Seasonal space use and habitat selection of sambar in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACTSambar (Rusa unicolor) in Taiwan experienced overexploitation by humans before the 1990s. In recent years, however, the population has recovered rapidly, and has become regionally abundant, resulting in damage to forests in some conservation areas. We investigated space use and habitat selection of sambar using global positioning system telemetry and resource selection function models. We collected sambar locations from 12 collared deer (6 males and 6 females) from December 2009 to March 2014 in Taroko National Park, Taiwan. Males had the largest mean home range size during the hot‐wet season (May–Oct, 95% fixed kernel method: 1.43 ± 0.23 km2). Males in the cold‐dry season (Nov–Apr) and females in both seasons had similar mean home range sizes of approximately 0.70 km2. Sambar moved to higher elevations during the hot–wet season and moved to lower elevations during the cold–dry season. Sambar preferred cypress (Chamaecyparis spp.) forest, pine (Pinus spp.) forest, fir (Abies spp.)‐hemlock (Tsuga spp.) forest, or thicket to broad‐leaved forest and open areas during both seasons. In addition, they preferred areas that were humid and had moderate solar radiation. We recommend estimating sambar population density in the cold–dry season when males and females have similar home range sizes. We predict that the rapid growth of the sambar population in Taiwan will be restrained as they expand to lower elevations because they prefer alpine landcover types and sambar habitats at lower elevations are fragmented. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.