Deer Density and Forest Regeneration
Some links to the articles below may no longer be active, but the original article can often be found by typing the title into a search engine. Also see Wildfire, Suburban Deer Density and Restoring the American Chestnut
Deer can be too many, too few, or just enough for healthy forests March 31, 2012 NRS Research Review, No. 16, Spring 2012
... they found that deer population levels at or below 20 per square mile allowed undergrowth to recover. The study surprised scientists, though, when there was some regrowth even at very high deer densities.... when deer populations were reduced to just-right densities (from about 28 to about 15 deer per square mile in that particular landscape) populations of wildflower indicator species such as trilliums and Canada mayflower started to recover ... one species of small tree/shrub, pin cherry, that had become overabundant at the lowest levels of deer density (10 per square mile in that study). They soon realized that this phenomenon was early evidence of such a thing as too few deer. Pin cherry, a shrubby cousin of black cherry (a desirable lumber tree), can outcompete other species when highly abundant...
Maybe deer aren't the forest-killers we thought they were October 6, 2020 Concord Monitor
... A report from the U.S. Forest Service (read it here) says: ... using current tree surveys and historical records they examined trends in tree species preferred by deer. Researchers found white-tail deer have not reduced tree densities at landscape scales across the Eastern U.S. In fact, they propose other management influences and fire exclusion have had bigger impacts...
Plant Richness Increases with Surrounding Habitat and Management Burns over 30-years in Suburban Forest Understories - Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2023
... Many depend on herbivory by white-tailed deer (Odoceilus virginianus) to disperse propagules over long-distances (Matlack, 1994, Myers et al., 2004, Vellend et al., 2006). White-tailed deer are expected to be especially important dispersers in fragmented landscapes; without deer, most forest herbs could only disperse a few meters from the parent plant and would be unable to recruit into a neighboring forested area (Matlack, 1994, Cain et al., 1998, Myers et al., 2004). In suburban landscapes, deer may be even more critical, as urbanization shifts the primary driver of diversity from local micro-environmental conditions in the understory to landscape factors that limit recruitment by reducing the availability of propagules (Rogers et al. 2009)...
Cumulative effects of chronic deer browsing and clear-cutting on regeneration processes in second-growth white spruce stands M Barrette, L Bélanger, L De Grandpré, JC Ruel - Forest Ecology and Management, 2014
.. the cumulative effect of chronic deer browsing and recent clear-cutting on regeneration processes of mature second-growth white spruce stands has not yet been evaluated. ... Our results indicate regeneration failure in both ecosystems, which can be explained by a lack of suitable rotten logs for sufficient establishment of white spruce seedlings... We propose shelterwood cuttings that create nurse logs should be investigated to maintain white spruce stands without planting...
Impact of ungulate exclusion on understorey succession in relation to forest management in the Intermountain Western United States, Oregon, BK Pekin, BA Endress, MJ Wisdom, BJ Naylor… - Applied Vegetation Science, 2014
... managed sites displayed more early succession species, such as annual forbs and annual graminoids, while unmanaged sites were dominated by late-succession species such as shrubs, subshrubs and trees. Species richness, particularly of annuals, was strongly reduced when ungulates were excluded from managed sites, and to a lesser extent from unmanaged sites for some perennial plant species. Species diversity decreased to a slightly greater extent with ungulate exclusion at managed sites. Species dominance was not influenced by ungulate exclusion....
Deer‐mediated ecosystem service versus disservice depends on forest management intensity TD Stokely, MG Betts - Journal of Applied Ecology, 2019
... Overall, our findings indicate that the effects of vegetation management for promoting timber production are highly dependent on the presence of large herbivores... Although deer are thought to reduce crop productivity in many systems, we found that herbivory switched from reducing crop‐tree growth where non‐crop vegetation was retained, to promoting crop‐tree growth when both herbivory and herbicides suppressed competing vegetation...
Overabundant ungulates in French Sologne? Increasing red deer and wild boar pressure may not threaten woodland birds in mature forest stands M Baltzinger, A Mårell, F Archaux, T Pérot, F Leterme… - Basic and Applied Ecology, 2016
... Generally, increasing deer browsing pressure did not have any negative effect on woodland birds in mature forest stands with a developed canopy, and did not result in lower shrub cover. Most previous studies documenting a negative effect of browsing on birds focused on young forest stands where overstory vegetation was scarce. Our results suggest that the impact of ungulate pressure on forest birds may decrease with forest stand age...
Does hunting threaten timber regeneration in selectively logged tropical forests?
C Rosin - Forest Ecology and Management, 2014
... Vertebrate seed dispersers are often heavily hunted, resulting in reduced seed movement for many species and a shift in community composition to favor those plants dispersed by small animals and abiotic means. Timber species with large seeds and fleshy fruit are at particular risk for dispersal and recruitment failure. Hunting also alters granivore communities, resulting in increased predation on species favored by insects and small rodents, and changing the spatial template of seed predation, with detrimental effects on many timber species. Large vertebrate herbivores decline with hunting pressure, resulting in the modification of plant competitive interactions. This is disadvantageous to several traits that are common among timber trees, including relatively slow growth and high wood density...
Eaten but not always beaten: winners and losers along a red deer herbivory gradient in boreal forest SJ Hegland, K Rydgren - Journal of Vegetation Science, 2015
... Twelve taxa had optima at zero to low herbivory intensity (losers), while 25 species had optima at intermediate to high herbivory intensity (winners), with most species peaking at intermediate intensity. The growth forms young trees and dwarf shrubs were losers, and ferns, forbs, bryophytes and juvenile trees were winners. At the functional trait level, woody species were the only losers, whereas clonal, prostrate and non-palatable species were more abundant towards the high end of the herbivory gradient...
White‐tailed deer as the last megafauna dispersing seeds in Neotropical dry forests: the role of fruit and seed traits A Jara‐Guerrero, G Escribano‐Avila, CI Espinosa… - Biotropica, 2017
... the removal of fruit pulp resulting from ingestion by white-tailed deer could have a deinhibition effect on germination due to seed release. Thus, white-tailed deer play an important role as legitimate seed dispersers of woody species formerly considered autochorous ...
Chronic wasting disease, climate change will affect deer hunting, and that's not good news for the environment December 1, 2019 Pennsylvania, LancasterOnline
... the right balance of deer tends to actually increase the carrying capacity (the maximum number the environment can support without detrimental effects) of the landscape. The study found that in West Virginia, where deer levels were found to be lower than the carrying capacity of the landscape, a mix of deer, ground fire and canopy gaps increased diversity compared to enclosures where deer were excluded entirely from reaching the forest..,
Highstead Foundation: Getting data on your backyard eco-system September 1, 2015 Connecticut, The Redding Pilot
... Just beside the Redding Country Club ... a focus on long-term ecological studies .... one on deer impact that has been running for 17 years... Some exotic species benefit from deer browsing and some do not. Japanese barberry does better in areas where deer can graze, but burning bush and oriental bittersweet do better protected... , there is greater diversity of native shrubs inside a deer exclosure... greater diversity of native herbs outside the deer exclosures...
