Abstract
In Japan, sika deer (Cervus nippon) feed on bark and consequently damage sugi (Cryptomeria japonica), a common plantation tree species. We investigated factors that might explain variability in the extent of damage in northern Honshu. The percentage of damaged trees varied widely, even among adjacent plantations, suggesting that the factors affecting the degree of damage operate at a local level. The percentage of damaged trees was not correlated with either the age of stands or the forage biomass of the plantations, and was only weakly correlated with the density of deer fecal pellets, although the sites examined were biased toward a low density. Other factors such as forage biomass within the broader home range may influence deer use of sugi plantations.
