Table 1.
Study sites on Loch Lomond mainland and islands, with vegetation, two indices of deer density based on deer counts and deer dung, and island size and distance to the mainland
| Site | Site type | Vegetationa | Mean deer density (per km2)b | Deer density (dung transects)c | Island area (km2) | Distance to the mainland (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | Mainland | Scots pine, oak and birch, understorey of grass, moss and bracken. | na | 17.3 | na | na |
| BW | Mainland | Oak with understorey of dense areas of bramble and bracken. | na | 5.9 | na | na |
| MA | Mainland | Oak with mixed understory of blueberry, grass and moss | na | 1.1 | na | na |
| KN | Mainland | Oak with birch and holly. Understorey relatively open with blueberry, bramble and grasses. | na | 0.9 | na | na |
| LU | Mainland | Oak with understorey of dense areas of bramble and bracken. | na | na | na | na |
| SA | Mainland | Oak/managed pine with understorey of bramble, blueberry and grasses | na | 8.7 | na | na |
| BU | Island | Scots pine, birch and oak. Understorey of rhododendrons, bracken and grass species | 0.0 | 17.5 | 0.031 | 1.9 |
| CA | Island | Oak, birch, holly and alder. Understorey dense with bracken and grass species. | 68.9 | 5.0 | 0.53 | 0.28 |
| CE | Island | Oak, relatively open understorey with blueberry and bracken. | 157.9 | 0.0 | 0.056 | 1.7 |
| CL | Island | Oak, grass and bracken understorey. | 0.0 | 2.2 | 0.056 | 0.86 |
| CO | Island | Oak with blueberry and moss understorey | 2.4 | 3.4 | 0.42 | 1.7 |
| CR | Island | Birch, oak and alder. Understoreys relatively open with blueberry, bracken and moss species. | 28.3 | 33.3 | 0.28 | 2.4 |
| FA | Island | Oak, with a sparse understorey of bracken and bramble. | 130.9 | 28.2 | 0.45 | 0.59 |
| LO | Island | Oak, birch, and yew trees. Understorey dense with bracken. | 43.3 | 31.1 | 0.75 | 0.77 |
| MO | Island | Birch and alder. Understorey of rhododendrons, blueberry, gorse and bog myrtle. | 26.3 | 22.3 | 0.46 | 1.2 |
| MU | Island | Oak, birch and Scots pine. An understorey of blueberry, bracken and bramble. | 0 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| TA | Island | Oak with blueberry and moss understorey | 28.1 | 32.7 | 0.63 | 0.31 |
| TO | Island | Oak and birch. Understorey dense with bluberry and bracken. | 26.7 | 32.1 | 0.075 | 1.9 |
aVegetation data recorded 2009–2010 [27]
bMean deer density from deer count data collected by Scottish National Heritage counts on Loch Lomond islands in March 2008 and March 2012
cDeer density estimated from dung counts along transects, May-July 2016