Direct and indirect effects of white-tailed deer in forest ecosystems, Forest Ecology and Management Volume 181, Issues 1–2, 3 August 2003, Pages 165–176
Thomas P Rooney, , Donald M Waller
As reported in Figure 2, the density of yellow birch seedlings measured in the forest ecosystem fell off dramatically when the deer density fell much below 18 deer per square mile (about 7 deer per square km) or when deer density was much above about 44 deer per square mile (about 17 deer per square km).
The Northern White-Cedar Recruitment Bottleneck: Understanding the Effects of Substrate, Competition, and Deer Browsing LF Reuling, CC Kern, LS Kenefic, DR Bronson - Forests, 2019
... Results: None of the measures of deer browsing used in this study were found to be associated with white-cedar regeneration. Soil pH, competition from other seedlings and saplings, and stem density of white-cedar in the overstory were found to be potentially associated with white-cedar regeneration. Conclusions: While browsing by deer is likely a factor affecting white-cedar regeneration in many areas, this study highlights the challenge of quantifying deer browse effects, as well as showing that other factors likely contribute to the difficulty of regenerating white-cedar ...
T Enoki, T Yabe, T Koizumi - Journal of Forest Research, 2015 Japan
... During the year when culling was conducted, the number of sika deer caught on camera decreased around the center of the study site where the culling was conducted and the number of browsed seedlings decreased. During the year following culling, the cumulative number of browsed seedlings was very similar to that in the year before the culling, while the same low number of sika deer was caught on camera. These results indicate that the effects of deer culling resulted in decreased levels of sika deer appearance and browse damage for more than 1 year and for several months, respectively.
As It Turns Out, Deer Munching on Plants is Good for the EnvironmentApril 11, 2014 Maryland, Care2.com
... The latest study, published this month in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B ... The researchers, a team from the Smithsonian, chose a Maryland forest as their setting and planted 140 3x3 plots of saplings ... After three years, the researchers discovered that the plots with higher diversity were the ones the deer had grazed. The researchers believe that the deer acted, in a sense, as instinctual gardeners...
Optimum density of sika deer for tree seedling survival H Itô, T Hino, H Takahashi - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2014
... We estimated optimum deer density was 9.5 deer/km2 (24.6 deer per square mile) when floor leaf biomass of the dwarf bamboo was 0.15 kg/m2.... These results suggested that in this system, managing deer density at moderate levels might be more effective from a forest regeneration perspective than the complete exclusion of deer...
Adjacency to a harvest trail increases drought resistance of interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) in partially harvested stands in central British Columbia NP Thompson, KJ Lewis, L Poirier - Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2018
... Trees are often clustered in interior Douglas-fir forests near the grassland interface in central British Columbia due to past harvesting practices or habitat management for mule deer... Edge trees had intermediate growth rates but no differences were found in the long-term climate/growth relationship compared to open growing trees. Both Edge and Open classes showed less relative growth reduction during droughts than Interior trees growing between harvest trails...
Landscape-scale vegetation patterns influence small-scale grazing impacts EK Moore, AJ Britton, G Iason, J Pemberton… - Biological Conservation, 2015
... Understanding the distribution of herbivory is of great importance to planning the conservation management of plant communities. Control of wild and domestic large herbivore populations at large scales is commonly used to manipulate their impacts. However, the relationship between large scale population density and local impacts is often weak as the spatial layout of plant communities, and the herbivores' preferences for them, can drive the herbivores' habitat use... Herbivore density was only weakly correlated to grazing impacts...
Introduced deer at low densities do not inhibit the regeneration of a dominant tree
PJ Bellingham, SJ Richardson, NWH Mason… - … Ecology and Management, 2016
... Deer have been introduced to forests worldwide as non-native invasive species. Red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) were introduced to New Zealand in 1851, became abundant throughout its forests, then their populations declined to current, typically low densities... We conclude that red deer, at current low densities, affect the regeneration of the dominant canopy tree of these forests slightly, but at levels that are unlikely to prevent canopy replacement...
Restoration of central Texas savanna and woodland: the effects of fire, deer, and invasive species on plant community trajectories CM Andruk - 2014
... deer can indirectly benefit hardwoods by reducing competition with palatable forbs (ch. 3). In general, these results show that fire suppression in central Texas oak-dominated woodlands is causing a shift not to more mesic-adapted species, as observed in the eastern US, but to J. ashei, which is at least as xeric-adapted as oak, a process I termed 'juniperization'.
Annual acorn count helps take pulse of CT's forests October 31, 2024 Connecticut, CT Mirror
... This year’s survey showed red oak trees had a bumper acorn crop... only 9% of white oaks produced acorns...a disturbing trend... There is growing concern about the lack white oak saplings in the entire country..,
As It Turns Out, Deer Munching on Plants is Good for the Environment April 11, 2014 Maryland, Care2.com
... The latest study, published this month in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B ... The researchers, a team from the Smithsonian, chose a Maryland forest as their setting and planted 140 3x3 plots of saplings ... After three years, the researchers discovered that the plots with higher diversity were the ones the deer had grazed. The researchers believe that the deer acted, in a sense, as instinctual gardeners...
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) positively affect the growth of mature northern red oak (Quercus rubra) trees RW Lucas, R Salguero-Gómez, DB Cobb, BG Waring… - Ecosphere, 2013
.... Our findings highlight the indirect effects of white-tailed deer on the growth of adult individuals of Q. rubra in a way opposite of what would be expected from previous studies based on immature or understory tree populations. We suggest the increased growth of adult trees in the presence of deer may be explained by increased nutrient inputs through deer fecal and urine deposits and the alteration of the competitive environment belowground through the reduction of understory vegetation by browsing. Underscoring the ecological and demographic importance of adult trees in forest ecosystems, results from this study suggest the direct and indirect effects of deer on mature trees should not be overlooked.
Indirect Effects of a Keystone Herbivore Elevate Local Animal Diversity, KATHERINE R. GREENWALD,*, LISA J. PETIT, THOMAS A. WAITE The Journal of Wildlife Management Volume 72, Issue 6, pages 1318–1321, August 2008
Abstract: We quantified indirect effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on ground-dwelling herpetofauna and invertebrates in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, USA. We placed cover boards at 12 sites, each consisting of a 10 × 10-m fenced (exclosure) plot and an unfenced (control) plot. Periodically, during May-December 2004 and May-September 2005, we counted salamanders, snakes, and a variety of invertebrate taxa. Salamander, snake, and gastropod abundance as well as invertebrate richness (no. of species or higher level taxa) were higher in control than exclosure plots. Our findings suggest that management actions taken to regulate deer densities could have the unintended effect of reducing local animal diversity.
Appropriate vegetation indices for measuring the impacts of deer on forest ecosystems H Iijima, T Nagaike - Ecological Indicators, 2014
... Overall, we predict that debarking of small trees living in heavy snow areas should occur even at low deer densities (<10 deer/km2). Browsing on dwarf bamboo should occur at intermediate deer densities (10–30 deer/km2), while debarking of thick trees living in low snow areas should occur only at high deer densities (≥30 deer/km2). Our study shows that debarking and browsing on understory vegetation are appropriate indices for evaluating deer impacts on forest ecosystems, but that tree size, snow depth, and the type of understory vegetation should also be considered...
