Environmental factors shaping ungulate abundances in Poland

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Management
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Large herbivore population densities are shaped by complex environmental factors.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for effective wildlife management and conservation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the environmental factors influencing the spatial distribution and abundance of red deer, wild boar, and roe deer in Poland.
• To identify key density-dependent and independent variables affecting ungulate populations across diverse landscapes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized official ungulate inventory data from 462 forest districts and 23 national parks in Poland (1998-2003).
• Employed spatially explicit generalized additive mixed models to analyze the relationships between environmental variables and ungulate abundances.
• Assessed the influence of factors such as forest cover, temperature, land use, and water bodies.

Main Results:

• Environmental variables explained 39-50% of the variation in red deer, wild boar, and roe deer abundances.
• Low forest cover and mean January temperature were identified as the primary limiting factors for all studied species.
• Optimal woodland cover for highest densities ranged from 40-50%; wild boar and roe deer favored deciduous/mixed woodlands near arable land.
• Marshes and water bodies positively impacted wild boar populations.

Conclusions:

• Forest cover and temperature are critical determinants of ungulate abundance in Poland.
• Current environmental trends, including global warming and increasing forest cover, suggest potential future increases in ungulate populations.
• Findings provide valuable insights for predicting shifts in ungulate distribution and managing these populations effectively.