Quantifying Great Basin weather severity; An outlook for Nevada's mule deer.
Loading...
Authors
Kastner, Jacob
Issue Date
2014
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Climate , Great Basin , Mule deer , Weather severity index
Alternative Title
Abstract
In Nevada, mule deer (Odocoileus hemonius) herds managed by the Nevada Department of Wildlife are experiencing a general population decline. Recruitment into the population is an important measure of the success of a mule deer herd. This study quantifies weather patterns across the Great Basin ecoregion to examine the influence of weather on over-winter survival of mule deer fawns. Major climate oscillations such as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are known to influence local weather fluctuations across the Great Basin. The Great Basin ecoregion was subdivided based on weather into five groups: high elevation, mid elevation, northern lowlands, southern lowlands, and the northern Mojave Desert. Climate oscillations control up to 44% of variation in weather in parts of the Great Basin. At high elevation, December weather explains 64% of variation in the mule deer fawn population during the following spring. Summer weather explains 56% of the variation in the Mojave Desert. It is clear that weather in the Great Basin is a partially a result of major climate oscillations and is also affecting recruitment in mule deer herds.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)