AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY of THE KEY DEER Publislzed by Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Pittman-Robertson Projects Tecltilical Nt~lletiilNo. 3 A Contribution of Federal Aid Project W-S4-H Frontispiece. Key deer buck, 24 inches at the shoulder. Photo taken on Big Pine Key by Neil Bell and Al Schwartz, February 6, 1953. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pogc LIST 01.' TABLES ...---------.--..... .. i LIST OF FIGURES \' INTNODUCTIOS ........................................................................ ....... 1 ACKSO\I'LEDGRlENTS ............................................. 2 HISTORY OF THE KEY DEElI 3 HABITAT STUDIES 4 Gcologv 4 Soils .......... 5 Water, Rainfall, and Temperature of the Area ...........-.-----------------------..--... 8 Key Deer Range ........-......-....--------..-.--.-------..-----....-.---..-.-.-.-.-..........-------------..14 Cornposition of Vegetation ............ .... 16 Procedure .--.-----.-.--------....---------..-----..----------------------........-.-...-...----~ ----..-.16 General Description of Some Keys in Key Deer Rangc .... 20 Big Pine Kev ............ .... -.. 20 Little Pinc Kev .................. ......... 21 \17atcr Kcy (off Little Pint, Kev) .--~ -... ..21 Jolrlison Keys (Nortliern Onc) .. - . 21 Jolrl~solrKeys (>fiddle One) . ... .. ---~ -. 2:3 9" 13ig Sp;tnish Kcv . .. -.I 9" Little Spanis11 Key ... .. -.I Cutoe Kev .. .. .. .... .. .-------.~...2;3 Annette Key ........... ~--~ -----------.---..----------------...-..-------------- 23 hlavo Kev ..~-........... -- ~ ----- ---------...-.---------- ~------.- --~ .-------- - 23 l'orpoise Key ...... .... -- ~ --------.--~- - ~ ----- ~-- .. 24 IIowc Key ... .... - 24 Water Kcy (Sort11 of Big Torclr Key) Big Torclr Key . ... .. -------------.... hliddle Torch K Hamrod Kev ..... .-.~~ ---- - -------.~-. --- -~~--~ ---~ . -- 25 25 'Soptrcc I-Intn~~rockKey Knock'enrdown Keys Sunnnerland Key .. ..---------..26 Sugarloaf Key ....-.. ---------- ~ -.... 26 Nv\v Founcl Harl~orKeys . .. 26 Slxinisli Fl;~rl)orKeys (\I7cst Sunr111er1;nldKc)-) 27 Col~rp;wisonof \'egctation ~ ~ ------- ~~ ~ - - ~---~ --~~---- . 27 9 1. The Pineland Conrnrnxiity . .. - .; 2. Tlre Ha~ntrrockComnrunity .. ..---..-.. - 36 3. The Soutlleast Point Hat~ltriockof Big Pinc Key -- . -. - -----..... *51 4. Kegrowtli of Vegetation in Burned Pinclan 5 1 5. Land Previously Cultivated .... ... .-.. ... 56 6. Grass Prairie at Northern End of Big Pine Key . 56 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 7 . Transition Zones ................................................................................ 60 8. Open Scrub Type of Mangrove-Prairie ....................................... 61 9 . Beach Dune Comnlunitv ................................................................. 61 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 61 LIFE HISTORY ..................................................................................................... 63 Size .................................................................................................................. 63 Food Habits ................................................................................................ 71 Direct Observation ............................................................................ 71 Browse Evidence ............................................................................ 72 Pcllet Analysis ................................................................................ 75 Stolllacli Analysis ..................................................................... 75 Discussion .......................................................................................... 76 Urccding Habits ......................................................... 77 Shedding and Regrowtl~of Ant1 77 Hutting .......................................................................... 78 Dropping of Fawns ............................................................................... 78 Pee .................................................................................................. 79 l'opulation .............................................................................. 79 Deer Drive ................................................................................. 79 Aerial Census .............................................................................. 80 Pellet Group Counts .............................................................................. 80 Track Counts .. .................... 82 Deer Observations ...............................................".. ........-...................... 83 PREDATORS .......................................................................................................... 