The influence of european deer (cervus elaphus) on the undergrowth in the forests of the foreststeppe part of Kharkiv region

Abstract

The peculiarities of deer behaviour during the winter period on the hunting farms of the Forest-Steppe part of Kharkiv region are considered. The regularities regarding the formation of deer stay places in different types of hunting lands have been determined. Deer stay places differ by area, occupying mainly the areas of the last two years places for stay in medieval forest tree stands, which are formed on the plain (watershed and catchment) with a dense undergrowth of woody species. The biological diversity of tree species damaged during deer winter feeding has been studied. The most damaged tree species, depending on the type of a forest, are Úlmus laévis Pall and Acer campéstre L. Various tree species are damaged by deer differently in the same type of a forest. The level of tree damage and the type of damage depends primarily not on the type of a forest, but on the type of tree species.