Abstract

Free ranging populations of white-tailed deer have shown negative responses to climatic variation within their distribution. Deer populations are not categorized by the IUCN as endangered species, but climate change is still a threat to this economically and ecologically important species. This study aims to identify and synthesize literature describing the main effects of climate change on white tailed deer populations. Internet search engines were used to review literature from 2000 to 2016 in topics such as white-tailed deer and climate. As a result, 18 peer-review papers out of 4 000 were found in the last 16 years, tracking climate responses on deer population. The main responses based on the literature included changes in deer distribution, increases in the incidence of diseases, changes in movement, changes in population demographics, decreasing of forage quality, and habitat changes. Finally, concluding that information available is limited, restricted to the northern distribution of white-tailed deer, and showing no information on tropical ecosystems beyond Mexico, tools and approaches to assess long-term effects of climate change on deer populations are urgently needed, specifically in places where the lack of information is evident.

Keywords: climate change; conservation; deer; Odocoileus; ungulates