<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Browsing and bark peeling by ungulates is known to affect biodiversity and may constitute the main driving factor of single tree population dynamics. In Slovakia, European yew (<italic>Taxus baccata</italic> L.) is a threatened species protected by law and present in many protected areas. In the study, we emphasize that protecting land and individual plants may not be sufficient for maintaining of yew populations, unless controlling over damage by deer game is also undertaken. Our results show that in beech forests of the Veľká Fatra Mts, browsing and bark peeling constitute the main negative factor affecting yew seedling-sapling ingrowth transition, and the mortality and vitality loss of adult yew trees. We argue that ungulates may have a larger effect on biodiversity conservation than currently realized.</p></abstract>

Browsing and bark peeling by ungulates is known to affect biodiversity and may constitute the main driving factor of single tree population dynamics. In Slovakia, European yew (Taxus baccata L.) is a threatened species protected by law and present in many protected areas. In the study, we emphasize that protecting land and individual plants may not be sufficient for maintaining of yew populations, unless controlling over damage by deer game is also undertaken. Our results show that in beech forests of the Veľká Fatra Mts, browsing and bark peeling constitute the main negative factor affecting yew seedling-sapling ingrowth transition, and the mortality and vitality loss of adult yew trees. We argue that ungulates may have a larger effect on biodiversity conservation than currently realized.

Deer game, a key factor affecting population of European yew in beech forests of the Veľká Fatra Mts, Slovakia

Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry

Folia Oecologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Browsing and bark peeling by ungulates is known to affect biodiversity and may constitute the main driving factor of single tree population dynamics. In...

Deer game, a key factor affecting population of European yew in beech forests of the Veľká Fatra Mts, Slovakia

Published Online: Jun 19, 2018

Page range: 1 - 7

Received: Dec 21, 2017

Accepted: Apr 17, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2018-0001

Keywords
biodiversity conservation, forest management, plant-animal interactions, protected tree species

© 2018 Denisa Sedmáková et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Deer game, a key factor affecting population of European yew in beech forests of the Veľká Fatra Mts, Slovakia

Published Online: Jun 19, 2018

Page range: 1 - 7

Received: Dec 21, 2017

Accepted: Apr 17, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2018-0001

Keywordsbiodiversity conservation, forest management, plant-animal interactions, protected tree species

© 2018 Denisa Sedmáková et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
biodiversity conservation, forest management, plant-animal interactions, protected tree species