o 



••; 



unoccupied yearlong, long-term deer habitat 



occupied yearlong, long-term deer habitat 



deer habitat during favorable environmental 

 conditions and/or with use of seasonal migratory 

 behavior (unoccupied) 



as above, except occupied 

 core area 



Figure 12.1 



A schematic representation of the variability 

 in space of habitat quality and quantity. 



not necessarily follow consecutively. Any of the scenarios 

 illustrated could follow any other.- Variable weather can 

 result in rapid changes in habitat quality and quantity from 

 year to year and season to season. Variability in weather not 

 only results in rapid changes in forage quality and quantity 

 (Chapter 3) and thereby fawn survival (Chapter 5), but also by 

 interacting with the fixed habitat base, it influences whether 

 space is reproductive, survival, or non-habitat (Chapters 3, 

 5-10). Thus, habitat quality and quantity are variable in 

 time , especially as influenced by the inherent variability of 

 the weather, but also as influenced by succession, fire, and 

 many of man's activities. 



This heterogeneity of habitat in space and time interacts 

 with the inherent characteristics of dispersion and dispersal 

 for any animal species to further influence population 

 dynamics. A hypothetical species distribution at a population 

 low is illustrated in Figure 12. 3A. This distribution and 

 population low could have resulted from a variety of causes 

 (e.g., drought, severe winters, or overharvests ) . Given 

 favorable environmental conditions and/or low harvest rates, 

 the distribution of the species can progressively expand 

 toward "habitat fill" as illustrated by Figure 12. 3B and C. 



324 



