Assessing the Distribution, Density and Ecological Impacts of Feral Deer in Urban and Peri‐Urban Areas of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia

ABSTRACT Feral deer are associated with a range of environmental impacts including overgrazing and trampling of native vegetation, increased insolation, ringbarking, creation of wallows, erosion and stream degradation. Consequences of invasive deer impacts can threaten vulnerable ecological communities and have the potential to alter long‐term vegetation dynamics if deer populations are left uncontrolled. Studies of feral deer impacts in Australia to date have mostly focused on forested natural areas and agricultural lands; however, deer also pose a threat to the environment and property in urban and peri‐urban areas. In this study we investigated the impacts of feral deer (fallow and possibly red deer) in urban and peri‐urban habitats using faecal pellet counts and vegetation browsing assessments at 29 sites throughout western Lake Macquarie. Deer were found to have a patchy distribution; however, where present, significant impacts were observed. Browsing impacts were significantly greater in plots containing faecal pellets. There was a significant relationship between the number of faecal pellets detected and browsing intensity. Forested wetland had the highest browse rate of all vegetation types at 35%, with dry sclerophyll at 10% and wet sclerophyll at 20%. This study provides insights into the study of feral deer impacts in urban and peri‐urban areas. We provide recommendations for researchers conducting future studies in such habitats to quantify ecological impacts and to overcome access difficulties experienced in this study.