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The Wytham Deer Project


Wytham Woods are home to free-ranging populations of Fallow, Roe and Muntjac, three of the six deer species living wild in Britain today. We established the Wytham Deer Project in 1998, in collaboration with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Our two main goals were: first, to test and compare the various survey methods that are commonly used by wildlife managers for estimating the number of deer (or other taxa) in a given population; and second, to use the population estimates so generated, in conjunction with other biological and environmental measurements, to study density dependent and density independent factors affecting the deer, and their habitat, in Wytham.

Why is this project important?

Wytham Woods are surrounded by a deer fence, which effectively eliminates immigration, and emigration, by the two larger deer species, Fallow and Roe. Theirs therefore constitute 'closed' populations. In 1998, it was decided that the increasing density of deer in Wytham was detrimental not only to their habitat, but to the deer themselves. Necessary management action between 1998 and 2004 reduced deer numbers four-fold; the greatest reductions took place in the Fallow and Muntjac populations. These circumstances provided us with two unique research opportunities.

Firstly, we are able to calibrate deer-counting methods, and to validate their ability to detect changes in population size. Wildlife management is usually based on some kind of population estimate, so our formal assessment of counting methods is of practical importance to the design of effective wildlife management strategies. Secondly, the scale of the population reduction has produced the dynamic, contrasting conditions necessary for studying density dependent, and density independent, effects on deer and on their habitat, i.e. the impact of having different numbers of individuals (density dependent), or, for example, how climatic conditions might change the chance of deer survival over winter (density independent).

The way in which individuals and populations respond to changing conditions shows a degree of commonality between species, and so the fundamental principles, learned from relatively easy-to-study populations, e.g. the Wytham deer, can be applied to the management or conservation of animals and habitats elsewhere. In other words, the Wytham Deer Project acts as a model for other wildlife management situations.

What are we doing?

We are monitoring Fallow, Muntjac and Roe deer population densities using three methods: (1) Dung Counting; (2) Cohort Analysis; and (3) Distance Sampling. Dung Counting allows us to estimate the number of deer present based on the quantity of dung observed during 'dung surveys'. Cohort Analysis uses the ages of individuals, recorded during surveys, to estimate the number of animals alive in any given previous year. Distance Sampling involves counting deer along directly (we use a thermal imager to count deer along transects at night), and then using specialized computer software to extrapolate to an estimate of the total number of animals in the whole population. We are also collecting data on body condition, reproductive rates and the reproductive status of deer. The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), one of our main research collaborators, routinely gathers meteorological information and botanical measurements from Wytham - these data are essential for our analyses.



Fallow deer

How is this project making a difference?

Deliverables

Conditions at Wytham are fairly typical of British lowland woods. Our findings will be of direct practical application to deer management, through: (1) informing managers on the likely accuracy of commonly-used counting methods; and (2) answering fundamental questions about the population dynamics that occur in deer at high and low densities, and their knock-on effects. Results are presented at scientific meetings (e.g. the Ungulate Research Group meeting), as well as being published in the scientific literature, and as synopses in the British Deer Society's (BDS) magazine 'Deer', which is widely read by conservation managers in the UK. The population estimates that are generated are also of direct use in the conservation management of Wytham Wood, itself a SSSI.

Cascade effects

Our findings will have implications for managing and conserving species elsewhere.

How can you help?

Phase 1 of this project (1998-2004) has allowed us to establish appropriate monitoring methods, and to answer important ecological questions. This first phase has been core-funded by the BDS, with additional support from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (via CEH), and from the PTES. We wish to further capitalize on the unique opportunities for deer research at Wytham and are planning Phase 2 of the project now. However, we currently have no funding to continue beyond 2004. In Phase 2, we will be studying deer at (normal) low population densities, to determine their physiological, and energetic, responses to one another, and to their environment. Again, we will be asking fundamental questions that are transferable to the conservation of other taxa. The work will involve fitting deer with tracking collars that will allow us to monitor their position and physical status in a non-invasive way. We are particularly seeking funds to support a full-time Post-doctoral researcher, and to purchase GPS tracking collars, field equipment and veterinary support.


Muntjac

YOU CAN HELP THIS PROJECT
Target to be raised
£90,500 in 2005 and £35,500 per annum thereafter.

You can find out about the budget for this project by contacting us. See our contact details.

If you are interested in finding out more about the science involved in this project, we would be happy to send you further information.

WildCRU is part of the University of Oxford, a tax- exempt charity. To maximise tax benefits to both donors and WildCRU, please see Donations.

Principal funders
British Deer Society (BDS)
People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)

Partners
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH)

Text by Stephen Ellwood and Sandra Baker