During the winter period 2006/2007, research was carried out on the distribution and number of black grouse in coniferous lowland forest, Bory Dolnośląskie and the Karkonosze Mountains in southwest Poland. During 27 workshops, more than 800 members of various hunting clubs and representatives of the local State Forest Service presented information about place i.e., forest compartments and date when black grouse was seen. Next, this information was put on forest maps. Birds that could be seen twice of more were arbitrarily excluded by time-space analysis. In Bory Dolnośląskie, a declining black grouse population was present in 12 hunting districts covering 50.5 thousands ha of forest. The estimate of this species was 60 birds, i.e., 1.18 birds per 1 000 ha. In the Karkonosze Mountains, increasing black grouse population occurred in 8 hunting districts within a forest area of 30.1 thousands ha. The black grouse number was estimated to 169 birds, i.e., 5.61 birds per 1 000 ha. In the heather-land of Bory Dolnośląskie, 200 artificial nests were distributed on transect lines between the habitat (A) where black grouse is still present and the one (B) where it disappeared, and 14 movable digital cameras with movement detector triggered by infrared sensor were temporarily located at randomly selected nests that were destroyed by predators. The picture analysis showed that raven (Corvus corax) destroyed 93.9% and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) 6.1% of the nests. All the nests were damaged within 7 days. The rate of nest damage was faster in habitat B. Population dynamics of lowland and mountain black grouse population is analysed and discussed.
A predator removal study was done in Finland to reveal the possible effects of mammalian predators on the breeding success of ducks. Predator removal/protection from hunting was most effective in northern Finland. Also in eastern Finland predator removal had some influence on predator numbers, whereas its impact on predator numbers was not so evident in southern Finland. In southern Finland, no increase in the breeding success of ducks was observed in the predator removal area, whereas in northern Finland the relative reproduction rate of diving ducks increased in the removal area and that of dabbling ducks declined in the control area. In eastern Finland, the breeding success of ducks declined in both areas. There was a positive relationship between the raccoon dog index and the relative reproduction rate of dabbling ducks in southern Finland, indicating that raccoon dog numbers probably are of minor importance for the breeding success of ducks. On the contrary, there was a negative relationship between the fox and marten indices and the breeding success of ducks in some areas. Marten and fox removal may thus have a positive effect on the breeding success of ducks in Finland. The effect of the American mink could not be verified in this study.