Patterns of stem damage by moose (Alces alces) in young Pinus sylvestris stands in Sweden

The incidence of recent moose browsing of the main stem on young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees, and correlations with tree or stand character istics, were examined using data from a large-scale survey in Sweden. On av erage, 10% of all Scots pine main stems showed one or more types of recent damage, with browsing of the apical leader accounting for about 75% of all damage recorded. Stripping of bark off the main stem occurred most frequent ly in the southern area. where site productivity is highest. Apical leader browsing was negatively correlated with height of the main stems, length of the apical leader and incidence of pre-commercial thinning, whereas bark s tripping and stem breaking were positively correlated with the same variabl es. All types of recent stem damage correlated positively with the extent o f previous stem damage and also with the extent of recent browsing of later al shoots.