This project presents the main reasons for damage caused by red deer strippingand nibbling tree bark, as well as measures taken to prevent this. Biological measures have proved to be most effective in the long term. In cases where the forest has been damaged to such an extent that biological measures can no longer be used to adequately restore the forest, we must use technical measures. We carried out technical protection on two locations: in the Radovna (Mežakla) area we applied Cervostop to around 110 pine tree trunksand in the Ribno (Jelovica) area we set up collective protection with a wire fence. We analysed the cost of using technical protection in the regionalunit of Bled and concluded that for individual protection with Cervostop the material was more expensive than the labour involved. With collective protection using a wire fence, meanwhile, the cost of putting up the fence is more expensive than the fencing material. From statistics gathered by foresters on damage to forest trees in the years 2003, 2005 and 2006, we concluded that most damage is on the first level, mostly from nibbling, while there is little evidence of bark stripping. The killing off ofred deer within the regional unit of Bled is increasing which is why the recorded amount of damage caused by deer is decreasing. This does not, however, mean that the problem has been solved as the damaged areas of forest have remained. In some cases they have been repaired but the consequences willstill be obvious at the end of one period of production, especially in theyounger plantations.
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