Habitat use and abundance of mesocarnivores and deer along Eastern Loch Lomond

Habitats play a crucial role in the lives of every animal, providing the necessary resources for a species to live and reproduce. For mesocarnivores, a diverse group of predatory species with wide variation in diet and social behaviours, habitat requirements for feeding and reproduction may vary. In Scotland, woodlands are often favoured by mesocarnivores, in contrast, Scotland’s native deer are more flexible in their habitat use, occurring in woodland and open moorland, which are suitable for grazing. The aim of this study was to investigate habitat use and abundance of mesocarnivores and deer along the Eastern side of Loch Lomond with the goal of identifying favoured habitats and to estimate population density. This was undertaken by the deployment of camera traps in three different locations from April-June 2024. Results showed that mesocarnivores (badger, pine marten, red fox) did not favour any specific habitats, but roe deer were more frequently recorded in broadleaf woodlands and red deer in moorland compared to other habitats. Using random encounter models (REMs), estimated population densities for all species were within the range of previous estimated abundance across other regions of Scotland. In conclusion, this study demonstrates effective methods of examining the habitat use and abundance of mammals within a localized area of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. These field and analytical methods could be applied in future to a wide geographical area to provide useful information for the conservation and management of these species.