The use of attractants in reducing the occurrence of the Prunus serotina (Ehrh.)

Black cherry, which occurs in European forests, contributes to their distortion or degradation of native ecosystems. Therefore, measures are taken to reduce its occurrence. One of them is the biological method involving grazing animals.

The aim of this research was to develop and identify an attractant that would increase the attractiveness of black cherry as a feeding base for deer, which would limit its occurrence.

This research was carried out in Zielonka (17.10941 E 52.553975 N). In the experiment, 3-year-olds were used: Tilia cordata, Acer pseudoplatanus, A. platanoides, Fagus sylvatica and Prunus serotina. Before planting the seedlings, their height was measured. The control (K, 10 trees) consisted of trees of each species that were not sprayed with attractants. Another set of 10 trees were treated over the entire surface of the shoots with a bait mixture (MW), and the next 10 trees were sprayed with a 10% aqueous solution of NaCl. The attractant spraying was repeated six times. All damage observed was recorded. The inventoried tree damage was divided into four categories: 0%, no damage; I, 1–20% damaged trees; II, 21–50% damaged trees and III, more than 50% damaged trees.

The results of the Mann–Whitney U test (p = 0.0109), at the assumed level of significance (α = 0.05), showed that slightly higher seedlings were browsed.

These studies indicate the potential of using attractants as preparations influencing the palatability of the black cherry for deer. All recorded bites were classified as degree I damage. The trees were gnawed by fallow deer, 35.33% of trees were not damaged by game at all, and 64.66% of trees were damaged in degree I. In the case of sycamore maple, Norway maple and linden, the bait mixture did not increase the number of nibbled buds and leaves, while NaCl increased the attractiveness of beech and black cherry as a feeding base.

Conducting further research studies on the improvement of preparations may give a chance to reduce the use of chemicals in forest protection and give the possibility of using attractants where it is impossible to use herbicides.