Variation in home range size of female fallow deer in habiting a sub-mediterranean habitat

From 1997 to 2000 13 female Fallow Deer (Dama dama) were monitored using telemetry in the San Rossore Estate (Tuscany, central Italy) to determine home range size and patterns of range development. Mean annual home range size was estimated using the Minimum Convex Polygon method (95%) over 532.9 +/- 226.8 ha and the Kernel method (95%) over 426.8 +/- 151.2 ha. These home range sizes are larger than those previously reported in the literature: San Rossore is an environment characterized by a fragmented distribution of trophic resources and this may lead to an increase in range size. The average size of home ranges differed considerably between seasons, the smallest ranges being found during summer, averaging 140.9 +/- 112.5 ha (MCP 95%) and 126.0 +/- 102.4 ha (Kernel 95%). The autumn and spring ranges amounted to twice as much, with an average size of 348.5 +/- 170.5 ha and 304.0 +/- 175.8 ha, respectively, using MCP 95%, and 380.5 +/- 178.1 ha and 292.9 +/- 177.3 ha, using Kernel 95%. Winter ranges were slightly larger than summer ones averaging 184.5 +/- 119.8 ha (MCP 95%), and 195.2 +/- 122.1 ha (Kernel 95%). This study showed that ecological factors and the presence of young reduce home range size during the May-August period. Food distribution and the rutting season during autumn, and green-up during spring, caused an increase in home range size.