Management model proposal for red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Türkmenbaba wildlife development area

This thesis aims to suggest a management model for red deer in the Türkmenbaba Wildlife Development Area (WDA) in Kütahya. In the first stage, population density was estimated by using the Faecal Standing Crop (FSC) method through faecal group counts in 80 sample areas. An average of 2.125±0.246 pellet groups per hectare were counted, and a density of 17.71±2.05 pellet groups per hectare was obtained. The estimated population density for WDA is 0.999±0.116 individuals per km², and the estimated population size is 118.77±13.75 individuals. Higher densities were found in forests dominated by Scots pine and oriental beech, while lower densities were observed in areas with settlements, coniferous forests, and oak. In the second stage, field data, including pellets, tracks and signs of red deer, were modeled using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) method with environmental and climatic variables. The model's Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) values were 0.898 for training data and 0.889 for test data, identifying elevation, distance to roads, forest stand, slope, aspect suitability index, seasonal streams, and settlement density as key variables. In the third stage, the population density and habitat suitability maps were integrated using fuzzy logic to generate a zoning map. The five largest Absolute Protection Zones were connected through 10 corridors designed using the GUIDOS program, resulting in a potential corridor network for red deer. This management model is expected to enhance biodiversity conservation, inform conservation strategies, and support sustainable hunting tourism planning in the Türkmenbaba WDA