In the German federal state Baden-Wuerttemberg, the distribution of red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) is restricted by law to five spatially separated management units, and it is mandatory to harvest deer moving outside of these units. This practice could severely reduce gene flow among management units, which occur in a landscape that is already highly fragmented by anthropogenic infrastructure. We here use 27 microsatellite loci t...

Non-invasive genetic sampling can be used in research, monitoring, and conservation of wild animals to, for example, provide insights into diets, identify individuals and estimate population sizes. Non-invasive genetic sampling may be especially useful to monitor elusive species because DNA can be derived from materials such as hairs and faeces without handling individuals. However, the reliability of the results derived from...

Some deer species are of conservation concern; others are officially managed as a food source or for their trophies, whereas in many regions, deer are regarded as overabundant or even as a nuisance causing damages. Regardless of local management issues, in most cases, reliable data on deer population sizes and sex ratios are lacking. Non-invasive genetic approaches are promising tools for the estimation of population size and...