Habitat-Related Differences in Winter Presence and Spring-Summer Activity of Roe Deer in Warsaw

Preliminary research conducted in Warsaw in the 1970s and 2000s showed that roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) stayed in forest habitat and avoided anthropogenic areas. Activity and exploration patterns of animals are shaped by indices of anthropogenic disturbances, elevated in large cities. The aims of the study were (1) to compare the presence of roe deer in natural and anthropogenic habitats of Warsaw during three periods: 1976-1978, 2005-2008 and 2017-2021, based on snow tracking on transect routes (681.2 km in total), and (2) to describe the presence and activity of roe deer in relation to human disturbances in selected urban forests in its reproductive period (March-August), based on camera trap survey (2019-2020, 859 observations, 5317 trap-days in total). The number of tracks was higher in natural habitat during all three periods, with the highest value in 2017-2021 (9.85/km/24 h). The peak of roe deer activity was recorded at dusk, and it changed with moon phases between spring and summer. Landscape connectivity and level of light pollution did not affect the activity pattern of roe deer. Our research showed that roe deer inhabiting urban areas avoided human presence by using well-covered habitats and being active in periods when the level of human disturbance was lower.

Automated summary

Preliminary research in Warsaw found that roe deer prefer forest habitats and avoid anthropogenic areas. The study compared roe deer presence in natural and anthropogenic habitats during three periods, and discovered that the deer were more active in natural environments and avoided human disturbance.