Dama dama

European fallow deer

Description

The mature European fallow deer typically weighs 60 to 100 kg. The main feature of this species are the antlers, which are broad and shovel-shaped (palmate) at the end. Males drop them every year to grow new ones. The color of European fallow deer is also typical, it is brown, on the back with a lot of light spots.

The European fallow deer damages and consumes the bark, bast, and sapwood of trees by stripping. On the tree's trunk at the height of approximately 1.5 meters, there are clear traces of gnaws in the bast or sapwood part. A stripping can damage a part of the trunk girth, resulting in the physiological weakening of the damaged individual. In addition, fungal diseases can attack the tree as a secondary pest in the wound place. The availability of further secondary damages increases, and if the tree survives, the trunk quality is permanently reduced. If a bark stripping damages the entire circumference of the trunk, the conductive tissues are interrupted, and the damaged tree dies. In the spring (April - June) - the period of sap flow, the European fallow deer also damages the trunk by peeling. It peels 50 to 100-centimeter strips of bark on trunks to a height of approximately 1.5 - 2 m. The sapwood layer remains exposed. When tree trunk bitten by a European fallow deer, the width of the gnawing tracks is about 0.5 cm.

Young annual shoots are damaged and subsequently consumed by browsing, or only the end parts on older trees. During the summer browsing, the leaves are consumed along with the annual shoots, and during the winter browsing, which is more harmful, the European fallow deer consumes buds and needles. The side twigs are damaged, as well as the terminal part of the tree. Repeated intense browsing associated with damage to the top of the tree leads to a significant slowdown in growth or even death of the tree. Browsing is especially harmful to seedlings. Repeated intensive browsing slows the growth, forming conical - pyramidal tree shapes.

The damage is also caused by mechanical damage to the trees when the antlers are dropped. The animal removes the top layer from the surface of the antlers by rubbing the trunks of the trees. Due to this activity, the trunks are stripped of bark, the branches can be considerably damaged or even broken.

Symptom

Tree stams without bark with traces of teeth. Pieces of bark torn from the trunks, broken branches, missing terminal shoots and branches clearly bitten.

Tree Species: Pine, Elm, Beech, Rowan, Whitebeam, Ash, Maple, Fir, Lime, Spruce, Larch, Willow

Part of a plant- attacked: Tree trunk

Pest significance: Very harmful

Pest Category: Animals

Invasive Species: No

Present in EU: Yes