I am an outdoorsman, podcaster and speaker. I talk and write about the natural environment, biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. I am particularly interested in wildlife and human-wildlife interactions. I enjoy reading scientific papers on those subjects as much as being outdoors weathering the elements and getting first-hand experiences.
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Red Deer and Habitat Fragmentation
Published about 10 hours ago • 3 min read
Conservation and Science
Every now and then, I have a conversation on the podcast that uplifts me and makes me hopeful. Not necessarily because we talk about some great conservation or nature restoration success but because I get to talk to a likeminded person. This sort of connection and the knowledge that somewhere out there is a person with whom you share a lot of views and thoughts is good for the soul. Somewhat unsurprisingly, that person is a hunter and wildlife biologist. And also a podcaster! I don't want to spoil the pleasure of listening to our conversation but let me just say that it's not often you talk to a hunter and start with red deer and habitat connectivity only for the discussion to quickly shift to planetary boundaries and the sixth mass extinction.
In the second part of the podcast, we changed the topic slightly and talked, once again, about lowering the protection of wolves in the EU. I couldn't not ask about it when I was talking with a German hunter and someone clearly interested in red deer. Once again, I was delighted by the answers. And although I have a feeling that the views expressed might not be shared by the majority of hunters in Germany, it is fantastic that, clearly, at least a portion of hunters hold such views.
One other note. The red deer discussion, I think, is relevant in the context of the Irish native herd of red deer in Killarney National Park and the issues with genetic diversity. Not a one-to-one relation but something to keep in mind. I wanted to say this clearly as at the beginning of the show I mentioned that connection but I feel like I wasn't clear enough about it.
Finally, I want to share with you a report from the recently held Changing Landscape conference written by political ecology researcher, and as far as I can tell, a listener to the podcast, Dara Sands. If you attended the conference, please reply and let me know what you thought about it. Did you like it? Was it useful?
Issue Main Title goes Here
Why are red deer populations in Germany growing in number and antler size yet sitting in deep genetic trouble? What is the difference between census population size and effective population size, and why does it matter? And how can a satirical award for the worst-built wildlife crossing draw attention to the issue of habitat fragmentation? In this episode, I sit down with Frank Zabel, a wildlife biologist, campaigner, and co-host of the award-winning JAGDcast podcast. Frank also runs the nonprofit RotWildes Deutschland (Non-profit Society for Wildlife Biology & Sustainable Use) and authored the 2022 deer management plan focused on corridors and mapping. Although Frank is speaking from Germany, many of the issues he raises will feel familiar to anyone interested in deer management, habitat connectivity, and how policy decisions made decades ago continue to shape what happens on the ground today.
Frank takes a broader view of red deer as an umbrella species, using them as a vehicle to talk about biodiversity in general. We discuss the historic genetic bottleneck created when red deer were extirpated in much of Germany after the 1848 revolution and how that legacy still shapes populations today. Frank explains why most German red deer populations now sit dangerously close to or below the threshold where the issues with inbreeding start to appear, even though the absolute numbers look healthy on paper. Our conversation also covers the red deer management areas in southern Germany, where deer must be shot once they leave designated zones, a policy decision rooted in post-war food production priorities that has become, in Frank’s words, a far more effective form of habitat fragmentation than any motorway.
We then shift gears to the lowering of the wolf’s protection status in the EU. Frank offers a perspective that may surprise some listeners, particularly those who expect hunters to take a predictable line on the wolf question. He also makes a compelling case for why looking at wolves across the whole of Europe through a single lens misses what is actually happening on the ground in different regions. We touch on what hunters need to do when wolves return to an area, and Frank shares an observation from his time in Sweden that illustrates the point well. This is a rich conversation packed with wisdom and insight.
Nature Restoration at Crossroads: Reflections from Hometree’s Changing Landscapes Conference
Having attended the Changing Landscapes conference two years ago, I read this summary with a great interest. And no better man to write it than Dara Sands who is a political ecology researcher. I know Dara online for some time and his views always came across as well thought out and reasonable.
As for the conference itself, it seems it has grown and developed substantially since the time I attended it. It is great to see than Hometree is working hard and puts out this conference regularly.
I'd encourage anyone with an interest in nature restoration, land use or rural Ireland to give this article a read. Especially as Dara notes not only what was said, but what was left unsaid. Overall, it's a thoughtful commentary and captures the general vibe well.
I am an outdoorsman, podcaster and speaker. I talk and write about the natural environment, biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. I am particularly interested in wildlife and human-wildlife interactions. I enjoy reading scientific papers on those subjects as much as being outdoors weathering the elements and getting first-hand experiences.
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