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Adult and Fawn Mortality of Sonoran Pronghorn Author(S): Jill L

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Adult and Fawn Mortality of Sonoran Pronghorn Author(S): Jill L Adult and fawn mortality of Sonoran pronghorn Author(s): Jill L. Bright and John J. Hervert Source: Wildlife Society Bulletin, 33(1):43-50. Published By: The Wildlife Society DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2193/0091-7648(2005)33[43:AAFMOS]2.0.CO;2 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.2193/0091-7648%282005%2933%5B43%3AAAFMOS%5D2.0.CO%3B2 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. 06 SC (Bright and Hervert).qxp 6/24/2005 12:28 PM Page 43 SPECIAL COVERAGE 43 Adult and fawn mortality of Sonoran pronghorn by Jill L. Bright and John J. Hervert Abstract We documented adult mortality and fawn recruitment of Sonoran pronghorn (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) in Arizona. This population is endangered (N<30) and is decreasing due to low fawn recruitment and adult mortality. We radiocollared Sonoran pronghorn to monitor survival and recruitment from 1995–2002. We relocated each radiocollared pronghorn during weekly telemetry flights from a fixed-wing airplane and recorded group composition to determine recruitment. Mortalities detected during flights were investigated as soon as possi- ble (i.e., <48 hours) to document adult mortality. Adult mortality rates varied from 11–83%/year. Adult pronghorn were killed by coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Felis rufus), mountain lions (Puma concolor), capturing efforts, drought, and unknown causes. Fawn mortality varied from year to year and was correlated with the amount and timing of rainfall. Drought may be a major factor in the survival of adults and fawns. A lack of nutritious forage and water, caused by dry conditions, led to high fawn mortality and caused adult mortality during a particularly severe drought. Drought also may indirectly affect adult mortality by causing animals to use areas where predators are more successful. Disease may affect mortality but remains largely uninvestigated. Management applications aimed at increasing fawn recruitment and reducing adult mortality should increase the chances of survival of this species. Providing sources of highly nutritious forage during early spring and summer when fawns are susceptible to poor nutrition may increase their chances of survival. Providing water sources and nutritious forage in areas where predators are less successful may increase both adult and fawn survival. Predator control may be useful in limited situations but likely would be prohibitively expensive, with lit- tle chance of making a difference over the entire range of Sonoran pronghorn. Key Words Antilocapra americana sonoriensis, drought, fawn recruitment, mortality, preda- tion, Sonoran pronghorn ronghorn (Antilocapra americana) occur only in North FR 4001). Sonoran pronghorn range includes the plains America, and 5 subspecies are recognized throughout the of west-central Sonora, Mexico, north to southwestern continent. The Sonoran pronghorn subspecies (A. a. Arizona (Wright and deVos 1986). Historically, prong- sonoriensis) was classified in 1945 (Goldman 1945). It horn were found in every open valley along the United Pis the smallest of the subspecies and has lighter pelage, States border with Mexico from Nogales to Yuma (Carr and distinctive cranial features (Wright and deVos 1986). 1971). The United States population of Sonoran prong- The Sonoran pronghorn was listed as endangered in horn was estimated to be 105 in 1924, 60 (excluding 1967 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (32 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument) in 1941, <100 in Authors' address: Arizona Game and Fish Department, 9140 E. 28th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364, USA; e-mail for Bright: [email protected]. Wildlife Society Bulletin 2005, 33(1):43–50 Peer refereed 06 SC (Bright and Hervert).qxp 6/24/2005 12:28 PM Page 44 44 Wildlife Society Bulletin 2005, 33(1):43–50 1956, <50 in 1968, 50–150 during 1968–1974, and adults and fawns. We hypothesized that mortality rates 85–100 from 1983–1985 (Wright and deVos 1986). would be higher in dry years and that mortality rates More recent population survey estimates were 246 in would vary among the different vegetation associations 1992, 184 in 1994 (Snow 1994), 130 in 1996, 142 in pronghorn occupy. To assess these hypotheses, we exam- 1998 (Bright et al. 