Gundega Done, Jānis Ozoliņš, Guna Bagrade, Jurģis Jansons, Jānis Baumanis, Alekss Vecvanags, Dainis Jakovels. (2024). A case study for best suitable methods of monitoring demographic structure in cervid populations to predict increasing forest damages. Silva Fennica vol. 58 no. 2 article id 23025. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.23025

Keywords: age structure; Alces alces; Cervus elaphus; camera trapping; damage to trees; pellet group counts; sex structure

Highlights: The study examines the interaction between sex-age structure of deer populations and forest damage throughout the country (Latvia); In pine stands, a higher female biased pellet group density index correlates with larger damage to pine trees through the browsing or debarking; Counting pellet groups and setting trail cameras both provide useful data on sex and age structure in moose and red deer populations that can be used for population monitoring.

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The overall increase of ungulate populations in modern Europe has contributed to conflicts in national economies, particularly between game management and the forestry sector. This study assessed damage risks to young pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and aspen (Populus tremula L.) stands at two spatial scales. One level assessed the interaction between sex-age structure of cervid populations, measured by pellet group density, and forest damages, measured as the percentage of heavily browsed trees in 2040 stand surveys distributed proportionally throughout the country. The second level compared pellet counts and trail-camera-based records of moose (Alces alces L.) and red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) presence in a pilot study area. We examined whether 1) there is a correlation between damage amount and ungulate population structure and 2) are the data from trail cameras suitable for wider use in monitoring ungulate population structure. The study confirmed significantly higher moose pellet group densities in pine than in spruce and aspen stands. Pine damages were greater in stands with higher moose pellet group density, especially with female moose prevailing over male moose density index. The red deer pellet group densities were significantly higher in heavily damaged pine and spruce stands, regardless of sex-age structure. In most cases, there were no statistically significant differences between the two survey methods of ungulate population structure by using pellet count transects and trail camera fixations. Both methods provide comparable data on sex-age structure in moose and red deer populations if seasonal and habitat-predicted biases are considered. However, trail cameras are more widely applicable and easier to use by hunters than pellet counts.

Done, Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’, Riga street 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2122-7154 E-mail: gundega.done@silava.lv
Ozoliņš, Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’, Riga street 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6647-9128 E-mail: janis.ozolins@silava.lv
Bagrade, Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’, Riga street 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1031-0665 E-mail: guna.bagrade@gmail.com
Jansons, Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’, Riga street 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia E-mail: jurgis.jansons@silava.lv
Baumanis, Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’, Riga street 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia E-mail: jbaumanis@inbox.lv
Vecvanags, Institute for Environmental Solutions ‘Lidlauks’, Cēsis, LV-4126, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1233-764X E-mail: alekss.vecvanags@vri.lv
Jakovels, Institute for Environmental Solutions ‘Lidlauks’, Cēsis, LV-4126, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2969-5972 E-mail: dainis.jakovels@vri.lv

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