Forest RescueForest RescueWaldrettung
Deer Hunting as a Measure Against Forest DeclineDeer Hunting as a Measure Against Forest DeclineReheschießen gegen das Waldsterben
There's an ongoing debate about saving forests from deer browsing—does that mean deer have to die? Climate change and browsing are said to be the causes. According to Ralf Straußberger, a forest expert at the Bavarian Nature Conservation Union (BN), around 12,000 hectares have recently died off on the Bavarian side of the Franconian Forest alone. He believes that increased hunting pressure is a solution to push animals into less vulnerable forest areas. As an outsider with no expertise, I see it quite differently. What are your thoughts?There's an ongoing debate about saving forests from deer browsing—does that mean deer have to die? Climate change and browsing are said to be the causes. According to Ralf Straußberger, a forest expert at the Bavarian Nature Conservation Union (BN), around 12,000 hectares have recently died off on the Bavarian side of the Franconian Forest alone. He believes that increased hunting pressure is a solution to push animals into less vulnerable forest areas. As an outsider with no expertise, I see it quite differently. What are your thoughts?Man diskutiert über eine Waldrettung vor Verbiss, müssen Rehe deshalb sterben? Klimawandel und Verbiss sollen die Ursache sein. Rund 12.000 Hektar sind alleine im Frankenwald zuletzt auf bayerischer Seite abgestorben, sagt Ralf Straußberger, Waldexperte beim Bund Naturschutz in Bayern (BN). Er hält Jagddruck für eine Lösung, um Tiere in weniger gefährdete Waldgebiete zu drängen. Ich als außenstehender Laie sehe das völlig anders. Was ist Eure Meinung dazu?
However, the forest isn’t actually the natural habitat for red deer and the like. Roe deer are prey animals, and their natural environment is typically meadows and clearings, where they can spot predators from a distance. They prefer living at the forest edge and favor meadows and other open areas for grazing—they aren’t true forest dwellers. Humans have pushed them into the forest, which serves as a refuge for them. While they can survive well there, food is scarce, so they end up eating bark and young shoots from trees. This, in turn, severely disrupts the natural regeneration of the forest. Another issue is that humans have nearly wiped out bears, lynxes, and wolves, which were their natural predators. The only remaining predator is the fox, which occasionally manages to catch a fawn. However, foxes are hunted year-round, except when the vixen has young.
I’ve bookmarked it and will definitely take a look.