Summary

Find out how to identify mammal damage to trees, understand the impact and practical ways to protect our treescapes.

Who this guidance is for

This guidance is for people who:

  • own or manage woods, forests, or trees
  • provide advice on woodland management
  • plan to plant or establish new woodland or agroforestry

What this guidance covers

This guide helps you to identify mammal species that can damage trees, understand their impact, and find practical ways to protect your treescapes.

While mammals are important for healthy woodland ecosystems, some wild, domestic, and feral mammals can harm trees. This can affect your woodland creation and management goals, including biodiversity conservation and timber production.

How to use this guide

Mammal species

Learn about 23 mammal species from eight groups in England that can affect trees and biodiversity. Each section covers:

  • both the positive and negative effects of these mammals
  • specific tree protection methods

Protection methods

Compare various tree protection methods suited to different situations, including:

  • managing mammal populations
  • physical barriers and deterrents
  • woodland management techniques to improve tree resilience

This guide includes both established methods and newer innovative approaches that are still in development.

It has been developed in collaboration with the Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science at Edinburgh Napier University.

Contents

  • Eurasian beaver

    Learn about the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and its impact on treescapes. Find out how to manage beavers in the wider environment, control access to individual trees, and managing the trees themselves

  • Grey squirrel

    The grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is considered a woodland pest due to the damage they cause to trees. Learn more about their impact on trees, your management options and how to control their access to individual trees.

  • Small rodents

    Small rodents include field vole (Microtus agrestris), bank vole (Myodes glareolus), edible dormouse (Glis glis), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) and yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). Learn more about their impact on trees.

  • Rabbits and hares

    Learn more about protecting trees from the European hare (Lepus europaeus), mountain hare (Lepus timidus) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

  • Deer

    Learn how to protect trees from: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), sika deer (Cervus nippon), fallow deer (Dama dama), Reeve’s muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) and Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis).

  • Pigs and wild boar

    Learn more about protecting trees from the domestic pig (Sus domesticus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa).

  • Livestock and European bison

    Learn more about protecting trees from domestic cattle (Bos taurus), domestic and feral sheep (Ovis aries), domestic and feral goats (Capra hircus) and European bison (Bison bonasus).

  • Horses and ponies

    Find out how to manage and protect trees from domestic and feral horses and ponies (Equus ferus caballus).

  • Managing mammals in the landscape

    Learn about the management options to protect trees against mammal damage, including: enhancing natural predation, fencing, tree guards, immunocontraceptives, lethal control and non-lethal control.

  • Modifying mammal access to trees

    Learn about the modification options to prevent mammal access to trees and woodland, including: sensory deterrents, fences, tree shelters, bud protectors and vegetation control.

  • Managing trees in the landscape

    Learn about the management options for trees and woodland in the landscape, including: felling, shelterwood, overstocking and diversifying tree species.

  • Glossary

    Use this glossary to find clear definitions of terms and phrases used throughout this guidance.