Do large herbivores maintain open habitats in temperate forests?

• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119310
• Publication Date: 2021-05-05T22:43:41Z
• Authors: Rafał Kowalczyk; Tomasz Kamiński; Tomasz Borowik
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences

In recent decades, grazing by wild and domestic ungulates has become a strategy for conservation management to restore or maintain open landscapes. One of the species playing an increasing role in ecological restoration is European bison – largest terrestrial mammal Europe. We studied impact this large herbivore other (moose, red deer, roe deer) on tree encroachment habitats Białowieża Primeval Forest (Poland). On 30 study plots located meadows, we measured crown volume density woody vegetation monitored visitation behavior with use camera traps. The mean rate meadows was 0.11 ind./day/plot, 0.22 ind./day/plot ungulates. duration foraging significantly higher (55.8 s) than (16.3 s). varied from 13 6213 ind./ha 0.6 1145 m3/ha. found that increased resulted significant reduction meadows. reducing effect over eight times frequently visited when compared unvisited decreased 879 101 saplings/ha, while declined 295 35 addition, related level meadow openness. Less (smaller) had characterized high Combined did not affect either vegetation. most plausible mechanism observed patterns can be remarkably activity comparison As consequence, bison, being adapted habitats, effectively reduce growth seedlings limit at initial stages forest succession. Thus, populations play maintenance pastures serve as important ground suboptimal forests, where these herbivores were restored.