15 

 10 



5 - 



-- 



o 



c 



<D 

 0) 



£ -5 



•10 - 



•15 - 



-20 



— i — i 1 1 1 — i — i — ' — i — i 1 — ■ — i — ' — i ■ 1 ■ 1 — 



1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 



Year 



Figure 5.4 



Percent difference in number of fawns 

 recruited when the age-specific variation 

 observed was compared to the number recruited 

 if all age classes of females had recruited 

 the same average number of fawns, 1968-1986. 

 The line at zero % difference represents no 

 age-specific difference in fawn recruitment 

 rates . 



variation of 16.5% (Table 5.5). Lower ratios prevailed in 

 growing populations that included large numbers of non- 

 productive yearlings and lower producing 2-year-old females. 

 Higher ratios prevailed when relatively few younger animals 

 and relatively more 3-5 year old females were present. The 

 projected degree of variation due to age-specific differences 

 in recruitment and female age structure (Columns A2 , B2 , and 

 A3, Table 5.5) was relatively minor compared to observed 

 variation in ratios (Columns C2 and C3, Table 5.5). The 

 observed low recruitment during 1972-1977, for example, cannot 

 be explained by age-specific differences in recruitment and 

 female age structure. Age-specific differences in recruitment 

 combined with female age structure should have led to higher 

 than average fawn: female ratios during that period (Table 

 5.5) . 



Although the ratios in columns A or B and C are not 

 directly comparable, the degree of variation about the mean 

 (CV) was informative. Data from modeled and observed numbers 

 and ratios (Table 5.5), indicated that a maximum of 30% of the 

 observed variation in fawn: female ratios was related to age- 



126 



