Revista de Biología Tropical (Dec 1998)
Ambito de hogar y utilización de hábitat de dos grupos de venados Cola Blanca Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) reubicados en un ambiente tropical
Abstract
Se liberaron ocho venados cola blanca (Odocoileus virginianus) en finca La Emilia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica entre noviembre de 1987 y 1988; cuatro hembras juveniles de una población insular (Isla San Lucas, ISL) fueron criadas en cautiverio y liberadas a los nueve meses de edad. Los restantes fueron adultos: tres hembras y un macho procedentes del Parque Nacional Palo Verde (PV). Todos los venados fueron marcados con collares radiotransmisores y monitoreados por 13 meses. La observación visual se uso por ocho meses para los venados de la ISL. Se determinó el ámbito de hogar (AH) y utilización del hábitat de los venados liberados. El AH promedio diario fue de 18.2 ha para el grupo de ISL y 18.5 para los venados de PV; no se encontraron diferencias entre los AH entre grupos (Análisis de Varianza ANDEVA, P .05). Los AH estacionales no presentaron diferencias significativas; sin embargo, el grupo ISL sí mostró diferencias entre las dos estaciones (ANDEVA, PEight white-tailed deer were released in La Emilia farm, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, during November 1987 and March 1988. Four females were from an insular population (San Lucas Island, ISL) and had been raised in captivity up to 9 months of age when they were liberated. The remaining four were adults, three females and one male from Palo Verde National Park (PV). All deer were marked with radio telemetry collars and followed for a 13-month period. The four deer from ISL were also observed directly for 8 months. The home range and habitat use of each group was determined and compared. The average daily home range was 18.3 ha for the ISL group and 18.4 ha for the PV group; the differences between these values were not significant (Analysis of Variance, ANOVA, P .05). The home ranges of the two groups were not significantly different between seasons; however the ISL group did show a significant difference between the two seasons (ANOVA, P< .05). The ISL group used eight habitat types of the 14 available, while the PV group utilized 11 habitat types; differences were found in the habitat preferences between the two groups (X² P< .001). Habitat utilization was significantly different between the two groups in both the dry season and the wet season (X², P< .001). The most utilized habitats (confidence intervals of Bonferroni) of the ISL group were grazing land, forest plantations (Pithecelobium saman), cultivated land (sorghum and fruits), and riparian vegetation. The PV group used habitats with certain forest cover, chaparral, jaraguales and guacimales (Guazuma ulmifolia).
