Conservation and game management of roe deer in Andalusia

Abstract

San José, C., Fernández-Salguero, P., Redondo, I. (2013). Conservation and game management of roe deer in Andalusia. Ecosistemas 22(2):20-26. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2013.22-2.04

At present roe deer distribution in Andalusia is limited to two population nuclei separated by the Guadalquivir River. The first one, more threatened by demographic extinction, is located in Sierra Morena, between Ciudad Real, Córdoba and Jaén provinces. The second one, relatively well conserved, is located in the mountainous zones of Cádiz-Málaga. The roe deer disappeared from many Andalusian areas mainly due to the disappearing of the suitable habitat for the species and to the increase of other wild and domestic ungulate populations. The studies carried out over the last 25 years on the Andalusian roe deer populations of Cádiz-Málaga revealed the existence of an ecotype native to the mountainous zones of these two Andalusian provinces, which presents significant differences on a morphological and genetic level with respect to other Spanish and European roe deer populations, and which was recently catalogued by the CIC (International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation) as a singular trophy. Taking into account all these particularities, roe deer management in Andalusia is focused on two main objectives: 1) the conservation of the Andalusian ecotype native to the mountainous areas of Cádiz-Málaga, and 2) guaranteeing a good level of conservation of the current Andalusian habitat suitable for roe deer, as well as improving the potentially optimal areas for natural colonization by roe deer or potential reintroductions of the species in Andalusia.