LAND: Towards sustainable management of moose, red deer and their food resources

The density of moose and red deer has increased dramatically in Norway during the last three decades. In general, large herbivores can have profound impact on ecosystem structure and processes (e.g. succession, biodiversity), which is mainly mediated by b rowsing/grazing impacts on plants. In turn, plant responses may provide early warnings on the possible feedback effects on the herbivores, such as changing body weights and reproductive rates (i.e. population condition). Knowledge about the interactions b etween herbivores and their food plants is recognized as fundamental for the conservation and management of wildlife species and their habitats. However, current information on critical densities of moose and red deer in Norway is limited. Meanwhile, we h ave strong indications of over-browsing measured as reduction in body-growth and depletion of important food plants in several regions of southern Norway. In this project we will focus on the interaction between moose, red deer and their food resources wi th the main aim of increasing our knowledge on how to deal with high densities of both moose and red deer in the context of limited food resources and impact on other biodiversity.