Anthropogenic disturbances can alter the intensity of deer impact on forest vegetation through the functional response

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26850106
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Research Institute of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Osaka Prefecture
• Principal Investigator: Koda Ryosuke 地方独立行政法人大阪府立環境農林水産総合研究所(環境研究部、食の安全研究部及び水, その他部局等, 研究員 (60625953)
• Research Collaborator: Tsujino Tomoyuki 地方独立行政法人 大阪府立環境農林水産総合研究所 ; Doi Yusuke 地方独立行政法人 大阪府立環境農林水産総合研究所 ; Haraguchi Takashi 総合地球環境学研究所
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ニホンジカ / 採食圧 / 植生被害 / 生息密度 / 安定同位体比 / GIS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of anthropogenic disturbances such as the changes deer habitat into cultivation land and plantation forest on deer impacts to forest vegetation. As a result of field studies and analyses, deer population density showed the positive relationship with deer feeding pressure. Moreover, the degree of dependence on agricultural crops as food items showed the negative relationship, and the rate of plantation forest showed the positive relationship with deer feeding pressure. Thus, my results suggest that it is important to manage the anthropogenic disturbance of deer habitat such as increasing plantation forest and providing agricultural crop as well as deer population control.

Free Research Field

森林科学