Abstract
Deer (Cervidae) cause considerable damage to forest plantations, crops, and protected habitats. The most common response to this damage is to implement strategies to lower population densities. However, lowering deer density may not always be desirable from hunting, recreational, or conservation perspectives. Therefore, knowledge is needed about additional factors beyond deer density that affect damage levels, and management actions that consider competing management goals. We studied the relationships between levels of bark‐stripping by red deer (Cervus elaphus) on Norway spruce (Picea abies) and (1) relative deer density indices (pellet group count and deer harvest data), (2) availability of alternative natural forage (cover of forage species) and (3) proportion forest in the landscape, both at a forest stand scale and at a landscape scale. Extensive variation in damage level was evident between the six study areas. On a stand scale, the proportion of spruce damaged was positively related to pellet group density, indicating the importance of local deer usage of stands. In addition, available alternative forage in the field layer within spruce stands and proportion forest surrounding stands was negatively related to damage level. On the landscape scale, damage level was negatively related to availability of forage in the field and shrub layers and proportion forest, but was not related to any of the relative deer density indices. Increasing alternative forage may thus decrease damage and thereby reduce conflicts. Additionally, the proportion of forest in the landscape affects damage levels and should thus be considered in landscape planning and when forecasting damage risk. The relationship between local deer usage of stands and damage level suggests that future studies should try to separate the effects of local deer usage and deer density.
Highlights
Deer (Cervidae) can have profound impacts on vegetation leading to conflicts with humans through damage to forest plantations and agriculture, and through negative impacts on habitats of high conservation value, e.g., those with high biodiversity value or forests planted to JARNEMO ET AL.avoid land slips and avalanches (Gill 1992a, Conover 1997, Reimoser and Putman 2011)
The best model for the proportion of damaged trees at stand scale contained field layerstd, number of pellet groupsstd, and the proportion of forested land surrounding the stands as explanatory variables (Table 2)
Our study showed that damage level was negatively related to available forage in the field layer within stands and to the proportion of forested land surrounding the targeted stands, independent of spatial scale
Summary
Deer (Cervidae) can have profound impacts on vegetation leading to conflicts with humans through damage to forest plantations and agriculture, and through negative impacts on habitats of high conservation value, e.g., those with high biodiversity value or forests planted to JARNEMO ET AL.avoid land slips and avalanches (Gill 1992a, Conover 1997, Reimoser and Putman 2011). Single landowners with interests in both forest production and in game management will have conflicting management goals (Gordon et al 2004, Mysterud 2006, 2010). Meeting these multiple objectives and tackling factors affecting herbivore impact on vegetation requires a comprehensive understanding about effectiveness of counter-measures as well as a landscape scale approach that integrates several potential land-use interests (Putman and Kenward 2011)
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