Observations on bark-stripping by red deer in a Picea sitchensis forest in western Scotland over a 35-year period

Welch, David; Scott, David. 2017 Observations on bark-stripping by red deer in a Picea sitchensis forest in western Scotland over a 35-year period. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 32 (6). 473-480. https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1247464

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1247464

Abstract/Summary

The impact of bark-stripping by red deer on an 1825 ha plantation of Picea sitchensis is reported. Monitoring began in 1978 with initially 6500 trees at 37 sites; by 2014 only 10 sites remained due to felling. Sites became vulnerable to bark-stripping once the trees reached 7 years age, and from then until felling at age c. 45 years incidence rates averaged 1% of the trees damaged yearly. Intense damage at a site in a year (> 2% trees damaged) was often followed by intense damage next year, but on average 53% of sites were undamaged in a year. Many trees suffered repeat wounding, which reduced final impact by c. 30% compared to the theoretical impact calculated from annual damage and damage duration. The trees bark-stripped were on average smaller than plot mean girths once these means exceeded 20 cm; this had only minor effect on final impact since bark-stripped small trees had similar mortality to undamaged small trees. Most wounds (> 90%) were small (< 180 cm2) and healed quickly, so were unlikely to develop decay. Larger wounds never healed in less than 8 years, but the proportion healed increased progressively from 10 to 20 years after wounding.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1247464
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	UKCEH Fellows Unaffiliated
ISSN:	0282-7581
Additional Keywords:	bark-stripping, Picea sitchensis, red deer, Scotland, wound healing
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	24 Oct 2016 11:48 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514901

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1247464

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

UKCEH Fellows
Unaffiliated

ISSN:

0282-7581

Additional Keywords:

bark-stripping, Picea sitchensis, red deer, Scotland, wound healing

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment