Resumen

GASTELUM MENDOZA, Fernando Isaac et al. Carrying capacity of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus) in northeast Mexico. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2024, vol.15, n.4, pp.951-962.  Epub 21-Mar-2025. ISSN 2448-6698.  https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v15i4.6599.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus) is widely distributed in the desert scrublands of Mexico and is both ecologically and economically important. Knowledge about forage production in deer habitat is essential to designing effective management plans. It was used aboveground biomass production in microphyllous desert scrub to calculate carrying capacity (K) for white-tailed deer as a reference in extensive management of this species in the municipality of Monclova, Coahuila, in northern Mexico. Data were collected at the Rancho San Juan Wildlife Conservation Management Unit during a full seasonal round: October 2018 to August 2019. The Adelaide method was used to estimate production in high, middle and low vegetation strata. Estimation of K was based on the Holechek model. Average seasonal biomass production was 621.19 kg DM ha-1. Production was highest in the middle stratum (377.77 ± 73.92 kg DM ha-1), and lowest in the high stratum (37.59 ± 23.59 kg DM ha-1). Production was highest in summer (744.35 kg DM ha-1) and fall (607.93 kg DM ha-1). Estimated K was 4.94 ha per deer annually, equivalent to 209 deer in a 1,030 ha area. Aerial census of the deer population in October 2020 recorded a density of 1.77 ha per deer, or 582 deer in the same area. Although this is more than double the calculated K for the study area, it highlights the role of supplementary feed and water in maintaining deer population growth.

Palabras llave : Aerial biomass; Density; Microphyllous desert scrub; Adelaide method; Holechek model.

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