HABITAT SELECTION AND GROUP FORMATION PATTERN OF FALLOW DEER DAMA-DAMA IN A SUBMEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT

We analyzed the patterns of association between sex and age classes of fallow deer Dama dama in addition to the modification of aggregation patterns as a function of the degree of cover in different habitats in a coastal submediterranean environment in Italy. Deer preferred large open grasslands, small clearings, woods and marshes. Habitat selectio n varied strongly according to sex, and there were also ecological dif ferences among males of different age classes. Adult females were most ly in family groups, with subadults and fawns. These groups were Very stable in time and space. On the contrary bachelor herds were unstable social associations, adapting their size to the local degree of cover . In open grasslands males and females sometimes formed mixed groups w ith group size similarly being adapted to degree of cover. The possibi lity that random events fully explained fallow deer aggregation patter ns was excluded, while the existence of non-linear mechanisms of aggre gation was shown. The persistence of antipredator strategies in this m anaged population may account for these findings.