We are EURODEER, an open, bottom-up collaborative project to investigate the spatial ecology of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) across the latitudinal and environmental gradients characterizing the distribution of this species. Thanks to the underpinning spatial database that organizes and shares datasets from multiple populations, we aim to promote comparative theoretical and applied research into European roe deer behaviour and ecology at the European scale. Our open, bottom-up and cooperative network structure helps spur proactive engagement of members throughout all stages of research.
European roe deer is a very well studied species, because of its crucial role in European ecosystems and because it is a very good model species, both for ecological and evolutionary reasons. Moreover, the European roe deer is the most numerous deer species in Europe and an important game species. Roe deer are an excellent study species to investigate the effect of environmental and anthropogenic variability, because of its wide distribution range, spanning across latitudes and encompassing a diversity of habitats.
Roe deer is a generalist, concentrate selector of a wide range of plants and portions of plants with high nutritive value. Roe deer space use varies along a continuum, from residency in stable home ranges, to migratory movements between seasonal ranges (especially in mountainous areas, e.g., the Alps), or resource-rich patches (commuting behavior). The roe deer is a key species in zoonotic cycles, especially for tick-borne diseases. It is a key prey of wolves and lynx.
Events
EURODEER members gather in annual workshop-style meetings . These meetings are a key activity of the EURODEER network, being an opportunity to share knowledge and cultivate mutual trust and a sense of cohesive scientific community.
XVI EURODEER / IX EUROBOAR meeting, Montevecchio, Costa Verde, Sardinia, 2024-09-01 / 2024-09-07
XV EURODEER meeting, Zernez, Switzerland, 2023-06-26 / 2023-06-29
XIV EURODEER meeting, Mercantour, France, 2022-06-30 / 2022-07-02
XIII EURODEER meeting, Online, 2021-06-28 / 2021-06-30
XII EURODEER meeting, Online, 2020-07-01 / 2020-07-03
XI EURODEER meeting, Dublin, Ireland, 2019-06-12 / 2019-06-15
X EURODEER meeting, Sant’Antonio Valfurva, Italy, 2018-06-25 / 2018-06-27
IX EURODEER meeting, Fornhtenstein, Austria, 2017-04-18 / 2017-04-21
VIII EURODEER meeting, Moscheta, Italy, 2016-06-29 / 2016-07-02
VII EURODEER meeting, Chizé, France, 2015-03-16 / 2015-03-19
VI EURODEER meeting, Grimso, Sweden, 2014-07-01 / 2014-07-06
V EURODEER meeting, Kalo, Denmark, 2013-12-02 / 2013-12-05
IV EURODEER meeting, Toulouse, France, 2013-03-18 / 2013-03-21
III EURODEER meeting, San Michele all’Adige, Italy, 2012-02-15 / 2012-02-17
II EURODEER meeting, Srni, Czech Republic, 2011-06-07 / 2011-06-08
I EURODEER meeting, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Italy, 2010-12-15 / 2010-12-17
Publications
The main goal of EURODEER is to produce collaborative science, which includes scientific papers in peer review journals but also participation in congresses and workshops where themes relevant to the project are discussed. Education is also an important element of the projects, especially for PhD and Master of Science students. In addition to the scientific outputs that were produced completely by EURODEER there are a number of other outputs to which EURODEER contributed significantly
EURODEER_18: Wherever I may roam—Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents Mumme S., Middleton A., Ciucci P., De Groeve J., Corradini A., Aikens E.O., Ossi F., Atwood P., Balkenol N., Cole E.K., Debeffe L., Dewey S.R., Fischer C., Gude J., Heurich M., Hurley M.A., Jarnemo A., Kauffman M.J., Licoppe A., van Loon E., McWhirter D., Mong T.W., Pedrotti L., Morellet N., Mysterud A., Peters W., Proffitt K., Said S., Signer J., Sunde P., Stary M., and Cagnacci F., Global Change Biology, 2023
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16769
EURODEER_16: Day versus night use of forest by red and roe deer as determined by Corine Land Cover and Copernicus Tree Cover Density: assessing use of geographic layers in movement ecology. Salvatori úM., De Groeve J., van Loon E., De Baets B., Morellet N., Focardi S., Bonnot N.C., Gehr B., Griggio M., Heurich M., Kroeschel M., Licoppe A., Moorcroft P.R.M., ú Pedrotti L., Signer J., Van de Weghe N., Cagnacci F., Landscape Ecology, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01416-w
EURODEER_13: Climate change and anthropogenic food manipulation interact in shifting the distribution of a large herbivore at its altitudinal range limit Bright-Ross J., Peters W., Ossi F., Moorcroft P., Cordano E., Eccel E., Bianchini F., Ramanzin M., Cagnacci F., Scientific Reports, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86720-2
EURODEER_8: Sex differences in condition-dependence of natal dispersal in a large herbivore: dispersal propensity and distance are decoupled. Hewison A. J. M., Gaillard, J-M Morellet N., Cagnacci F., Debeffe L., Cargnelutti B., Gehr B., Krschel M., Heurich M., Coulon A., Kjellander P., Brger L., Focardi S., Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2947
EURODEER_15: Roads constrain movement across behavioural processes in a partially migratory ungulate Passoni G., Coulson T., Ranc N., Corradini A., Hewison A.J.M., Ciuti S., Gehr B., Heurich M., Brieger F., Sandfort R., Mysterud A., Balkenhol N., Cagnacci F., Movement Ecology, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-021-00292-4