86 MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................... 87 LITERATURE CITED ....................................................................................... 90 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 92 TABLES Pngc Soil analysis of ten san~plc~sof soil takcln in licy dccr range 9 Salinity of some water liolcs in key tlcser rangc l~y~nontlis, July, 1951- August, 1952, sliowi Table 2 Co~itinrrcd Inches of rainfall I)\- months at Big l'inc. Kcy for the Fcbrrrar>-. 1951, tlirougli August, 1952 ... 1:3 hIenn i~iazimur~iand n~ini~iiuliinrontlily tmipcraturc~sand montlrly rain- fcill in inches at Key \T7cst Air 1'0 February. 1951, tlirougli -Allgust, 1:3 Awrage total annllal inches of rainfall ant1 tlrc annlral ~ii;lximuiiiand rmrini1nur1i rccordecl for tlic !-cars co\-ercd for two stations, I<ey \T'cst. Florida, alrcl one station, Long Kc!- ............................... 9 hlontlily mean masini~~mand. minimtmr tc~~rpcrz~tnrc~sancl nia\-imum and minimum temperatures recorded for the month at Big Pin(. Kc\- for period Fel~nlary,10i51, tlirorrgli August. 1952 1*5 hicall ninsimnm ancl niean ~nini~nu~ntc~riyeraturc~ data for Key \T7cst, Florida, based on years 1910-1926 ..................................... 15 Comparison of tlre pinelarrd area for tlic fonr keys . 28 Density per acre of trcc ancl slirub spccics l~yfonr size c1~1ssc.s in pinc- land stancl of Big Pinc Kc\- .............................................. 28 Density per acre of trcc lanil stand of Little Pilie 80 Density pcr acre of tree and slirrth spc~citlsby fonr sizc classcs in pint,- lallcl stand of No Nalne Kc!- .... 31 Density per acre of tree ancl shrub spccics I,>- four size classcs in pinc- land stand of Cudjoe Key .................................................................. :38 Frequent!- per cent: occurrclncc of species in tlie ten rluadrats for each of the four pineland stands ....................................................... 33 Pineland understory (mostly Iicrbaceous species) 1)). keys for tlie four keys st11clicd 5 4 Tal~lc14 Co ,3.5 'f'a1)lc 14 con ti^ ,? 6 Dt.~isit!- 1"'. acw of tree ant1 s11r11l)sl3ccic.s li\- lour six, classcs in Iliui~rrrockcotnmmiity of Hig I'ilrc* K(y ,,-in Ilensity pc,r acre of trec. ~~~rrlslrrul) apccicas I;!. Sor~r sizc classc~s in 11anrmock commiiunit!; of Elowe Key 30 Density per acrc of trc.c, ancl sliruh species 13:: four size clasws in hammock community of Little Pine Key ..................... 40 Density per acre of tree and shrub species by four size classes in hammock community of Cudjoe Key ................................................ 41 Density per acre of tree 2nd shrub specics Ey four size classes in hammock community of Little Torch Kcay 41 Dcmsity per acre of tree and rliruh specics 1))- four six, classcs in Iiarnnrock cornmunit\- of Big 'I'orch Key - - - ~ ~- 42 Density per acre of trc~ancl slirr111 spccics 1))- four size clnsscs in liamiilock co~n~iiunit!-of No Samc. Key ~ .-- ~ ---- 43 TABLES (Continued) Pngc Density per acre of trcc and shrub species by four size classes in Iiannirock community of Ramrod Kcv . ............ -- 44 Density per acre for tree and shrub species for tlic Itammock commrr- nity of the entire area -......-------------..-.....-.--------------.---......~. .. ..4Fj Table 23 Continued --.........--------~ ----........----.---------------.... ...................... 46 Per cent of frequency for tlrc trcc and slrrub species of tlrc Iiammock commu~iityof the area --------........~ .--------------.-.. ....... .-------------------.--..-.. 47 TI24 Cntined .......................................... 48 Per cent of frequency, density, and cover for the hammock unclerstory (partly woody or herl~nceous plants) I)y keys, for 8 keys studied, showing nunrber of 3 x 3 feet quadrats .... ~ -------------------.49 Tablc 25 Continued .........-----------........-.----..------------.-------.-....50 Density pel acre for tree and shlub species of Annette Key Ha~mnoek52 Frequency, density, anc1 cover for species forming understory of Annette Kev I-Iain~i~oek......----------............-. .............-...---.-----..................... .53 Density per acre for tree and shrub species of the Southeast l'oint Hammock, Big Pine Key ...................................................................55 Frequency, density, and covcr for species fornring the Soutlreast Point Han~niockunderstorv ..................................................... 56 Density of tree and shrub species in pineland by four size classes, fourtlr month after fire, Big Pine Key ...----....---~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~...--------- 57 Density and frequency for tree and shrub spccies in burned pineland quadrats, Big Pine Key, by ~iionths for