Influence of Seasonal Resource Availability on Ungulate Foraging Behavior, Nutritional Status, and Habitat Selection

Abstract

The seasonal fluctuation in the quality of available food, water, and shelter is an important consideration in the study of ungulate ecology, particularly in regions like the tropics and semi-arid areas where rainfall is concentrated in one particular period, creating drastic changes in resource availability during other periods. In this regard, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of resource availability seasonality on the foraging behavior, nutrition, and habitat choice of dominant ungulate species in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in southern India. An observational study using a seasonal design was conducted in grassland, forest edges, riparian zone, scrubland, and forests. The methods used included quadrat sampling, focal animal observation, scan sampling, body condition assessment, forage nutritional content, fecal examination, and habitat use of spotted deer, sambar deer, gaur, and wild boars. Seasonal variations were observed in terms of climatic conditions and forage quality. The amount of precipitation decreased from 1240 ± 35 mm in the wet season to 410 ± 20 mm in the dry season, whereas temperatures increased from 24.6 ± 1.2°C to 33.8 ± 1.5°C. Biomass of vegetation decreased from 5.8 ± 0.4 kg/m² to 2.1 ± 0.3 kg/m². There was a reduction in crude protein content, going down from 16.8 ± 1.1% to 8.7 ± 0.8%, while body condition score went down from 4.1 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.2. The change in habitat use during the dry season moved from grassland areas to the forest edge and dense forest. There is a positive relationship between vegetation biomass and grazing behavior (r = 0.82, p < 0.05), which means forage availability is what influences ungulate behavior.