Some plants evolve tolerance to deer December 4, 2014 New York, Cornell Chronicle
... An experiment with 26 populations of orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), a common wetland native plant, found that historically browsed populations tolerated being eaten by deer far better than historically protected plant populations...
Effects of wildlife management in national parks on its populations - Where to go? Dominik Dachs, Research in Protected Areas, 2013
... "The “landscape of fear” is widely ignored as a key natural process in our ecosystems. Without anti-predation behavior, ungulate species are kept in a system that is far from being natural. For protecting the natural processes in national parks without predators, the question is not if population control is maintained, but rather how it is done (CROMSIGT et al. 2013). Regular hunting is a very poor substitute for imitating the “landscape of fear” normally created by large carnivores (PROFFITT et al. 2009) and contains great risks to the objectives of the national parks. Human hunters can select by unnatural behavioral criteria (MILNER et al. 2007) or have negative genetic effects (COLTMAN et al. 2003).
Exclusion of large herbivores: Long-term changes within the plant community M Newman, FJG Mitchell, DL Kelly - Forest Ecology and Management, 2013
... Fencing to conserve biodiversity is increasingly used as a management tool, so the long-term impacts of large herbivore removal requires investigation. The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of large herbivore exclusion on vegetation, through time, using empirical long-term vegetation data collected over ∼40 years...With total removal of large herbivores from the oak woodland ecosystem, this study has identified significant changes in ground flora composition and abundance, and a general homogenisation of the vegetation community with increasing time since large herbivore removal. Large-scale long-term fencing of oak woodlands should be replaced by large herbivore management programmes, in order to ensure the conservation of diverse woodland ecosystems.
Spatiotemporal variation in deer browse and tolerance in a woodland herb HR Prendeville, JC Steven, LF Galloway - Ecology, 2014
... To investigate broad-scale patterns of deer herbivory, we examined the frequency and reproductive consequences of deer browse over three years in 17 populations of Campanulastrum americanum spanning the latitudinal extent of its range. Even though deer are overabundant throughout the range of C. americanum, we found spatiotemporal variation in deer browse frequency (0-0.96, mean 0.46) and its effects on plant reproductive success. The four southernmost populations experienced high levels of herbivory ... Across many populations and years, average fitnesses of browsed and uneaten plants were similar, suggesting that plants are tolerant to browse. However, since large plants have greater reproductive success and are more likely to be browsed, tolerance may be influenced by plant size...
T Nuttle, TE Ristau, AA Royo - Journal of Ecology, 2013
... We sampled understorey vegetation in former clearcut areas where density of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was manipulated (3.9-31.2 deer/km2) for 10 years (1979-1990) and stands experienced ambient deer density (ca. 10-12 deer/km2) for the next 20 years (1990-2010) to determine whether initial deer-density treatments still influenced understorey vegetation in 30-yr old, closed-canopy forests.
Stands initially (1979-1990) exposed to higher deer densities had ca. five times higher fern cover and a third the seedling and forb cover in 2010, as well as significantly lower angiosperm species density, compared to stands initially exposed to lower deer densities...
Volunteers Safeguard 30K Reforested Seedlings at Rajala Woods September 26, 2015 Minnesota, WDIO-TV
... A massive undertaking to protect white pine seedlings was underway on Saturday at Boulder Lake as a team of volunteers spent the day bud capping acres of reforested trees there. The white pine buds are a favorite meal for deer, so capping is meant to prevent that. The effort was just another step in Minnesota Power's Rajala Woods initiative to provide for industry and natural benefit with new, healthy forests...
Managing landscapes for multiple objectives: alternative forage can reduce the conflict between deer and forestry A Jarnemo, J Minderman, N Bunnefeld, J Zidar… - Ecosphere, 2014
...Deer (Cervidae) cause considerable damage to forest plantations, crops, and protected habitats. The most common response to this damage is to implement strategies to lower population densities ... On the landscape scale, damage level was negatively related to availability of forage in the field and shrub layers and proportion forest, but was not related to any of the relative deer density indices. Increasing alternative forage may thus decrease damage and thereby reduce conflicts. Additionally, the proportion of forest in the landscape affects damage levels and should thus be considered in landscape planning and when forecasting damage risk...
Understanding deer damage is crucial when planting new forests April 28, 2020 United Kingdom, Mirage News
... “Recent official national statistics from the National Forest Inventory highlighted the fact that 40 percent of British forests have ‘unfavourable’ levels herbivore damage, which limits the survival of young trees ... The study is part of SCALEFORES ... the authors have launched an interactive Deer Damage Tool to help land managers ...
Moose in southern New England? August 12, 2013 Connecticut, The Redding Pilot
... Highstead ecologist Ed Faison and colleagues are studying how both species — separately and collectively — are changing the region’s forests. And they are finding that moose and deer do not eliminate tree species but rather slow the rate of tree growth... The researchers believe their study in northern Connecticut and central Massachusetts is the first on the effects of combined deer and moose browsing in North America...
Study aims to end Rock Creek Park deer hunt August 6, 2013 Washington, D.C., WTOP
... The National Park Service has said the deer hunt is needed because the animals are eating so many native plants that the park can't recover... a study by Dr. Oswald Schmitz, director of the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, came to a different conclusion. "... deer are not inhibiting forest regeneration in Rock Creek Park," Jessica Almy, an attorney representing opponents of the hunt ...
National Park Service Conducts Mass Slaughter of Deer Last Night in Washington DC's Rock Creek National Park January 7, 2014 Save Rock Creek Deer News Release
... Dr. Oswald Schmitz, Director of Yale University's Institute for Biospheric Studies, analyzed the scientific studies relied upon by the NPS for removing the deer and found that the NPS did not analyze its own data properly. Dr. Schmitz found, unequivocally, that the approximately 300 deer are NOT preventing the Park's forest from regenerating. Dr. Schmitz found that the most serious threat to the Park's native vegetation is invasive non-native plants -- a problem that the NPS has known about for more than 20 years but has refused to address until recently. In fact, so little native vegetation remains because of the take-over by exotic plants that native deer must leave the Park to find native food to eat..
Effects of large native herbivores on other animals CN Foster, PS Barton, DB Lindenmayer - Journal of Applied Ecology, 2014
... Most empirical studies of herbivory effects compared only two levels of herbivory (76%), and meta-analysis showed that very high densities of herbivores, when compared with very low densities, had mostly negative effects on other animal species. These negative effects were usually attributed to changes in the quantity and/or structure of vegetation. Only 24% of papers studied animal responses across a gradient of herbivore densities; and non-linear responses to herbivory, as well as responses to low and moderate herbivore densities, remain poorly understood.
The literature also was dominated by short-term studies (76% sampled animal responses for 2 years or less) and there was a high incidence of confounding factors among studies (38% of studies). In addition, many studies used only coarse metrics to assess effects (e.g. only 33% of studies assessed species composition) and few included community-level synthesis (only 31% of studies reported results from more than one animal class)....
