• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2023

This study was conducted from October 2021 to October 2022 at Gulup island, Incheon, South Korea, to identify activity patterns of Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) introduced in island areas, using camera trapping. We described the daily activity patterns of Formosan sika deer in each season by analyzing kernel density estimates of capture frequency and checked seasonal differences in daily activity patterns by analyzing the overlap coefficient between seasons. Formosan sika deers introduced to Gulup island showed a crepuscular behavior pattern only in winter and no distinct pattern from spring to fall. The crepuscular behavior pattern is typical for deers to reduce the risk of predation, and it is determined that Formosan sika deers introduced to Gulup island were affected by population control of the species by the local government in the winter. It was in contrast to the fact that human activities, such as backpacking, frequently carried out from spring to fall, did not affect the behavior of Formosan sika deers. Moreover, low winter temperatures have been shown to affect the nocturnal activities of Formosan sika deers in winter. The behavior patterns of Formosan sika deers overlapped least between summer and winter due to cold winter weather and population control. The relationship between the temporal status of Formosan sika deers and seasonal temperature confirmed in this study can be important basic ecological data for establishing control measures of Formosan sika deers introduced not only in islands but also in inland.