iDeer

Project iDeer: Managing deer alongside woodland creation

Project iDeer ran from March 2023 to September 2025 and was funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 'Future of UK Treescapes' programme. The project brought together an interdisciplinary team with collective expertise in woodland and deer ecology, conservation conflict, animal behaviour modelling, social science methods, and web tool development.

With increasing deer populations threatening the UK's ambitious woodland creation targets, the project addressed a critical challenge: how to effectively manage deer impacts at landscape scales while navigating the diverse values and objectives of different stakeholder groups.

Our approach

The project had three interconnected aims:

Developing predictive models (led by University of Reading, Southampton, Forest Research, NNA): We iteratively developed spatially-explicit Bayesian Belief Network models that predict deer impact risk to woodlands by different deer species in response to alternative woodland management decisions at multiple scales. These models were co-developed with deer management experts, combining local knowledge with scientific evidence and geospatial data.

Creating a decision-support tool (Reading, Forest Research, and Sylva Foundation-led): We developed the iDeer Tool, an interactive web-based platform that allows users to visualise current deer impact risk and test alternative woodland creation scenarios across landscapes of interest.

Understanding stakeholder perspectives (led by Bangor Uni): We investigated how knowledge and perceptions towards deer, their impacts, and management options vary across diverse stakeholder groups in England and Wales. Through surveys and workshops, we identified the desired features of the online tool designed to support deer management planning alongside woodland creation.

Key findings and outputs

The project delivered both practical tools and important insights into the social dimensions of deer management:

The iDeer Tool maps deer damage risk across landscapes and enables users to compare alternative woodland planting scenarios. It provides actionable insights for managing deer impacts to woodlands while considering effects on neighbouring properties and the broader landscape. The tool is freely available online and designed for use by landowners, land managers, and local authorities. The tool can be accessed here: https://ideer-project.shinyapps.io/ideer/ A pre-print describing the tool can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.32942/X28H3D
Social dimensions matter. Our research revealed that differences in beliefs and acceptance of lethal and non-lethal management practices are linked to the nature of people's involvement in land management. Difficulties in collaborative management stem more from differences in views about deer, deer management, and land management objectives than from financial constraints. The paper can be accessed here: Cini et al. (2025)
Integrating diverse perspectives is essential. Successful landscape-scale deer management requires accounting for people's beliefs and land management needs alongside ecological considerations. The participatory approach used in developing the iDeer Tool ensured it addresses real-world needs and concerns.

The project demonstrates how combining ecological modelling, stakeholder engagement, and digital tools can support more effective, collaborative approaches to managing conservation conflicts at landscape scales.