We would like to congratulate Carlos on his co-authorship of a paper recently published in Global Change Biology. The study demonstrates that overabundant roe deer populations can lead to a rapid degradation of multiple ecosystem functions, with significant effects becoming apparent within a single year. A substantial part of the study focuses on the relationship between herbivore, pollinators, and pollination processes. The results show that browsing by roe deer can reduce the diversity of flowering plants up to 60%. This decline subsequently leads to a marked simplification of pollination networks and a reduction in ecological interactions between plants and their pollinators. The study provides further evidence that high densities of ungulates may have far-reaching consequences, not only for vegetation communities but also for the functioning and stability of entire ecosystems.
Link to the full article here.
