Preliminary data on the density and structure of a fallow deer ( Cervus dama ) population in the Foreste Casentinesi M. Falterona and Campigna National Park

Abstract

Abstract In a sample area covering 1200 ha located in the northern part of the Foreste Casentinesi National Park a survey was conducted in 1996 and 1997 on the Fallow deer ( Cervus dama ) population. The survey was conducted during the rutting period. The censusing method is an adaptation of the Lincoln Index estimation where the capture, marking and recapture process was replaced by individual observations in lekking areas. Since the stay of the bucks in a territory is not uniform, due to the high level of variability of the reproductive strategies, the mixing of the bucks improves the reliability of the method. The estimate of the total population was 189, the sex ratio was 1:1 and the yearlings/adults ratio was 1:2.2.