Robert W. Mysłajek, Przemysław Stachyra, Michał Figura, Sabina Nowak
Journal of Vertebrate Biology 73 (24002), 24002.1-7, (25 March 2024) https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.24002
KEYWORDS: red deer, roe deer, moose, wild boar, assessment of ungulate numbers, protected areas
The accuracy of drive count and pellet group counts for estimating the community structure and density of wild ungulates was assessed in the Roztocze National Park (south-east Poland) from 2003 to 2021. The estimates varied greatly among methods and years. The largest errors were found for assessing ungulate density using drive counts, mainly due to insufficient blocks. Errors for the pellet group counts were small for red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and moderate for wild boar (Sus scrofa). Therefore, it is suggested that the pellet group method should be given priority in surveys of ungulate population abundance in the Roztocze National Park.