Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) browsing pressure affects yew (Taxus baccata) recruitment within nature reserves in Norway

Grazing and browsing by large herbivores is known to affect patterns of biodiversity. Still much remains to be done to assess the specific role of browsing on single, red listed plant species. In Norway, the yew (Taxus baccata) is a threatened species and several nature reserves have been established. We show, that within two nature reserves between 1988 and 2003, yew recruitment was strongly dependent on variation in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) browsing pressure. Our study emphasized that establishing nature reserves for yew is not enough to conserve this species unless control over browsing roe deer population is also taken. We argue that roe deer, being the most abundant large herbivore in Europe, may have a larger effect on conservation than currently realized.