If you read the companion letter the data was derived from an “enclosed forest” - the only way they can get accurate numbers. It’s an established fact that when deer populations reach a certain level of overcrowding they suffer precipitous declines. Presumably as they approach that maximum the rate of growth declines and then goes negative. How do they know that the deer population is not reaching its maximum level?
“If you read the companion letter the data was derived from an “enclosed forest” -”
Thanks for bringing that up; I missed it.
But in many ways no area of Europe is “natural” in the sense of B4 the rise of Europe’s human population and the spread of human habitation across all of Europe. Most deer populations in Europe are I imagine “enclaves” of limited size and restricted in ability to migrate from one area to another. Those restrictions alone, as you point out, would restrict deer population growth and make for reduced populations at times.