Data from: Ecological correlates of Himalayan musk deer Moschus leucogaster

Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster; hereafter musk deer) are
endangered as a result of poaching and habitat loss. The species is
nocturnal, crepuscular and elusive, making direct observation of habitat
use and behavior difficult. However, musk deer establish and repeatedly
use the same latrines for defecation. To quantify musk deer habitat
correlates, we used observational spatial data based on presence-absence
of musk deer latrines, as well as a range of fine spatial-scale ecological
covariates. To determine presence-absence of musk deer, we exhaustively
searched randomly selected forest trails using a 20-m belt transect in
different study sites within the Neshyang Valley in the Annapurna
Conservation Area. Subsequently, study sites were classified as habitat or
non-habitat for musk deer. A total of 252 plots, 20×20 m were
systematically established every 100 m along 51 transects (each ~0.5km
long) laid out at different elevations to record a range of ecological
habitat variables. We used mixed-effect models and principal component
analysis to characterize relationships between deer presence-absence data
and habitat variables. We confirmed musk deer use latrines in forests
located at higher elevations (3200 - 4200 m) throughout multiple seasons
and years. Himalayan birch (Betula utilis) dominated forest, mixed
Himalayan fir (Abies spectabilis) and birch forest were preferred over
pure Himalayan fir and blue pine (Pinus wallichiana) forest. Greater crown
cover and shrub diversity were associated with the presence of musk deer
whereas tree height, diameter and diversity were weakly correlated.
Topographical attributes including aspect, elevation, distance to water
source, and slope were also discriminated by musk deer. Over- and
under-story forest management can be used to protect forests likely to
have musk deer as predicted by the models to ensure long-term conservation
of this rare deer.