Quantitative and qualitative yield loss caused by red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) grazing on permanent organic grasslands

Trdan, Stanislav (author), Laznik, Žiga (author), Sinkovič, Tomaž (author), Tavčar-Kalcher, Gabrijela (author), Udovč, Andrej (author), Trdan, Stanislav (author), Bohinc, Tanja (author), Vidrih, Matej (author)

This paper addresses yield loss due to red deer (Cervus elaphus) grazing on permanent grasslands on three organic farms in SE Slovenia over two consecutive years. Deer graze on permanent grasslands throughout the year, but the resulting crop loss varies during the growing season. Accounting for three mowings, the quantitative yield loss due to deer grazing totalled 48– 52%, or 3.9–4.3 t/ha. Deer had the highest consumption capacity in the spring (first mowing: yield loss of 1.7–1.9 t of air-dried hay/ha), and towards the end of the growing season, consumption decreased (third mowing: loss of 0.9 t/ha). A floristic inventory indicated low species diversity and production in permanent grasslands in SE Slovenia. The crude protein content in unprotected plots was generally greater than that in protected plots, but due to a large quantitative yield loss, the yield of crude protein and net energy for lactation on heavily grazed land were much lower than those on protected land in all mowings. The average additional cost per unit of heavily grazed area ranged from 182 to 344 EUR/ha, and the differences are the result of the different intensities of game grazing in individual locations and grassland production capacities.

• Language: English
• Keywords: game, yield loss, chemical composition, floristic composition, animal husbandry
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty; VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 15 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 74, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-154740
• UDC: 633
• ISSN on article: 0906-4710
• DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2024.2321847
• COBISS.SI-ID: 186983427
• Publication date in RUL: 27.02.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta agriculturæ Scandinavica : Soil and plant science
• Shortened title: Acta Agric. Scand., B Soil Plant. Sci.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0906-4710
• COBISS.SI-ID: 34347264

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: divjad, škoda, navadni jelen, paša, travinje, travna ruša, izguba pridelka, živinoreja

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Municipality of Kočevje
• Name: Conservation and Development of Agriculture and the Countryside of the Municipality of Kočevje