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09:09
Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid
Published on: August 8, 2017
Eucalyptus Plantation Management Shapes Roe Deer Site-Use Patterns.
Guilherme Ares-Pereira1, Rita Tinoco Torres2, Daniela Teixeira2
1Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C), CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|June 12, 2026
Summary
Eucalyptus plantation management significantly impacts roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) site use, especially during reforestation phases. Understanding these stand-level dynamics is crucial for wildlife conservation in managed forests.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Wildlife Management
- Forestry
Background:
- Eucalyptus plantations are expanding globally, raising ecological concerns.
- The impact of specific plantation management practices on wildlife, particularly roe deer, is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how Eucalyptus stand-level management influences roe deer site use and detection.
- To differentiate between detection probability and site-use probability in relation to management.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 375 camera-trap deployments over two years (2019-2020) in central Portugal.
- Applied four session-specific single-season occupancy models to analyze roe deer responses.
- Assessed the influence of stand size, reforestation vs. afforestation, and time since intervention.
Main Results:
- Stand size primarily affected detection probability, not site use.
- Roe deer site use was lower in reforestation stands compared to afforestation stands during the 2020 dry season.
- Time since intervention positively influenced site use in the 2020 wet season.
Conclusions:
- Eucalyptus plantations are not ecologically uniform; roe deer responses vary with management timing and methods.
- Reforestation phases represent the most disruptive period for roe deer in these plantations.
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