Pinus sylvestris sapling growth and recovery from mammalian browsing
JM O'Reilly-Wapstra, BD Moore, M Brewer, J Beaton… - … Ecology and Management, 2014
... we examine the genetic basis of recovery of Scots pine saplings following browsing by red deer ... These data, matched with our finding of no negative relationships between any recovery traits, indicate that Scots pine is quite robust to once-off browsing events by deer. We suggest that at the sapling stage, Scots pine do not employ resistance as a strategy against deer, but tolerate deer browsing to counteract the negative impacts of herbivory. Hence, the use of recovery traits as a management tool to mitigate the negative impacts of browsing is an option worthy of further investigation.
General and specific responses of understory vegetation to cervid herbivory across a range of boreal forests JDM Speed, G Austrheim, AJ Hester, EL Meisingset… - Oikos, 2014
... In this study we use a regional-scale design with 51 sites in four boreal forest regions of Norway, to investigate the influence of cervid herbivory on the physical and ecological structure of field layer vegetation.... We found that the height of the field layer and the abundances of individual species were most susceptible to change following short-term cervid exclusion across different forest types and cervid species. Total vegetation density and vascular plant diversity did not respond to cervid exclusion on the same time scale. We also found that the field-layer vegetation in clear-cut forests used by moose was more susceptible to change following cervid exclusion than mature forests used by red deer, but no strong evidence that the response of vegetation to herbivore exclusion varied with productivity. Our study suggests that the parameters that respond to cervid exclusion are consistent across forest types, but that the responsiveness of different forest types is idiosyncratic and hard to predict.
Quantifying deer and turkey leaf litter disturbances in the eastern deciduous forest: have non-trophic effects of consumers been overlooked? (2014) Michael J. Chips, Michael R. Magliocca, Bill Hasson, Walter P. Carson
... we demonstrate that exclosure studies reduce physical disturbances as well as browsing, both of which may synergistically act to cause changes in forest communities. We also caution that many deer fences exclude other vertebrates such as turkeys, which are important herbivores, seed predators, and major agents of disturbance. Consequently, we argue that studies that use fences to exclude deer should explicitly consider non-trophic indirect effects, particularly leaf disturbances and the potential impact of other large consumers as well (e.g., turkeys).
Study tracks deer impact on pest plants October 24, 2011 New Zealand, ABC Online, By Fidelis Rego
Early findings from a project at a dam on southern Queensland's Darling Downs suggest feral deer may be helping reduce pest plants. University of Queensland researchers ..."We know for example that deer eat prickly pear because we've seen deer teeth marks in prickly pear that could not be eaten by kangaroos," Professor Murray said. "Now the question is how much of that eating is actually important in reducing the impact of prickly pear and equally lantana.
Modelling browsing of deer on beech and birch in northern Germany M Bobrowski, B Gillich, C Stolter - Forest Ecology and Management, 2015
... Our results indicate that the availability of stands exclusively consisting of birch (preferably young birch) might decrease the proportion of browsed beeches in neighbouring stands, or even favour the selection of birch over beech for food, which would consequently lead to increased future beech regeneration...
Tree diversity promotes growth of late successional species despite increasing deer damage in a restored forest April 2, 2020 Maryland, Ecology
... We show that tree diversity can improve growth of late successional species despite exacerbated mammalian herbivore damage. By facilitating the establishment of species with a range of life-history strategies, increased tree diversity may enhance ecosystem multi-functionality in the early stages of forest restoration...
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) positively affect the growth of mature northern red oak (Quercus rubra) trees RW Lucas, R Salguero-Gómez, DB Cobb, BG Waring… - Ecosphere, 2013
... Understanding and predicting the effects of deer (Cervidae) on forest ecosystems present significant challenges in ecosystem ecology. Deer herbivory can cause large changes in the biomass and species composition of forest understory plant communities, including early life-cycle trees (i.e., seedlings and saplings).... Our findings highlight the indirect effects of white-tailed deer on the growth of adult individuals of Q. rubra in a way opposite of what would be expected from previous studies based on immature or understory tree populations. We suggest the increased growth of adult trees in the presence of deer may be explained by increased nutrient inputs through deer fecal and urine deposits and the alteration of the competitive environment belowground through the reduction of understory vegetation by browsing. Underscoring the ecological and demographic importance of adult trees in forest ecosystems, results from this study suggest the direct and indirect effects of deer on mature trees should not be overlooked.
Old-growth forest floor richness increases with red deer herbivory intensity SJ Hegland, MS Lilleeng, SR Moe - Forest Ecology and Management, 2013
... We recorded the ungulate herbivory intensities on the island Svanøy in west Norway across 10 years and related this to the present plant richness of an old-growth pine-forest system, recording all plant species groups of the forest understory... Does increased herbivory by red deer harm boreal forest floor richness? We examine this by relating a herbivory intensity gradient to plant species richness. Increasing herbivory intensity enhance richness except at artificially high herbivory levels. Low-growing species groups benefit at the expense of taller growing woody species. Boreal forest floor richness may benefit from relatively high red deer herbivory intensity.
Herbivory impacts of elk, deer and cattle on aspen forest recruitment along gradients of stand composition, topography and climate AC Rhodes, HY Wan, SBS Clair - Forest Ecology and Management, 2017
... We examined the effects of cattle, American elk, and mule deer on aspen regeneration and recruitment along gradients of forest composition and physiographic conditions in 3 National Forests of Utah, USA... We found that 60% of the sites we surveyed had low ungulate activity and good aspen regeneration, 32% were intermediate use sites that warrant additional monitoring, and 8% of sites showed high ungulate use that exhibited aspen regeneration failure and lack of recruitment where targeted management is recommended. We conclude that ungulate impacts in aspen forests should be considered on a site by site basis ...
Regaining the History of Deer Populations and Densities in the Southeastern United States BB Hanberry, P Hanberry - Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2020
... Deer population sizes declined to a minimum of <215,000 during the early 1900s. Population sizes and mean deer densities were 304,000 and 0.22 deer/km2 by 1940, 476,000 and 0.35 deer/km2 by 1950, 2.9 million to 4.1 million and 2.2 to 3.1 deer/km2 by approximately 1970, 6.2 million and 4.6 deer/km2 by 1982, and 10.8 million to 12 million and 8 to 9 deer/km2 by about 2003... the current population may be within the bounds of mid to high historical deer densities ... deer may be considered a natural disturbance helpful in controlling increased tree densities during the past century ...
Logging can be beneficial, especially given forest fire suppression
TWRA sets record straight on habitat management strategy October 9, 2021 Tennessee, Johnson City Press
... Closed canopy, old growth forests are biological deserts that lack good habitat for most wildlife species because of the absence of ground vegetation. TWRA is restoring one of the most endangered habitats in the U.S. by restoring native grasslands. This project will convert approximately 230 acres of closed-canopy forest to “younger” habitat known as early successional habitat that will benefit a much greater variety of game and nongame species...
