Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama
Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama
Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama
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forage for their nutritional requirements, indices such as body weight<br />
and antler development are a function of the nutritive value of the plants<br />
deer eat. Again, the nutritive value of these plants is a function of<br />
natural soil fertility.<br />
<strong>In</strong> certain areas of highly fertile soils, such as the Black Belt<br />
Prairies and the Major Flood Plains and Terraces regions, deer harvest<br />
data indicates better overall physical indices than in areas of low soil<br />
fertility. Average deer weight and antler development are lower in the<br />
deep sands of <strong>Alabama</strong>’s lower tier counties than in more fertile soil<br />
regions of the state. However, deer of exceptional physical condition<br />
may be found in areas of low soil fertility where there is an abundance<br />
of agriculture and where deer density is relatively low. Conversely,<br />
even in the most fertile soil areas, many deer exist in poor physical<br />
condition as a result of overpopulation. Providing nutritious forage in<br />
poor quality habitats through intensive habitat management can help<br />
offset the limiting effects of poor soil fertility. Proper population management<br />
helps ensure deer realize the full benefit of high soil fertility.<br />
CARRYING CAPACITY OF DEER HABITAT<br />
For the purposes of this discussion, carrying capacity (CC) is<br />
defined as the number of animals a given unit of habitat can sustain in<br />
good physical condition without causing damage to the habitat. The<br />
term CC, as used in this section, should not be confused with the terms<br />
absolute CC or CC K. These later definitions of CC are used by population<br />
biologists to describe the maximum number of animals a unit of<br />
habitat can support (the theoretical point in a population growth model<br />
in which births equal deaths and the population stops growing).<br />
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