The status and management of wild deer in Australia

English, A. W.

doi:10.7882/fs.2007.014

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(6 reference statements)

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“…2), coupled with increasing evidence of impacts ( Table 2), suggests that in the future deer will have serious and widespread effects on natural and agricultural systems. Robust demonstration of the type and extent of impacts in Australia is essential to justify investment in deer management and to gain social acceptability and stakeholder support (English 2007;Nugent et al 2011).…”

Section: Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that it is unlikely that established deer species could be eradicated from Australia, we need to find ways to sustainably coexist with them. Managing deer requires an understanding of the way in which they interact with and affect natural and agricultural ecosystems (English 2007). To assist with the development of cost-effective strategies for managing deer impacts in Australia, we conducted a systematic review (Pullin and Knight 2009) of the evidence regarding impacts of wild deer and the effectiveness of their management in Australia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A systematic review of the impacts and management of introduced deer (family Cervidae) in Australia

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Deer are among the world's most successful invasive mammals and can have substantial deleterious impacts on natural and agricultural ecosystems. Six species have established wild populations in Australia, and the distributions and abundances of some species are increasing. Approaches to managing wild deer in Australia are diverse and complex, with some populations managed as 'game' and others as 'pests'. Implementation of cost-effective management strategies that account for this complexity is hindered by a lack of knowledge of the nature, extent and severity of deer impacts. To clarify the knowledge base and identify research needs, we conducted a systematic review of the impacts and management of wild deer in Australia. Most wild deer are in south-eastern Australia, but bioclimatic analysis suggested that four species are well suited to the tropical and subtropical climates of northern Australia. Deer could potentially occupy most of the continent, including parts of the arid interior. The most significant impacts are likely to occur through direct effects of herbivory, with potentially cascading indirect effects on fauna and ecosystem processes. However, evidence of impacts in Australia is largely observational, and few studies have experimentally partitioned the impacts of deer from those of sympatric native and other introduced herbivores. Furthermore, there has been little rigorous testing of the efficacy of deer management in Australia, and our understanding of the deer ecology required to guide deer management is limited. We identified the following six priority research areas: (i) identifying long-term changes in plant communities caused by deer; (ii) understanding interactions with other fauna; (iii) measuring impacts on water quality; (iv) assessing economic impacts on agriculture (including as disease vectors); (v) evaluating efficacy of management for mitigating deer impacts; and (vi) quantifying changes in distribution and abundance. Addressing these knowledge gaps will assist the development and prioritisation of cost-effective management strategies and help increase stakeholder support for managing the impacts of deer on Australian ecosystems.

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Section: Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of the impacts and management of introduced deer (family Cervidae) in Australia

et al. 2016

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“…The Royal National Park (RNP) is a high-profile protected area (PA) with a history of conflict over the management of rusa deer. Division in the community over the issue has affected management practice, including temporary suspension of culling activities in the late 1990s (Shephard 2002;English 2005). Deer management in the RNP therefore provides a prime example of the need to understand and respond to local public attitudes if positive ecological outcomes are to be achieved.…”

Section: Case Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimensions of local public attitudes towards invasive species management in protected areas

et al. 2015

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Context. Invasive species management is often a source of contention; therefore, understanding human dimensions is viewed increasingly as critical for management success.Aims. Using invasive Javan rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) in the Royal National Park (RNP), Sydney, as a case study, we sought to identify key dimensions of local public attitudes towards deer and associated management interventions, to identify the most divisive issues, and to assess the influence of experiences on attitudes.Methods. We used a mixed-methods approach, using a questionnaire targeted at residents closest to the border of the RNP (n = 406, 30% response rate). The potential for conflict index (PCI 2 ) was used to analyse 32 framing statements, generated through in-depth interviews with 18 key stakeholders from a range of stakeholder groups (e.g. conservation, hunting, animal welfare). We also tested for significant differences in attitudes between those who had or had not experienced deer impacts or received information on deer management. We conducted qualitative analysis of open comments to identify emergent themes and develop an attitudes framework.Key results. We identified three overarching dimensions to local attitudes, namely, stakeholder, wildlife and management dimensions, each consisting of key themes and issues, forming the attitudes framework. The most divisive issues based on PCI 2 analysis related to deer remaining in the park (PCI 2 = 0.626), the heritage value of deer (PCI 2 = 0.626), the need to remove deer (PCI 2 = 0.531) and the need to kill non-natives in national parks (PCI 2 = 0.535). Experience of deer-vehicle collisions and property damage were associated with significantly more negative attitudes towards deer and non-native species and more trust in ecological evidence (P < 0.001), whereas positive experience of deer had the opposite effect (P < 0.001). These experiences were also associated with attitudes towards aerial shooting (P < 0.05) but not hunting. Receiving information improved trust in ecological evidence and decreased belief in heritage value of deer (P < 0.05).Conclusions. Attitudes of the local public were varied and complex; however, a mixed-methods bottom-up approach allowed us to identify specific key issues of divisiveness and make management recommendations.Implications. The framework and analysis have the potential to facilitate conflict mitigation and develop invasive species management strategies that are inclusive of the local community.

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“…Of the 29 species of deer brought to Australia (Table 1), six have established free‐living populations and increased in population size and range (Bentley, 1967; Moriarty, 2004). These species have successfully established in multiple ecosystems across Australia, and many deer species are negatively impacting local environments and economies (Burgin et al, 2014; Davis et al, 2016; English, 2007; Forsyth et al, 2012; Jesser, 2005). Predicting their future ranges is thus important for control and management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive wild deer exhibit environmental niche shifts in Australia: Where to from here?

Kelly

Gordon

Schwarzkopf

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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The status and management of wild deer in Australia

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

A systematic review of the impacts and management of introduced deer (family Cervidae) in Australia

A systematic review of the impacts and management of introduced deer (family Cervidae) in Australia

Dimensions of local public attitudes towards invasive species management in protected areas

Invasive wild deer exhibit environmental niche shifts in Australia: Where to from here?

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