A recent study on the effects of grazing deer has predicted the local extinction of six out of 13 endangered and vulnerable plant species.

Four species of deer (three non-native and one native) and 13 endangered plant species across the island of Ireland were looked at during the research.

The four deer species included sika deer, muntjac deer, red deer and fallow deer.

The research highlighted how invasive species, such as deer, are one of the leading drivers of global biodiversity loss.

Geographic distribution

It identified the geographic distribution of the four deer species and revealed areas that may be at risk of biodiversity loss, focusing on endangered and vulnerable plant species.

Almost half of the plant species looked at may face local extinction, it found.

However, an increase in area was identified for four plant species, but several of these areas overlap with the future projections of deer species, which could cause further pressures on these ‘at-risk’ plant species.

It predicted large areas of current suitable habitat for the deer species across all counties, including Kerry, Cork, Tipperary and Wicklow.

Population

In terms of deer population, the research identified an increase in sika deer, while fallow deer are projected to reduce their distribution under climate change and the results predicted a local extinction for muntjac.

This research is the first of its kind carried out in Ireland and was carried out in order to support the conservation of these endangered or vulnerable plant species from the negative impact of native and non-native deer species.