Sitka black-tailed deer habitat selection in relation to logging and vegetation in a temperate rainforest

摘要: Timber harvest can have spatially and temporally varying effects on wildlife populations. To explore the response of Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) to commercial forestry we performed habitat selection analyses (HSAs) based on data across 3 spatial scales (step selection, home range, and study area) and 4 seasons in relation to logging-related covariates (logged areas and roads) and LiDAR-derived vegetation metrics (canopy and understory cover).We deployed global positioning system (GPS) collars on 61 female deer in a coastal temperate rainforest (Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, USA). Deer response to young (<30 year) and old (≥30) logged stands was equivocal across seasons and scales, though there was a tendency for deer to avoid older logged areas at the home range scale. However, both within and outside of logged stands, deer avoided areas of greater canopy cover …