1999), and 99 in 2000 (Bright et al. ined correlations between mortality and vegetation asso- 2001). Following a drought, 80% of the population died, ciation use-patterns and rainfall. and the Arizona population was estimated at 21 animals in 2002 (Bright and Hervert 2003). A population viability model done in 1996 indicated Study area that Sonoran pronghorn have a 23% probability of The study area encompassed the current range of extinction within the next 100 years; if the population Sonoran pronghorn in the United States. It was bounded by Interstate 8 to the north, Mexico to Predator control targeting fawn survival would be the south, Arizona Highway 85 to the east, and the Copper and Cabeza Prieta successful only when adequate forage is available to Mountains to the west (Figure 1). meet the nutritional needs of pronghorn fawns. Broad alluvial valleys separated by block fault mountains characterized the area. Elevations ranged from 100 m in falls below 100 individuals, the probability of extinction the San Cristobal Valley to >550 m near Ajo, Arizona. increases markedly. In addition, the model suggested Pronghorn primarily occupied the valleys and bajadas, that the Sonoran pronghorn population is most sensitive with occasional use of the foothills and lower drainages to fawn survival rates. Adult survival rates also were of mountain ranges. Water sources were not common strongly correlated with the likelihood of species sur- within the range of Sonoran pronghorn. vival, and even the loss of 1 animal/year could be a sig- The study area included the Lower Colorado River nificant threat (Hosack et al. 2002). Valley and the Arizona Upland subdivisions of the Lower Understanding the effects of predation and other mor- Sonoran Desert Life Zone (Brown 1982). The Lower tality factors on Sonoran pronghorn is critical to the long- Colorado River Valley subdivision was dominated by cre- term survival of the species. Management actions that osote bush (Larrea tridentata) and white bursage result in a decrease in mortal- ity rates for adults and fawns would be expected to provide benefits to Sonoran prong- horn. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recognized the lack of survival data and the importance of increasing adult and fawn survival rates. The Sonoran pronghorn recovery plan (USFWS 1998) recommended 1) investigat- ing the effects of predation on Sonoran pronghorn, 2) enhancing Sonoran prong- horn numbers through fawn recruitment, and 3) increasing adult and fawn survival through habitat enhancement techniques. Our objectives were to estimate mortality rates and causes in Sonoran pronghorn Figure 1. Distribution of Sonoran pronghorn in the United States, 2004. 06 SC (Bright and Hervert).qxp 6/24/2005 12:28 PM Page 45 Mortality in Sonoran pronghorn • Bright and Hervert 45 (Ambrosia dumosa). The Arizona Upland subdivision plotted locations of pronghorn mortalities on a map was characterized by palo verdes (Cercidium spp.), showing the distribution of palo verde–chain fruit cholla saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), chollas (Opuntia spp.), associations (PVC), which are selected by pronghorn ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), and ironwood (Olneya (Hervert et al. 2000). We compared numbers of mortali- tesota). We divided the study area into 3 vegetation asso- ties between PVC availability versus non-PVC associa- ciations. Creosote–bursage was dominated by creosote tions availability (creosote–bursage and palo and bursage and generally was on flat terrain. Palo verde–mixed cacti) using chi-square tests. We also com- verde–mixed cacti was more diverse and included cre- pared mortalities to known vegetation association use- osote, palo verde, ironwood, saguaro, many types of patterns (Hervert et al. 2005). To examine the effect of chollas, and other cacti. Palo verde–chain fruit cholla (O. drought on pronghorn mortality, we compared mortality fulgida) was similar to palo verde–mixed cacti but rates in dry years (>5.0 cm below normal rainfall) to included chain fruit cholla. mortality rates in wet years using t-tests. Extreme aridity and heat characterized the Sonoran Desert. The average annual maximum temperature was Fawn recruitment and mortality 32oC and the minimum was 12oC. Temperatures rarely We estimated fawn recruitment and mortality from dropped below 0oC and summer highs could exceed group composition recorded on weekly telemetry flights. 49oC, with surface temperatures approaching 82oC We recorded the
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