Consequences of increased deer browsing winter on silver fir and spruce regeneration in the Southern Vosges mountains: Implications for forest management

Abstract

Forest and wildlife management practices in the Vosges have changed rapidly during the last 200 years, modifying interactions between animals and plants, especially deer and silver fir. In order to assess the impact of browsing on fir regeneration, we compared two sets of similar forests which differed primarily in terms of deer population dynamics and history. On slopes with southern exposures, many fir seedlings did not reach heights above 30 cm and spruce developed; this was related to browsing intensity. Spruce expansion was also facilitated by its presence in nearby mature stands, and was not related to a particularly high level of browsing. Of the six site characteristics taken into consideration, only the presence of foliage from the understorey above seedlings was found to benefit fir by limiting spruce development and reducing browsing intensity. Results are discussed in light of current and proposed management practices for silver fir-beech forests and their wildlife. © INRA, EDP Sciences, 2005.