DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8931zcrzq
title: White-tailed deer capture records

description: The resource rule hypothesis predicts that geographic differences in body
 size among populations of organisms are due to the amount, availability,
 and quality of food resources. For instance, body size of large herbivores
 is often correlated with soil characteristics because better soils produce
 better forage. In semi-arid environments, rainfall variation is an
 important driver of forage availability, especially highly nutritious
 annual forbs. Thus, in such pulsed-resource environments, it is unclear
 whether body size of large herbivores is influenced by fixed resources
 correlated with soil characteristics, irregular resource pulses correlated
 with rainfall, or both. Furthermore, it is not clear if phenotypic
 expression is a function of forage quality or quantity. During early
 autumns of 2011–2018, we captured 4,554 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus
 virginianus) on 7 rangeland sites in the semiarid climate of South Texas,
 USA. The sites range from coastal to 140 km inland and represent gradients
 in both soil texture (percent sand) and annual rainfall. We recorded age-
 and sex-specific indices of skeletal size, antler size, and body mass.
 Site-specific soil characteristics explained most variation in skeletal
 size; percent sand was inversely related to skeletal size. For
 environmentally sensitive phenotypes (antler size and body mass), both
 soil characteristics and rainfall were influencers; increases in rainfall
 reduced the negative effect of sand. Percent sand and rainfall were
 positively correlated with annual biomass of preferred forbs, yet all
 phenotypic traits declined with increases in forb quantity. Increases in
 percent shrub cover increased all phenotype sizes. Our data suggest that
 phenotypic expression of large herbivores in semi-arid environments is
 driven by forage quality via edaphic characteristics rather than forage
 quantity via rainfall. Specifically, less sand in the soil allows for
 development of woody vegetation communities (i.e., shrubs), which in turn
 provide a consistent source of forage in a variable, pulsed-rainfall
 environment. Although forbs are higher quality, they are highly ephemeral.
 The availability of a consistent source of forage may enable white-tailed
 deer to extend time invested in body growth, which results in greater
 phenotype size. Our findings align with the resource rule hypothesis that
 identifies resource availability as a fundamental element explaining
 geographical variation in phenotypic expression.
description: Helicopter based net-gunning of white-tailed deer to collect
 morphometric measurements.
description: # WTDmorph
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8931zcrzq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8931zcrzq) Records of white-tailed deer captured across 7 sites in South Texas during 2011-2018 to quantify environmental effects on phenotype size. ## Description of the data and file structure Analysis: corresponds with the Value column. Antler is Gross Boone and Crockett score (cm). Body and leg length (sex specific) is body and hind leg length (cm). Body mass (sex specific) is body mass in kg. Year – year of capture (2011-2018) Site – capture site. BV = Buena Vista, SR = Santa Rosa, ES = El Sauz, SAV-N = San Antonio Vijeo – North, SAV- S = San Antonio Viejo – South, SAV-E = San Antonio Viejo East, SAV-W = San Antonio Viejo West. Age – estimated age based on tooth replacement and wear. Ranges from 0.5 to ≥6.5 Value – see Analysis description. Lactation status (yes/no/na) – teats showing evidence of lactation MarMayCM – total rainfall from Mar to May of given year for a given site (cm). Source: PRISM MarAugCM - total rainfall from Mar to Aug of given year for a given site (cm). Source: PRISM JuneSeptCM - total rainfall from June to Sept of given year for a given site (cm). Source: PRISM Sand – weighted percent sand for each capture site. Source: NRCS. CaCO3 – weighted percent calcium carbonate for each capture site. Source: NRCS. Sandyloam - weighted percent sandy loam for each capture site. Source: NRCS. PFG – % of capture site covered by perennial forbs and grasses. Source: RAP SHR - % of capture site covered by shrubs. Source: RAP TRE - % of capture site covered by trees. Source: RAP PFGBioMMkgha – average 16-day biomass (kg/ha) of perennial forbs and grasses during Mar-May for given year and site. PFGBioMAkgha - average 16-day biomass (kg/ha) of perennial forbs and grasses during Mar-Aug for given year and site. PFGBioJSkgha - average 16-day biomass (kg/ha) of perennial forbs and grasses during June-Sept for given year and site. ## Sharing/Access information None ## Code/Software None