Topography and deer browsing in a mixed silver fir -beech for est

Veliki rastlinojedi parkljarji (VRP) različno vplivajo na razvoj gozdnih ekosistemov. Eden izmed najbolj negativnih vplivov, ki ga imajo na dolgoročni razvoj gozdov, je posledica kroničnega čezmernega objedanja mladja. Namen raziskave je bil s pomočjo analize objedanja v delu dinarskih jelovo-bukovih gozdov ugotoviti, kakšen vpliv na intenzivnost objedanja imajo habitatne značilnosti prostora in relief. Povprečna objedenost mladja je bila 70 %, analiza višinske strukture mladja pa je pokazala, da ni prehajanja gorskega javorja in jelke v zgornje višinske plasti. Potrdili smo vpliv stopnje kritja za VRP in reliefa na stopnjo objedenosti. Največ poškodb smo zabeležili na grebenih in v vrtačah. Glede na rezultate naših analiz v prihodnje v jelovobukovih gozdovih na območju naše raziskave ne bo mogoče zagotoviti primesi jelke in gorskega javorja v zgornjih sestojnih položajih. Če želimo v tem delu Slovenije vzgojiti pestre gozdove, bo poleg gozdno-gojitvenega ukrepanja nujno nadaljevanje intenzivnega gospodarjenja z VRP v smislu zmanjševanja njihovih gostot.Ungulates affect the development of forest ecosystems in different ways. The most negative impact is a result of a long-term intense overbrowsing of regeneration. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of habitat characteristics and topography on browsing damage to regeneration in Dinaric beech-fir forests. The average damage rate across all tree species of regeneration was 70 %, and the analysis of the regeneration height structure showed that there was no recruitment of sycamore maple and silver fir into the upper height layers. We confirmed the influence of cover level for ungulates and topographical position on the browsing damage rate. Most of the damages were recorded on ridges and in sinkholes. According to the results of our study, it will not be possible to provide, at current browsing rates, admixtures of silver fir and sycamore maple in the upper canopy. In order to achieve diverse structure and species composition in these forests, in addition to silvicultural measures, it will be necessary to continue active management of ungulate populations focused on reducing densities