sites. This study shows that site conditions can impact the response of A. japonica growth as it continues to invade across its current introduced range and that the species is adaptive and grows along-side other similar weedy species such as Microstegium vimineum and Parthenocissus quinquefolia. This study also indicated that deer browse has little to no impact on the growth of Achyranthes japonica.Keywords: Achyranthes japonica, Odocoileus virginianus, herbivory, browse, deer density, site quality

Factors associated with rank position are poorly understood whereas even fewer studies assessed if benefits were associated with increased rank position when resources were unlimited. I assessed whether age, body mass, size, and testosterone levels were important in rank establishment among 132 captive female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). I also assessed if the benefit metrics of improved body condition, decreased stress level, and earlier parturition date were related to rank position. Deer in each of 9 study pens had a linear hierarchy with a mean h Πof 0.39 (SD = 0.09). Rank position was moderately related to age (P < 0.1) and was strongly related to body mass and size (P < 0.01). There was no relationship between benefit metrics and rank position (P < 0.1). Although increased body mass, size, and age improved rank position there were no benefits associated with increased rank when resources were unlimited.

No description available.

Wildlife diseases often occur under quantifiable and consistent patterns, which can be understood to statistically predict their occurrence and spread across landscapes. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a neurodegenerative disease in the deer family Cervidae caused by a prion, a pathogenic and misfolded variant of a naturally occurring protein. Managing and controlling CWD is imperative for conservation of ecologically and economically important cervid species, but unclear transmission mechanisms within landscapes complicate evidence-based management. Gaps of information in the landscape ecology for CWD are particularly pronounced for areas with recent disease emergence and spread, such as within the CWD cluster in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Thus, I identified current gaps in information and sought to fill neglected areas of research, specifically focusing on landscape determinants for CWD occurrence and spread in the state of Virginia. In chapter 2, I conducted a scoping study that collected and synthesized decades of CWD research and identified trends with respect to statistical and mathematical modeling methods used, connectivity within the CWD research community, and the geographic areas from which studies were performed. In chapter 3, I investigated landscape determinants for CWD in Virginia using remote sensing landscape data and an epidemiological dataset from Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) using diverse algorithms and model evaluation techniques. Finally, in chapter 4, I modeled landscape connectivity between confirmed CWD cases to examine potential paths and barriers to CWD spread across landscapes. My results indicate that landscape ecology was rarely incorporated throughout CWD's 50+ year history. I provide evidence that remotely-sensed landscape conditions can be used to predict the likelihood of CWD occurrence and connectivity in Virginia landscapes, suggesting plausible CWD spread. I suggest areas of future work by explicitly identifying gaps in CWD research and diagnostic methods from which models are based, and encourage further consideration of host's ecology in modeling. By integrating remotely-sensed data into my modeling framework, the workflow should be easily adaptable to new study areas or other wildlife diseases. / Master of Science / Understanding why diseases occur in some locations and not others can be a critical challenge for disease ecologists. One disease that has received significant attention from the media and scientific community is chronic wasting disease (CWD), which is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has identified a stark increase in the number of CWD cases since first discovered in 2009, which threatens white-tailed deer populations and a 500 million dollar industry used for conservation of Virginia wildlife species. Previous research found that CWD does not occur randomly on the landscape, but otherwise little is known about the landscape ecology of CWD. To provide insight on Virginia's CWD outbreak, I assessed methods used to investigate other CWD outbreaks in both space and time. Also, I used landscape data collected from satellites and data from CWD cases in Virginia, and applied statistical tools to identify patterns in the landscape that were linked with CWD cases. My results suggest that landscapes were rarely examined to understand CWD, and instead, researchers focused on understanding how populations will respond to the disease. I also provide evidence that, at least in Virginia, researchers can use satellite information with disease data to predict CWD on the landscape and estimate its spread. This information can be used by wildlife managers to control the disease. For example, disease surveillance can be increased in areas where CWD has been predicted, or herd sizes can be reduced in areas likely to promote disease spread. This information could also be used to tailor wildlife health regulations aimed to minimize the risk of other deer populations acquiring the disease. Ultimately, the landscape plays an important role in CWD, but research on this topic is limited; therefore, additional research is needed to understand and eventually control this disease affecting ecologically and culturally important game species.