Evaluating the impact of herbivorous mammals on transboundary forests ecosystems and an importance of potential ecological corridors

• Main Author: Belova, Olgirda
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Transboundary area; Deer species; Non-vegetative period; Pine damage; Ecological corridor; Alces alces
• Online Access: http://lammc.lvb.lt/LAMMC:ELABAPDB5985128&prefLang=en_US

Deer species are true herbivorous mammals those have a profound impact on forest ecosystem. Herbivore-plant interaction was, is and will be the focus of attention in forestry. The impact of herbivory can be seen in many areas from economics to ecological affecting both. In this context, only few studies have touched on items of deer impact on the woody vegetation in the transboundary areas. The habitat attractiveness and corresponding animal spatial distribution depends not only on food availability, but also on food-independent habitat factors as an availability of thermal and hiding cover, habitat parameters, weather, edge effect, disturbance and competition. The same rule is evident independent on the administrative borders of the neighbouring countries. The territorial similarity of the neighbouring countries predisposes animal movement between the certain transboundary territories using some ecological corridors. In order to reveal the impact of deer species on Lithuanian-Belarusian transboundary forests and an importance of potential ecological corridors, I have used the integrated method of belt transects (100x4 m) and sample plots (50x2 m) determining the main forest characteristics of the each route unit. The key species were Moose Alces alces, Red deer Cervus elaphus, Roe deer Capreolus capreolus. The main limiting factors of deer impact on woody vegetation are the duration of non-vegetative period and its changeability. The long and wintry period causes the increased impact on the natural regeneration and pine plantations because of the clumped distribution of selective browsers as moose and roe deer. The warm and short periods show the trend of even distribution of roe deer and moose concentration in the pine plantations alongside the wet forest sites because of moose thermal sensitivity. The potential ecological corridors and their functional aspect for deer species have been revealed.