Tracking red deer population size using deterministic cohort analysis

Abstract Reliable and cost-effective monitoring tools to track population size over time are of key importance for wildlife management conservation. Deterministic cohort analysis may be used this aim, especially in hunted populations, but it requires that all mortality events recorded individual age at death is known exactly. In study, we investigated the reliability as a relative index over-time variation red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) abundance, absence exact information about natural age. Visual tooth inspection was 18,390 individuals found dead or between 1982 2020 within Trentino sector Stelvio National Park Val di Sole hunting district (Central Italian Alps). Temporal trend reconstructed checked using spring spotlight counts benchmark, through Buishand range test linear model. Our results showed significant positive relationship 2013, suggesting could reliably up 7 years past. With error + 1.1 (SD = 1.5) estimation age, fairly stable pressure, our support use deterministic abundance time, even mortality. Under violation assumptions, however, performance reconstruction should carefully inspected scale.