Economically optimal management of two deer species competing for food

This paper presents a bioeconomic model to analyze the role of interspecies competition between roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) and the implications of the competition on optimal harvesting strategies. Analytical solutions derived from the model suggest that the degree of inter-specie competition is an important factor in the landowner’s decision to maintain a given population of both species, as it affects the net marginal benefit from managing the two species. Our numerical results suggest that the effect of inter-species competition on total net economic benefit is small compared to the impact on roe deer population density. Inclusion of trophy values implies reduced harvest of young males, but also reduced harvest of females. Our model also shows that a pulse harvesting regime for the dominant species is economically optimal.