Timbering in state forests vital to wildlife and economy November 29, 2016 Ohio, Cincinnati.com
... The Ruffed Grouse Society ... strongly supports timber harvesting in Ohio’s publicly owned forests... the creation of new growth, early successional forests or young brushy woods... supports populations of deer and wild turkey ...
Beauregard wildfires have little impact on hunting season, deer population November 9, 2023 Louisiana, Lake Charles KPLC
... “While it is still early, we are only second to the record of 2022, so things are looking pretty good,” Bordelon said... this is likely due to the parish’s timber industry. Timber harvesting and thinning allows for more sunlight to hit the ground, promoting plant growth that deer forage for..,
New York has work to do on deer management November 25, 2015 New York, Elmira Star-Gazette
... Heavy selective timbering of our state forests would allow the growth of young forest that is appropriate for sustaining not only deer, but populations of other wildlife as well. The outcry by some to “protect” our state forests from timbering is unfounded; an old, mature forest does absolutely nothing to support wildlife...
'Maintain' Sawyer deer population, committee advises December 27, 2020, Wisconsin,Ashland Daily Press
... concerned about deer numbers in the forested areas of the county ... “The habitat up here has changed so dramatically in the last 50 years, where food coming in after timber cuts or burns is not good deer food. New species taking over the heavily-browsed areas are ironwood and blue beech, which don’t have a lot of nutrients for deer. We’re losing our shoots of maple and popple to these invasives.” ...
Variability in Seed Production Can Improve Sugar Maple Production in High Deer Density
Recruitment Success for Mast Year Cohorts of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) Over Three Decades of Heavy Deer Browsing J Macmillan, LW Aarssen - The American Midland Naturalist, 2017
... Our results suggest seed masting in sugar maple can bolster cohort recruitment success that otherwise would virtually (or completely) fail when severe impact from deer browsing is combined with other typical early life-stage mortality risks, e.g., from drought, neighborhood competition, and persistent overhead canopy shade...
Mild Browsing Can Increase Soybean Production
Controlling white-tailed deer in soybeans January 16, 2018 Michigan, Morning Ag Clips
... research by Rogerson et al. in 2014, mild to moderate damage has been shown to increase soybean yield in some cases by stimulating additional branching and pod set. Deer damage is more likely in small fields with a high proportion of forested edge, according to Braun in a 1996 study...
Heavy Deer Browsing Not A Significant Reduction in Hard Maple Stems
Effect of deer browsing on quality of hardwood timber in northern Michigan, 1955
... The conclusions to be drawn from this study, while not entirely clear in every instance, seem to show that a satisfactory stocking of hard (sugar) maple can be expected even under the severest of browsing. Since there were more than 2,000
stems per acre in the stud)' area, over 600 of which were free of serious rot, it is evident that escape occurred and that over browsing did not result in an appreciable loss in the number of potentially merchantable stems.
Deer Benefit from Logging
Forest Foods Deer Eat October 10, 2020 Michigan DNR
... As trees grow, a maturing forest provides far less food than its previous young, brushy phase which occurred shortly after logging... Preferred foods: White Cedar (Arbor Vitae), White Pine, Maples, Yellow Birch, Dogwoods and Viburnums, Sumac ...
Thinning forest canopy can pay off for landowners August 23, 2020 Oklahoma, Enid News & Eagle
... white-tailed deer can be found almost everywhere in North America, but they prefer to bed in areas with thick cover that provides protection from predators and the elements. Oklahoma deer prefer flowering plants but also forage on other types, including shoots, leaves and native grasses. They also eat acorns and fruit such as blackberries. Turning a forest into such a woodland is like opening a buffet line...
Vermont Plans to Step Up Logging on Public Land Around Camel's Hump April 11, 2018 Seven Days
... a state forester, had spotted deer tracks leading from a cluster of evergreens 50 yards away. Brimming with pride, he described how the state had approved logging in that stand of trees 17 years ago to foster ideal conditions for deer. The tracks suggested the strategy had worked...
Tribal forests in Wisconsin are more diverse, sustainable April 13, 2018 University of Wisconsin-Madison
... Deer thrive in the edges between habitats, as occur around clear-cut portions of nontribal forests. More selectively logged tribal forests, with fewer roads and houses, provide fewer edges...
One of largest timber sales in Pisgah National Forest now open for public comment August 5, 2019 North Carolina, Citizen-Times
... not just a timber sale, but aims to address change in the forest needed to meet the Forest Service’s mission of sustaining the health, diversity ... will also include permanent wildlife fields, which means removing stumps after logging so that they don’t regenerate, and seeding the fields with vegetation grouse, turkey, elk and deer like...
Asking the right questions about Predator Free New Zealand - New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 2023
... In 1930, botanist Leonard Cockayne believed that overbrowsing by deer was damaging mountain vegetation and vastly accelerating soil erosion. His world view led to his prediction, quoted with relish by Graeme Caughley (1983), that, if the numbers of deer were not controlled, “vast areas of mountain-side will be turned into moving debris”. Ten years of intense official effort by teams of ground hunters and a lot of money spent to eradicate deer from the high country proved that the high erosion rate in mountain land could not be prevented by removing deer browsing...
Watch now: No bucks but woods were alive on the opener of Wisconsin's traditional gun-deer season November 21, 2021 Madison.com
... “There’s still a lot of deer up north, but it’s not what it used to be in the good old days. And that mostly relates to the general age of the forest. The forest had been logged off heavily and as that forest was regrowing, the young forests supported a lot of deer,” Pritzl said...
Study weighs pros and cons of harvest levels December 27, 2017 Minnesota, Tower Timberjay News
... Should the state’s forests be managed mostly for industry ... While deer generally benefit from increased browse availability in the immediate aftermath of logging, Rusch said there’s an extended period as new aspen grows back, where the sites offer little useful habitat for deer and make them more vulnerable to the effects of winter...
Monitoring the effects of deer on plant abundance and diversity in old-growth temperate coastal rainforests, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia 2009 A McKenzie
... . Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) were introduced to Haida Gwaii, a remote island archipelago in British Columbia, in the late 19th century. The mild climate, abundant vegetation, absence of predators, low hunting pressure and lack of competing herbivores on Haida Gwaii allowed the deer to flourish and the population exploded. This long-term monitoring experiment studies the. effects of Sitka black-tailed deer on the diversity, abundance and reproduction of understory vegetation. In this study 20 deer exclosures were monitored over a period of 12 years from 1997 to 2009 in old growth forests on Graham Island, the largest island of the Haida Gwaii archipelago. The results showed that protection from deer did not have an effect on species richness. However, deer are having a significant impact on the abundance of understory vegetation in the medium height stratum (0.5 m - 1.5 m) and they are shifting the community composition towards less palatable species...
Poor Habitat on Public Land
Deer Harvest Results for 2017 – 2018 April 11, 2018 North Carolina, The Tribune Papers
... The total number of deer reported taken on the Pisgah National Forest was 496. That number on the Nantahala was 554. That’s 1050 deer, or one deer per one thousand acres. It should be a red flag to both the National Forest and WRC leadership that habitat on those Forests are not meeting the needs of wildlife. With a 60% rise of harvest District wide, and low harvest on public lands, this indicates deer are moving off poor habitat National Forests onto private lands...
