Evaluation of deer habitat using spatial models and their implications for management in central Veracruz, Mexico

One of the most important phases in wildlife management is the habitat assessment. The aim of this study was to define management strategies for the white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, from the evaluation of the habitat quality in an area of 5,329.82 km(2) in the central region of Veracruz, Mexico. We generated a static model of habitat quality (HSIe) taking into account the slope, altitude, aspect and protection cover as the most important variables for the species. As a result, the 29.75% of the area (1,585.85 km(2)), had quality conditions acceptable for the species. To know the possible application of the model, interviews and field trips were conducted in different municipalities (n = 17) to determine the presence of the species. In order to confirm this, line transects of 1 km length (n = 14) were established only in 5 municipalities where people said there were deer, as an approach to validate the model, because a high percentage of deer records (122 records in 10 transects) were found in habitats from medium (0.514 +/- 0.115 SD) to high quality (0.854 +/- 0.123 SD) generated by the model. Therefore, the model can be used to identify potential areas for reintroduction, conservation and sustainable use of the species in this region.