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ŠUMARSKI LIST 3-4/2017 str. 33     <-- 33 -->        PDF

WILDLIFE AND FOREST MANAGEMENT MEASURES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT RED DEER POPULATION DENSITY
MJERE U LOVSTVU I ŠUMARSTVU ZNAČAJNO UTJEČU NA GUSTOĆU POPULACIJE JELENA OBIČNOG
Matija STERGAR, Klemen JERINA
Summary
Red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) is in many parts of the world ecologically important and highly popular game species. Its population densities and environmental impacts largely depend on habitat suitability, which in turn is under strong influence of humans. Wildlife management intentionally improves habitat suitability, while forestry’s impacts on red deer are mostly unintentional. In both disciplines the full extent of these impacts is poorly understood. To better understand habitat use and improve management of red deer, we studied the impacts of multiple environmental and historical factors, mostly anthropogenic, on red deer spatial distribution in Slovenia. We found that the probability of red deer presence and population density are higher close to locations of historic (> 100 years ago) red deer reintroduction sites and in large continuous forest complexes. The finding is important for forecasting future red deer distribution and population dynamics. Population density is also positively dependent on proximity to supplemental feeding sites, the proportion of spruce stands in pole-stage and the share of forest young growth, which is important for preventing unwanted impacts of red deer on forest. The approach used by this study and its results are also useful for improving habitat ranking of hunting grounds, which some countries use in wildlife management planning.
KEY WORDS: red deer, habitat suitability, population density, wildlife management, forest management, supplemental feeding, Slovenia
INTRODUCTION
UVOD
Red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) is in many areas of the world ecologically and economically one of the key wildlife species and as such directly and significantly impacts human welfare and ecosystems (Apollonio et al. 2010, Figgins and Holland 2012, Gude et al. 2012). For example, by foraging on plants, defecating, urinating and transporting nutrients, it affects the local availability of nutrients in soil and thus ecosystem productivity (Schoenecker et al. 2002, Mohr et al. 2005, Smit and Putman 2011); red deer is also an important zoochoric species (Malo and Suarez 1998, Oheimb et al. 2005, Iravani et al. 2011), and a key food source for large carnivores (Smietana and Klimek 1993, Hebblewhite et al. 2002, Jedrzejewski et al. 2002). Moreover, red deer is a