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Collaborative frameworks in land management: a case-study of wild deer in Britain

Summary

Red deer
This programme is using wild deer in Britain as a case study to produce frameworks for the development of effective, collaborative and sustainable management of natural resources in Britain.

Deer management provides jobs in forestry, on sporting estates and in the meat industry, and tourists are drawn to particular landscapes, which deer help to create, to see the deer themselves. However, in some areas, high numbers of deer are causing overgrazing and damage to sensitive natural habitats, agricultural and forestry crops and suburban gardens. Deer are also increasingly involved in road traffic accidents. Therefore there are many different attitudes to deer and conflicts on how best to manage them. 

The programme investigates the extent to which people that can and should influence deer management are aware of all the issues involved. It is examining how well people currently involved in deer management work together and how this can be improved so that the costs of managing deer are minimised and the benefits maximised.

Programme newsletters

Published/in press papers

Research objectives

  • Stakeholder analysis: describe wild deer management in Britain through a broad-ranging analysis of stakeholder characteristics, values and objectives. 
  • Analyse decision-making: identify key decision-makers and understand the role of legislation, economics, ecology and social structures within their decisions.
  • Assess collaboration: investigate when and where collaborative deer management exists.  Identify the stakeholders involved, how successful it is and how stakeholders with diverse interests and objectives might work together to manage deer.  Recognise and describe key barriers to and opportunities presented by collaboration, and develop methods to overcome them.
  • Understand communication and knowledge transfer: explore where stakeholders gain knowledge about deer and their management, identifying and addressing gaps in knowledge.  Identify the degree to which information is shared and how this can be improved.
  • Develop collaborative natural resource management frameworks:  develop approaches to improve deer management and identify opportunities for application to other natural resources. 

Funders and partners

Funding

This research is funded by the Rural Economy and Land Use Programme of the UK Research Councils. The Forestry Commission is supporting the project through its Impacts of large herbivores on woodlands programme.

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Project team

The interdisciplinary project team consists of ecologists, economic and social scientists from seven institutions:

  • Forest Research
  • Macaulay Institute
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of York
  • Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology, University of Kent
  • University of St Andrews
  • University of Aberdeen
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Forest Research contribution

The Social and Economic Research Group (SERG) of Forest Research is contributing significantly to the project as a whole, but with a specific focus upon qualitative research:

  • Interviews and literature reviews will allow an in-depth national-level stakeholder analysis. Further case-study level stakeholder analysis will be conducted through workshop, interview and narrative building.
  • Novel methods to facilitate collaborative natural resource management will be developed and tested.
  • Contribute within the interdisciplinary team to the development of natural resource management frameworks.

The Forest Research Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences is contributing significantly to the project as a whole, particularly through:

  • Working with the Macaulay Institute to develop a spatial model that predicts the impact of culling on red deer numbers and the distribution of red deer in the landscape. The project team will investigate to use of such models to assist discussion and collaboration between deer managers within individual Deer Management Groups. (Contact: Helen Armstrong)
  • Evaluation of deer impacts in  woodlands within case  study sites, and the effects these may have on biodiversity. This will be followed by an assessment of the public and  stakeholders  perception of the effects of deer on woodlands. (Contact: Robin Gill)

Status

The programme commenced in February 2006 and reported in March 2010.  Progress of the study was reported through the Project Newsletter and presentations to meetings and conferences. A list of data sets created during the project along with published outputs is provided at   http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/relu/reluproject.asp?awardNumber=RES-227-25-0014

 Contacts

Social and economic research

Norman Dandy
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 22255
Fax: 01420 23653
Email: norman.dandy@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

General enquiries and communication

Brenda Mayle
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 22255
Fax: 01420 23653
Email: brenda.mayle@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Project interdisciplinarity and social research

Liz O’Brien
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 22255
Fax: 01420 23653
liz.obrien@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Ecological modelling

Helen Armstrong
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian
EH25 9SY
Telephone: 0131 445 2176
Fax: 0131 445 5124
helen.armstrong@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Herbivore impacts on woodland ecosystems

Robin Gill
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 22255
Fax: 01420 23653
robin.gill@forestry.gsi.gov.uk