Collecting Data
A field method for rapidly assessing deer density and impacts in forested ecosystems 2021 Ecological Management & Restoration
... The method combines commonly used protocols for surveying deer faecal pellets, vegetation impact and floristic attributes, without relying on indicator species... We detected differences in vegetation impact and other floristic attributes between four locations surveyed in 2020 from a modest sample size (23–24 transects). The method is simple to implement and can be applied in a wide range of forest types. In comparison to alternatives (e.g. fenced exclosures), this method presents a rapid and cost-effective means of collecting information on deer density and impacts, and detecting large differences in impact...
Volunteers sought to assess deer impact on vegetation June 3, 2019 Minnesota, Lillie News
... “We have surprisingly little information available statewide that determines deer impacts to vegetation,” said Matt Russell, extension forest resources specialist and university assistant professor...
Conservatism took hold here 1000 years ago. Until the people fled. June 1, 2018 New Mexico, Washington Post
... During the eighth century, a new kind of civilization arose in New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon ... As the population grew, people cleared nearby forests to plant corn. It seemed like a good idea until Chacoans belatedly realized that the forests were home to the deer whose meat and hides they prized. Just as the deer supply began to dwindle, a drought hit in the 1100s, devastating crops...
Deer population numbers stay steady, despite CWD concerns September 25, 2021 Minnesota, Post-Bulletin
... “The most recent goal-setting process had goals of 20-25 deer per square mile,” according to the DNR.
State seeks input on forest plan June 28, 2018 Pennsylvania, The Wellsboro Gazette
... an emphasis on habitat maintenance and improvement ... create a diversified age classes within the forest. Right now, about 83 percent of the state forest is “older,” ... creating a sustainable lumbering industry ...
Deer and Forest Management
Declines in deer population may point to larger issues January 10, 2022 Georgia. UGA Today
... Deer populations in the North Georgia mountains have dropped by almost two-thirds over the past few decades, according to new research by the University of Georgia... In older forests, shade from towering trees provides little opportunity for new growth on the forest floor—the majority of forests across North Georgia...
Silvicultural herbicides and forest succession influence understory vegetation and nutritional ecology of black-tailed deer in managed forests AC Ulappa, LA Shipley, RC Cook, JG Cook… - … Ecology and Management, 2020
... Deer were equally likely to obtain diets that satisfied requirements in treated and untreated plots, indicating that although herbicide application reduced understory biomass and DE intake, it did not explain whether deer were able to meet requirements. We also found that the biomass of deciduous shrubs and trees, forbs, and suitable forage was ~25 times greater in 4–9 year old stands than closed canopy stands (14–90 years old), indicating the importance of maintaining early seral habitat for sustaining populations of black-tailed deer...
Find loggers and you'll find deer ... December 1, 2015 North Carolina Sportsman
... North Carolina is known as the birthplace of sustainable forestry practices, aka, the Cradle of Forestry in America, and those practices offer a wide range of effects, from fresh clear- cuts to mature forests, and every stage of the game offers deer different opportunities to live..
Evaluating the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing on vegetation in fenced and unfenced timber harvests HA Parker, JT Larkin, D Heggenstaller, J Duchamp… - Forest Ecology and …, 2020
... We evaluated the short-term (<10 years) impact of white-tailed deer browsing on woody structure and composition in northcentral Pennsylvania... Our results suggest that browsing by deer in the years initially (<10 years) following timber harvest may not immediately impact woody species density ... Our results from large, operational-scale timber harvests combined with those from previous small-scale studies stress the potential value of deer exclusion fencing to achieve successful forest regeneration...
Deer browsing and shrub competition set sapling recruitment height and interact with light to shape recruitment niches for temperate forest tree species MB Walters, EJ Farinosi, JL Willis - Forest Ecology and Management, 2020
...we provide evidence that shrub competition, ungulate browsing, harvest gap size and their interactions constrain height-specific sapling recruitment among tree species in the temperate forests of Michigan. Similar mechanisms may operate in other forests with high ungulate populations...
U.S. Forest Services approves Twelve Mile timber project in Pisgah National Forest February 15, 2020 North Carolina, MSN
... the project will help maintain a healthy and diverse forest that supports wildlife, including elk, deer, turkey and songbirds, provides a sustainable output of timber, improves water quality and aquatic habitat, and improves access to the forest, according to Jason Herron, project lead with the Forest Service...
Logging helps wildlife on WMAs September 12, 2019 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
... A forest of old-age hardwoods is certainly magnificent to behold, but its value as wildlife habitat is limited. The tall, thick canopy of mature oaks shades the ground below. Without sunlight hitting the forest floor, other plants don't grow, which means there is little on the forest floor for deer, squirrels, wild turkeys, bobwhite quail and songbirds to eat...
Blame modern timber harvesting for erasing wildlife habitat December 1, 2018 Minnesota, Duluth News Tribune
... Itasca County ... was wooded and wild with a wonderfully diverse habitat. But during the past 10 years it largely has been logged off... There seems to be no evidence to explain the low grouse numbers and struggling deer population other than the destruction of habitat and the forest monoculture left in the wake of modern timber harvesting...
Gas developer helps fund restoration in wildlife-management area December 7, 2018 West Virginia, West Virginia Explorer
... will include the application of herbicides in pre-timber and post-timber harvesting units to control undesirable vegetation and promote productive woodland regeneration for wildlife. ...
Thank modern timber harvesting for creating wildlife habitat December 8, 2018 Minnesota, Duluth News Tribune
... Deer die in hard winters because of a lack of available food. However, thanks to food resources enhanced by modern logging techniques and young forest habitats, Minnesota's deer population is the highest it has been since 2010...
In this brief film (see video below), we explore the history of the hemlock species and the importance of conifer trees for deer’s shelter and food. With the hemlock species in decline as a result of the invasive HWA species, we discuss the importance of our field research, and the possible implications of failing to replace the hemlock species throughout the United States. - February 26, 2019
Idaho elk habitat gets $233,000 upgrade July 24, 2019 The Herald Journal
... The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided $233,726 in grants to fund 22 habitat stewardship and hunting heritage projects in Idaho. “There are many places in Idaho’s backcountry where overly thick forests and noxious weeds are taking a toll on forage and habitat,” ...
Vegetation characteristics influence fine-scale intensity of habitat use by wild turkey and white-tailed deer in a loblolly pine plantation DP Chance, JR McCollum, GM Street, BK Strickland… - Basic and Applied Ecology, 2019
... cover best explained intensity of habitat use. Contrastingly, food did not explain intensity of habitat use well for either species. Some vegetation simultaneously provides cover and food, and our data indicate that areas with vegetation characteristics providing both resources had the greatest influence on intensity of habitat use by both species. Our results suggest deer and turkey may perceive cover as a more important habitat component when food is not a proximate fitness threat...
