Investigations in the uplands have revealed that deer population densities need to be reduced to between four and eight deer per km2 to ensure that tree regeneration is adequate for woodland management.
Hitherto, little information of this kind has been available to guide management planning in lowland environments in England. In the lowlands, the composition of both woodlands and deer populations is very different and woodland is typically interspersed with productive farmland. These factors could affect the level of damage that may occur.
In 2000 this project was started specifically to obtain more information on the levels of damage in 14 sites with very different deer densities. In each site, deer population densities were estimated using thermal imaging and impacts on seedlings and under-storey vegetation assessed in plots in mature woodland.
Preliminary results also show that besides deer density, the species of deer and patterns of habitat use have an effect on deer impacts. Higher levels of impact at a given density occur with fallow than roe or muntjac.
For further information
Contact
Dr Robin Gill
Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
Tel: +44 (0) 1420 22255
Fax: +44 (0) 1420 23653
Email: robin.gill@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
