Date of Award
Winter 11-20-2020
Semester of Degree
December
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology
Department
Environmental and Forest Biology
Major Professor
Brian Underwood
Steering Committee Member
Jonathan Cohen
Steering Committee Member
Stacy McNulty
Abstract
The potential consequences of climate warming on the behavior and distribution of endotherms pose management challenges. This is especially true for organisms that are able to exploit both natural and anthropogenic environments, such as the white-tailed deer. I developed a biophysical model of operative temperature based on various forms of heat transfer between deer and their environment on Fire Island National Seashore using measured variables collected from a small micrometeorological sensor network. I compared operative temperature to observed values of Vernon globe temperature in order to validate the use of the globe as a representation of heat exchange for deer. The globe was an adequate proxy, with minimal difference between the predicted and observed values and compatibility in patterns over the diel. Identifying critical thermal thresholds for deer in a changing landscape will be necessary in order to understand and address future human-wildlife interactions.
Recommended Citation
Fox, Kaitlyn, "Modeling Heat Exchange of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In the Built and Natural Environments of Fire Island, New York" (2020). Dissertations and Theses. 217.
https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/etds/217