Dietary Overlap of Deer, Horses, and Cattle
Latest science highlights wild horse over-population myth and mismanagement April 13, 2018 Horsetalk
... In the detailed peer-reviewed study by Hansen, R.M., Clark, R.C., & Lawhorn, W. 1977 titled ‘Foods of Wild Horses, Deer, and Cattle in the Douglas Mountain Area, Colorado‘, we read in the first paragraph that the dietary overlap of Deer and Wild horses is just 1%...
Forb Standing Crop Response to Grazing and Precipitation 2021 Rangeland Ecology & Management
... Reducing grass standing crop by grazing may increase forbs and benefit wildlife that depend on forbs. However, precipitation and soil texture also strongly influence forb standing crop. We determined if standing crop of forbs selected by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimm.) is more strongly influenced by grazing or precipitation. ... Grazing is not useful to increase forbs selected by white-tailed deer in our study sites because standing crop of selected forbs is more strongly dependent on precipitation and soil texture than on grazing. Grazing did influence forb standing crop in productive areas...
Deer Density and Birds
Texas Study Finds Deer Density Correlated with more Birds, June, 2011 "Effects of deer overabundance on avian abundance, diversity, and reproductive success in Central Texas" by Jinelle H. Sperry, Ph.D.
Contrary to our predictions, there were significantly more birds (t = 2.86, P < 0.01; Fig 1) and bird species (t = 2.46, P = 0.01; Fig 1) detected per point on the BCP [Balcones Canyonland Preserve, not deer managed, higher deer density] compared to the ranch sites.. We found that nest survival was slightly lower on the BCP sites (model averaged estimate = -0.44) although the 95% confidence intervals encompassed zero (-1.10, 0.23), indicating a weak effect [not statistically significant].
Effect of Climate Change
Habitat alteration or climate: What drives the densities of an invading ungulate? - Global Change Biology, 2024
... We leveraged a contrast in habitat alteration associated with the jurisdictional boundary between two Canadian provinces to evaluate the relative effects of spatial variation in habitat alteration and climate on white-tailed deer ... Our findings suggest that climate is the primary driver of white-tailed deer populations; however, understanding the mechanisms underpinning this relationship requires further study of over-winter survival and fecundity...
Red Deer and the Ancient Forests They Once Ruled April 23, 2025 Europe, Discover WildScience on MSN
... Red deer didn’t just inhabit the forests—they helped create them. By grazing on young saplings and shrubs, they prevented some plants from overtaking the forest, allowing a greater diversity of species to thrive. Their movement through the undergrowth stirred up soil, helping seeds take root and spreading nutrients...
Deer poo analysis uncovers surprising role in woodland conservation efforts February 10, 2025 United Kingdom, Phys.org on MSN
... according to findings published in the scientific journal Ecological Solutions & Evidence, the researchers discovered that the deer are eating large quantities of bramble, which could serve to reduce that plant's growth and prevent it from outcompeting the saplings of vulnerable tree and shrub species...
Long-term surveys of ungulates' effects on tree and shrub species in mountainous forests–outcomes and potential limits - Environmental Management, 2024
... In our study, diversity of woody plant species showed great variability with no significant impact of ungulate herbivory. The presence of ungulates had a significantly negative effect on the vertical structural diversity and growth of trees. Due to the slower growth on control plots, it took trees longer to reach a 160 cm height-threshold with their terminal shoots than on exclosure plots. Our long-term control-exclosure data set indicated that long-term survey data indeed might differ from growth patterns represented by short-term surveys...
Attracting deer through habitat management December 3, 2024 Kansas, Farm Talk
... “Contrary to what a lot of people think, most of our forested lands in Kansas have been left alone too long. The canopies have become so dense that the only replacement trees are Ash, Elm, and Hackberry,” says Drew Ricketts, KSU professor in wildlife and outdoor management. “The ideal forest density for white-tailed deer is only about 30-40% of the sky obscured by leaves in the summertime. Sunlight that comes down through the canopy builds density on the forest floor.” ...
White-tailed deer population dynamics in a multipredator landscape shaped by humans June 18, 2024 Washington, Ecological Applications
… In northeastern Washington state … we observed a stable to declining deer population … We found that the population growth rate was dually influenced by a negative direct effect of apex predators and a positive effect of timber harvest and agricultural areas. Cougars had a stronger effect on deer population dynamics than wolves, and mesopredators had little influence on the deer population growth rate. Areas of recent timber harvest had 55% more forage biomass than older forests … a reduction in apex predators would intensify density-dependent regulation of the deer population owing to limited forage availability…
Potential Interactions between Climate Change and Land Use for Forest Issues in the Eastern United States - Land, 2024
... Climate largely has not warmed during 1981–2020 compared to 1895–1980, but precipitation has increased. Increased precipitation and land use (encompassing fire exclusion and forestation, with coarse fuel accumulation due to increased tree densities) have interacted synergistically to dampen wildfire frequency in the humid eastern U.S... No strong evidence appears to exist for recent climate change or land use influences on deer populations and associated herbivory levels...
What happens to a PA forest after a timber sale? This area offers an example August 27, 2023 Pennsylvania, Yahoo
... It is true that the Game Commission rakes in a lot of money each year through timber sales. If they did not care about wildlife, the agency could make much more... What looked barren in May was a jungle of life by late summer. Seedlings and stump sprouts were shooting up everywhere ... A deer paradise already existed in much of the cut areas! ...
Drastic changes in ground-dwelling beetle communities following high-intensity deer culling
February, 2024 Oxford University Press
... Overall, the culling of large herbivores resulted in a reduction of ground-dwelling beetle populations, particularly necrophagous species dependent on dung and carrion for survival. Our preliminary research highlights the need for long-term and large-scale experiments to understand the indirect ecological implications of culling programs on ecosystem processes...
Study dishes up surprises about deer behavior, forest impacts July 25, 2023 Pennsylvania, Wildlife & Habitat
Bay Journal
... the study is showing that what happens in a forest and the best ways to ensure its future growth is much more complex and involves a dance of wildlife, plants and soil. In some cases, deer may be overly blamed for problems in the understory... the absence of a native plant does not always indicate overbrowsing by deer...
Geek: Slash walls can keep deer from damaging young forests June 12, 2023 New Hampshire, Concord Monitor
... “Slash” is the forestry term for the parts of trees that aren’t worth the expense of removing after a timber harvest: limbs, tree tops, small trees that got in the way... the idea of slash walls is to pile up this material to build walls that keep out the deer while the forest regenerates...
What's Left To Learn After 40 Years Of Deer Research? April 27, 2023. Dr. James C. Kroll, North American Whitetail
... the vast majority of research on deer and habitat revolved around deer damage, rather than how we can manage habitat to benefit both deer and forestry/agriculture. In fact, the southern U.S. is the only place where scientists have routinely conducted such studies...
Wildlife conversationalists plant tree saplings to improve deer winter habitat May 16, 2023 Michigan, WLUC
... planting more than 45,000 saplings across 100 acres of land in Iron River Township ... “Deer, historically, have used this area for the last 100 years for wintering. The amount of softwood, which is hemlock, white pine, balsam fir and spruce, has declined..."
