Open AccessDensity and vulnerability of capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in the area of Vitoroga in the Republika Srpska
Author(s) -
Goran Zubić
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
glasnik šumarskog fakulteta - univerzitet u beogradu/glasnik šumarskog fakulteta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2217-8600
pISSN - 0353-4537
DOI - 10.2298/gsf0900071z
Subject(s) - threatened species , forestry , geography , habitat , canopy , ecology , population density , population , spring (device) , agroforestry , environmental science , biology , archaeology , demography , mechanical engineering , sociology , engineering
Capercaillie is a threatened species over the greater part of Europe. The main causes of its vulnerability are, inter alia, habitat changes and forest operations. The aim of this paper is to estimate the capercaillie population size in the southeastern part of Mt. Vitorog, and to make a comparative analysis of forest state so as to assess the impact of forest operations on this micropopulation. Its spring density (0.71.3 birds per km2) is lower compared to other Eurasian habitats (1.03.0 birds per km2). This was significantly contributed by the habitat changes and by the frequent disturbances of birds caused by forest operations. The present state of forests in FMU 'Vitoroga' is characterized by canopy thinning, changed mixture proportion (percentage of spruce increased on the account of fir), decrease in wood volume and increase in the number of smallerdiameter trees. Our results show that forestry operations are not harmonised with the biological demands of the capercaillie