DOI: 10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhn7
title: A scoping review of evidence for the effects of seven global deer species on woody vegetation

description: Rapid expansion of deer (Cervidae) populations is a concern for forest
 ecosystems. Despite extensive reviews on how deer affect forests,
 variation in effects across deer species has received less attention. A
 lack of focus on species-specific effects may lead to oversights and
 failure to achieve desired management outcomes. We used a systematic
 approach to compile data on the extent to which the effects of seven deer
 species on woody vegetation have been studied. We focused on the six deer
 species present in Britain and Ireland, and elk (Cervus canadensis). A
 total of 455 worldwide studies were included. Red deer (Cervus elaphus) (n
 = 163) and elk (n = 158) were the most studied species, while Reeve’s
 muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) (n = 18) and Chinese water deer (Hydropotes
 inermis) (n = 5) were the least researched. Fifty-four percent of studies
 (n = 245) used fenced exclosures to assess deer impacts. Research mainly
 focused on defoliation via browsing and grazing (n = 424), while debarking
 (n = 44), defecation (n = 8), and trampling (n = 5) were less frequently
 studied. Vegetation density (n = 235), height (n = 189), and diversity (n
 = 135) were the most common metrics used, while fewer studies focused on
 vegetation mortality (n = 74), structural variability (n = 28), and
 condition (n = 15).
description: Peer-reviewed journal articles were obtained by searching the Web
 of Science (WoS) Core Collection for articles published between 1970 and
 2024. The searches were restricted to the six deer species present in
 Britain and Ireland, and elk, including any subspecies. No geographic
 limits were imposed. We also searched the online thesis database Opengrey
 and the UK government website GOV.UK, which includes literature from
 Natural England, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs, and the
 Forestry Commission. When selecting Outcome search
 terms, each potential term was first entered into the Web of Science (WoS)
 Core Collection along with the Population terms. Each Outcome search term
 was recorded with the date, the total number of hits, and whether relevant
 hits were returned. Outcome search terms were selected for the final
 search when they gave relevant results that were not already being
 generated by other terms. Search terms were put together in one additive
 search. Search terms were discussed among the authors to ensure the search
 encompassed everything the review aimed to address. Some terms that
 generated many irrelevant sources were excluded. Study
 relevance was sequentially assessed using our finalised inclusion criteria
 and the ROSES flowchart. Studies were first assessed based on title,
 abstract, and keywords. The second screening stage involved reading the
 full text. Any articles not entirely published in English were excluded.
 Reviews identified by the WoS search published from 2010 onwards were
 screened for relevant articles through bibliographical back-searching.
 Following the final search at the end of 2021, a WoS weekly search alert
 was used to monitor for new publications until the end of 2024. The GOV.UK
 website was revisited in December 2024 to search for final updates to the
 literature. The same could not be completed for Opengrey, as the database
 had since been closed. Data were extracted on the study
 location, deer species reported to be present, any additional herbivores
 reported, whether the study focused on captive or wild deer, use of
 exclosures, population monitoring methods – if any – used to assess
 relative deer species abundance or density, effect mechanism studied
 (browsing, grazing, bark removal, trampling), and effects(s) of deer
 activity for forest, woodland or woody vegetation.
description: # A scoping review of evidence for the effects of seven global deer
 species on woody vegetation Database of 455 selected articles collated
 from the scoping review. ## Description of the data and file structure The
 columns are as follows: * AUTHOR_LIST: Details of publication authors *
 YEAR: Year of publication * TITLE: Publication title * Effect_category:
 Effect(s) of deer on woody vegetation, which were investigated in the
 publication * Target_species_all: The focal deer species that were
 mentioned to be present in the study system. Can be one or more of seven
 species: *Capreolus caproelus, Cervus elaphus, Cervus canadensis, Cervus
 nippon, Dama dama, Hydropotes inermis, Muntiacus reevesi.* *
 Additional_herbivores: Herbivore species other than the focal deer species
 reported to be present in the study system. * Country: Country or
 countries in which the fieldwork for the publication took place. *
 Location: More precise location of where the fieldwork took place. *
 Mechanisms_all: Mechanism(s) that generated the effects studied. Can be
 one or more of: defoliation (grazing, or browsing), bark removal
 (stripping or fraying), trampling, defecation * Exclusion_plots: Whether
 or not exclosures were used in the study. * Duration_years: Duration of
 the field study. * Captive_or_wild: Whether the study took place in a
 system with captive or wild deer. * Deer_numbers_method_category: The
 method(s), if any, used to assess deer numbers or activity within the
 study system. * Deer_numbers_estimate_source: Source of the data reported
 in Deer_numbers_method_category * Deer_numbers_metric: Metric measured
 using method(s) in Deer_numbers_method_category * Publication_source:
 Source of publication (journal or other repository) * DOI: Digital Object
 Identifier (if available) * Lat: The latitudinal coordinate of the central
 point of the study field site(s). * Lon: The longitudinal coordinate of
 the central point of the study field site(s).