EURODEER_14: Settle down! Ranging behaviour Responses of roe deer to different capture and release methods. Bergvall U.A., Morellet N., Kjellander P., Rauset G.R., De Groeve J., Borowik T., Brieger F., Gehr B., Heurich M., Hewison A.J.M., Kroeschel M., Pellerin M., Said S., Soennischen L., Sunde P., Cagnacci F., Animals, 2021
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113299
EURODEER_12: Stay home, stay safe - site familiarity reduces predation risk in a large herbivore in two contrasting study sites. Gehr B., Bonnot N., Heurich M., Cagnacci F., Ciuti S., Hewison M., Gaillard J.-M., Ranc N., Premier J., Vogt K., Hofer E., Ruser A., Vimercati E., Keller L., Journal of Animal Ecology, 2020
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13161
EURODEER_9: Individual Movement - Sequence Analysis Method (IM-SAM): characterizing spatio-temporal patterns of animal habitat use across landscapes De Groeve J., Cagnacci F., Ranc N., Bonnot N.C., Gehr B., Heurich M., Hewison A.J.M., Kroeschel M., Linnell J.D.C., Morellet N., Mysterud A., Sandfort R., Van de Weghe N., International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2020
https://doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2019.1594822
EURODEER_11: Fear of the dark? Contrasting impacts of humans vs lynx on diel activity of roe deer across Europe. Bonnot N., Couriot O., Berger A., Cagnacci F., Ciuti S., De Groeve J., Gehr B., Heurich M., Kjellander P., Kroeschel M., Morellet N., Soennischen L., Hewison M., Journal of Animal Ecology, 2020
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2947
EURODEER_10: Large herbivores migration plasticity along wide environmental gradients in Europe: life-history traits modulate forage effect. Peters, W., Hebblewhite, M., Mysterud, A., Eacker, D., Hewison, M., Focardi, S., Urbano, F., Gehr, B., Heurich, M. Jarnemo, A., Kjellander, P., Krschel, M., Linnell, J., Morellet, N., Pedrotti, L., Reinecke, H., Sandford, R., Soennichsen, L., Sunde, P., Cagnacci, F., Oikos, 2019
https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.05588
EURODEER_7: Truly sedentary? The multi-range tactic as a response to resource heterogeneity and unpredictability in a large herbivore. Couriot O., Hewison A.J.M., Said S., Cagnacci F., Chamaill‚-Jammes S., Linnel J.D.C., Mysterud A., Peters W., Urbano F., Heurich M., Kjellander P., Nicoloso S., Berger A., Sustr P., Kroeschel M., Soennichsen L., Sandfort R., Gehr B., Morellet N., Oecologia, 2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4131-5
EURODEER_6: Migration in geographic and ecological space by a large herbivore. Peters W., Hebblewhite,M., Mysterud A., Spitz D., Focardi S., Urbano F., Morellet N., Heurich M., Kjellander P., Linnell J. D. C., Cagnacci F., Ecological Monographs, 2017
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1250
EURODEER_4: How many routes lead to migration? Comparison of methods to assess and characterise migratory movements. Cagnacci F., Focardi S., Ghisla A., van Moorter B., Merrill E., Gurarie E., Heurich M., Mysterud A., Linnell J.D.C., Panzacchi M., May R., Nygrd T., Rolandsen C., Hebblewhite M., Journal of Animal Ecology, 2016
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12449
EURODEER_5: Plastic response by a small cervid to ad-libitum supplemental feeding in winter across a wide environmental gradient. Ossi F., Gaillard J.M., Hebblewhite M., Morellet N., Ranc N., Sandfort R., Kroechel M., Kjellander P., Mysterud A., Linnell J.D.C., Heurich M., Soennischen L., Sustr P., Berger A., Rocca M., Urbano F., Cagnacci F., Ecosphere, 2016
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1629
EURODEER_3: A one night stand? Reproductive excursions of female roe deer as a breeding dispersal tactic Debeffe L., Focardi S., Bonenfant C., Hewison A.J.M., Morellet N., Vanp‚ C., Heurich M., Kjellander P., Linnell J.D.C., Mysterud A., Pellerin M., Sustr P., Urbano F., Cagnacci F., Oecologia, 2014
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-3021-8
EURODEER_2: Seasonality, weather, and climate affect home range size in roe deer across a wide latitudinal gradient within Europe. Morellet N., Bonenfant C., Brger L., Ossi F., Cagnacci F., Heurich M., Kjellander P., Linnell J.D.C., Nicoloso S., Pavel S., Urbano F., Mysterud A., Journal of Animal Ecology, 2013
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12105
EURODEER_1: Partial migration in roe deer: migratory and resident tactics are end points of a behavioural gradient determined by ecological factors. Cagnacci F., Focardi S., Hewison A.J.M., Morellet N., Heurich M., Stache A., Kjellander P., Linnell J.D.C., Mysterud A., Neteler M., Delucchi L., Ossi F., Urbano F., Oikos, 2011
https://doi.org/0.1080/13658816.2019.1594822
Related PhD theses
The following PhD theses relied in part on the EURODEER dataset and collaborative team but, mostly, contributed excellent science out of it! Congrats for achieving such an important result!
- Lucie De Beffe, University of Tolouse, France, 2013
- Federico Ossi, University of Lyon, France, 2015
- Ferdinando Urbano, University IUAV, Venice, Italy, 2015
- Wibke Peters, University of Montana, USA, 2015
- Benedikt Gehr, University of Zurich, Switzerland, 2016
- Ophelie Couriot, University of Tolouse, France, 2018
- Johannes de Groeve, University of Ghent, Belgium, 2018
- Nathan Ranc, Harvard University, USA, 2020
- Steffen Mumme, University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Italy, 2021
- Gioele Passoni, Oxford University, UK, 2022
Since 2012, Vectronic Aerospace GmbH is the official sponsor of EURODEER project. In 2018, it has started to support the entire EUROMAMMALS initiative, showing to strongly believe in collaborative science and in the scientific potentiality of animal-borne information, such that provided by their products.
