Correlations of beech marten bags with small game bags, forest areas and weather conditions

Abstract

From 1993/94 to 2000/01 the yearly hunting bag of the beech marten (Martes foina ERXL.) was calculated for a 1000 ha hunting area for 78 districts and townships in North-West Germany. The beech marten bag per anno was correlated with the bags of the pheasant, brown hare, red fox and the percentage of forest areas. The correlation coefficient curves with the pheasant and hare bags show increasing relations, whereas the coefficient curves with fox bags and woodland decrease. That means: An increasing hunting pressure upon the beech marten in the region where pheasant and hare is shot in greater number, and on the other hand, a decreasing hunting pressure on the marten in the woodland region of the studied area. The beech marten bag curve from 1969/70 to 2000/01, of the Borken, Coesfeld and Munster district, was correlated with the bag curves of eight small game species. The trend of partridge, pheasant, wild rabbit and stoat bag curves decreases, consequently significant negative coefficients were calculated with the bags of these species. The increasing time curves of the red fox, brown hare, polecat and mallard bags, however, correlate in a positive manner. Taking the same marten curve of the Munsterland region as a basis, we did a second time-row analysis putting it into relation with 36 factors of monthly weather conditions. The positive correlation with the temperature in degreesC in April, as well as the significant positive relation with the sunshine hours in the month of January is the most striking result.