Abstract
Abstract We documented characteristics of habitats and related these to foraging needs of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the San Andres Mountains, Dona Ana, Sierra, and Socorro counties, New Mexico. Cover by forbs was related positively to rainfall during the primary growing season in mixed-lowland scrub, sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia), alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), and creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) habitats. Cover by palatable and preferred forages was low (≤8.6%) in 2004, 2005, and 2007, years of average rainfall, and increased slightly in 2006 (≤9.3%) during above-average rainfall. During years of average rainfall, cover by forbs was related negatively to percentage cover by shrubs, to density of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), sand sagebrush, and grama grass (Bouteloua), and to canopy and density of trees in pinyon–juniper (Pinus–Juniperus) woodlands. Important species of browse were in all habitats, but only grama grass (n = 9), pinyon–juniper (n = 12), and oak–mountain mah...
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