Assessing Relationships Between Deer (Cervidae) Damage and Stand Structure of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Stands in Hemiboreal Latvia
2025
Gundega Done | Laura Ķēniņa | Didzis Elferts | Jānis Ozoliņš | Āris Jansons
Intensive forest management has promoted an increase in deer (Cervidae) population density. Various silvicultural activities, such as pre-commercial thinning, can change the feeding conditions for deer species, therefore impacting browsing pressure on target tree species. In this study, we analyzed how several factors, including the density of the main tree species, admixture, undergrowth, and forest type, affect deer damage intensity in pine stands, considering deer densities and regional aspects in hemiboreal Latvia. GLMM analysis, based on data from 1238 sample plots, showed that the probability of browsing damage decreases with an increase in the density of undergrowth in young (<:20 years) pine stands with a dominant height below 3 m. Also, the probability of pines being damaged by deer was significantly (p = 0.001) higher in stands with fresh pre-commercial thinning than in those with no thinning. However, differences in deer density between regions also determined browsing pressure. Results indicated that undergrowth density, pre-commercial thinning, and deer density may be important drivers of damage levels, especially in the winter browsing of young pine stands on wet mineral soils. Therefore, future research should continue to evaluate applied forest management strategies in hemiboreal forests that provide additional natural food base in the form of woody plants and shrubs in winter forage to ensure more deer-adapted practices.
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