Selection of intra‐forest meadows by red deer increases with winter temperature

Abstract Survival and reproduction drive animals to occupy specific habitats within their home range. Red deer shows a particular preference for forest gaps, whereas the elevated browsing pressure can limit tree regeneration. Nevertheless, intra‐forest meadows can attract red deer within forests by providing accessible grass, particularly as warmer winter temperatures, driven by climate change, result in earlier vegetation onset and lower snow cover. Using GPS monitoring of red deer in two populations from France and Belgium, we analysed how their selection of intra‐forest meadows varies according to season, seasonal mean temperature and time of day (night‐time and daytime). We show that red deer preferentially selects intra‐forest meadows at night, irrespective of the season, although the strength of this selection is reduced in winter. However, the strength of night‐time selection of meadows increases with winter mean temperature. We proposed that this pattern is explained by seasonal variations of vegetation availability (minimal in winter), which is positively linked to winter temperature. These results suggested that meadows act as critical foraging areas for red deer across all seasons in a climate change context with warmer winters. We also hypothesised that intra‐forest meadows modify the spatial distribution of browsing pressure within neighbouring forest areas, a key issue for forest managers.