Monitoring of population trends and bio-indicators for roe deer at different sites in order to monitor the impact of local conditions and management regimes

At several sites in Flanders (Meerdaalwoud, the Zoniënwoud, Merodebossen and environs, Hallerbos, Drongengoed, Domeinbossen Ravels and the Hoge Vijvers Arendonk), INBO has been providing support since 2006 and has been responsible for coordination and data storage, quality control and data analysis for kilometre counts as an instrument for monitoring changes in the local roe deer populations. The reasons for the roe deer counts at different sites may vary (Arendonk - Ravel: licensed hunting project / Meerdaal: three-year plan project / Drongengoed: agreements with OVL / Zoniënwoud: implementation of cooperation between the three Regions, etc.). Because of the similarity of activities involved and for internal organisational reasons, all the counts have been bundled together in a single project. The different sites are examples of different possible concrete management regimes and/or situations. Due to the need to economise and because of other priorities within the INBO budget for the Agency for Nature and Forest (ANB), it was decided in 2014 that counts would be continued at three sites only (Domeinbossen Ravels and the Hoge Vijvers Arendonk, Meerdaal and the Zoniënwoud). The ongoing monitoring of these three sites should make it possible to track trends in sites under three different management regimes: no hunting, normal leasing and licensed hunting. It will also allow accurate monitoring of the implementation of the three-year hunting bag plan, as these sites are also under ANB management. To enable this comparison between management forms, it has also been decided that in Meerdaal, roe deer culling activities, achievements and characteristics of the shot animals will continue to be closely monitored and analysed. Up to now, this has been done in the framework of the ‘Three-year roe deer culling plan’ project. However, this project ended in 2014, which would have meant discontinuing accurate management monitoring in Meerdaal. In view of the long time series from different studies in the past, the very constructive and long-term cooperation with the local hunting association and the small extra effort required to ensure the maintenance of this monitoring, it was decided to continue this monitoring. The continuation of the counts in the Zoniënwoud also represent part of the cooperation between the three Regions with regard to the management of the Zoniënwoud. The monitoring of the roe deer population in the Zoniënwoud is also an integral part of action D4 of the LIFE+ project OZON.