Deer browsing is just one of many factors shaping North American forests January 31, 2023 Pennsylvania, Phys.org
... estimated deer density of about 18–31 deer per square mile ... "In this study, deer had no discernible influence on height growth or survival of either sugar maple or ash seedlings," he said. "The truth is that seedlings in Northern hardwood forests respond to a complex of environmental factors in addition to deer herbivory, such as light availability, soil quality and competition from understory vegetation like blackberry." [ Marc McDill, Penn State associate professor of forest management, recently published in Forest Ecology and Management]
Re-framing deer herbivory as a natural disturbance regime with ecological and socioeconomic outcomes in the eastern United States - Science of The Total Environment, 2023
... deer contribute to both fuel reduction and ecological restoration of herbaceous plants and historical open forests of savannas and woodlands by controlling tree and shrub densities, mimicking the consumer role of fire... From a perspective of historical ecology rather than current baselines, deer impart a fundamental disturbance process with many ecological benefits and a range of socioeconomic effects...
Temperate coppice forests in north-western Italy are resilient to wild ungulate browsing in the short to medium term August 29, 2022 Forest ecology and management 2022 pp. 120484
... The height of shoots was the variable that showed the biggest difference between fenced and unfenced areas. A significant negative effect of browsing on shoot height was found at the beginning of the experiment, with shoots growing in unfenced area showing the lowest height increments. After the third year, when the browsing intensity diminished, we observed the opposite trend, with shoots growing in unfenced areas showing higher height increments compared with fenced areas. A similar trend was observed also for the diameter of shoots over the course of the experiment. Eleven years after coppicing, however, the structural characteristics of the natural regeneration converged at all sites and in both fenced and unfenced areas...
'Degraded' Tropical Forests Surprisingly Rich in Wildlife, Study Finds December 21, 2022 YAHOO!News
... The study combined data on the growth of trees in Borneo with data on the size and food intake of 248 animal species ... while old-growth forests are a vital carbon sink, the study found that animals eat more food in total in logged forests, consuming two and half times as much energy as they do in old-growth woodlands. In oil palm plantations, the flow of energy from plants to animals all but collapses, particularly among deer, elephants, and other large mammals ...
Deer and invasive plants in suburban forests: assessing variation in deer pressure and herbivory 2021 Écoscience
... Fragmented suburban forests of the northeastern US are challenged by abundant white-tailed deer ... The pellet method produced estimates generally far below the region’s known deer density. Browse rates and shrub layer cover were negatively correlated, and correlations of the three indicators with evidence of deer pressure from a subsequent 6.5-year exclosure experiment supported shrub layer cover as the better choice. Using that measure in 10 forests, we detected a weak pattern of more grazed stands under greater deer pressure, but few plants per stand were grazed; any negative influence of deer on these species was limited to individuals, without population effects...
Scientists present theories for deer decline at Prince of Wales Island deer summit November 2, 2022 Alaska, KRBD
... It’s what scientists call an “even-aged forest.” When trees all start growing at the same time, they create a dense canopy that prevents light from reaching the ferns and berry bushes that black-tail deer love to snack on. And because the trees grow close together, they end up long and spindly — not the massive, thick, tight-grained trunks that make old growth lumber so highly valued...
Northern hardwoods seedlings respond to a complex of environmental factors when deer herbivory is limited - 2023, Wisconsin, Forest Ecology and Management
... Deer had only minor impact on growth and survival of sugar maple and ash seedlings. Seedlings responded primarily to light availability, soil N, and initial size. Measures of root collar diameter:height detected some effect of deer herbivory...
Does white-tailed deer density affect tree stocking in forests of the Eastern United States? August 8, 2019 Forest Ecology and Management
... Despite deer pressure, a major transition in eastern forests has resulted in increased tree densities. Methods To reconcile conflicting trends, we applied generalized linear mixed models to compare deer densities during 1982 and then 1996 to tree stocking after about 30 years and 15 years of potential reductions of small trees by deer, for the entire eastern US and 11 ecological provinces... Deer densities and tree stocking were not related significantly for the entire eastern US... Furthermore, major tree species trends did not match tree browse preferences. Conclusions Rather than too few trees, too many trees is an ecological problem where historical open oak and pine forests had herbaceous understories, and currently, trees have captured growing space. We attribute other drivers than deer to explain this transition...
Rapid digitization to reclaim thematic maps of white-tailed deer density from 1982 and 2003 in the conterminous US January 22, 2020 PeerJ
... Using object-based image analysis followed by random forests classification, we rapidly digitized choropleth maps of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) densities in the conterminous US during 1982 and 2001 to 2005 (hereafter, 2003), allowing access to deer density information stored in images... Deer densities likely are within historical levels in most of the US...
Problems with Exclosure Studies: Deer exclusion unveils abiotic filtering in forest understory plant assemblages 2021, Annals of Botany
... while exclosures prove useful to assess overall effects of large herbivores, the results from our studies at broader scales on the archipelago, suggest that exclosure experiments should be used cautiously when inferring the mechanisms at work... deer exclusion did not lead to an increase in beta diversity ...
Deer as a natural disturbance that supports landscape and herbaceous plant diversity, 2021, Sciforum
... we present that deer may be considered a natural disturbance helpful in controlling increased tree and shrub densities during the past century and thereby favoring a diversity of habitats and herbaceous plants ... Large herbivores are natural disturbances that have been removing plant biomass and altering landscape and vegetation structure for millions of years; similar to other disturbances, deer ‘regimes’ vary in severity. From a perspective of historical ecology rather than current baselines, deer as a disturbance provide many ecological benefits ...
Addressing regional relationships between white‐tailed deer densities and land classes 2021 Ecology and Evolution
... White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have recovered to about 30 million animals in the United States... at regional scales, deer overall occurred at greater densities in forests and woody wetlands and lower densities in agricultural and residential development, which did not appear to support more deer. Deer preference for forests does result in damage to forest products, but alternatively, some may consider that deer provide important socioeconomic and ecological services by reducing number of small trees, particularly in the absence of other disturbances that historically controlled tree biomass...
Effects of Deer Herbivory on Hardwood Forests in the Piedmont of South Carolina, 2020,
CN Norman, J Thrift, ST Guynn, DC Guynn Jr, D Hagan
... at deer densities of 20–24 deer per sq. mile, oak regeneration was not negatively impacted due to deer browsing in a thirteen-year-old stand in the Piedmont of South Carolina. Deer may contribute positively to oak regeneration by controlling certain invasive species and subsequently decreasing competition for resources (i.e., water, sunlight, nutrients)...
A 10 year study of using deer to improve biodiversity in Surrey in a fenced nature preserve. - December 7, 2020 United Kingdom
We have outlawed wilderness — can rewilding bring it back? November 11, 2019 apolitical.co
... Our hunter-gatherer ancestors caused the widespread demise of the large herbivores around leading to a “downgrading” of ecosystems. As the grazers were no longer around to keep woody vegetation in check, trees got the upper hand over grasses and forests became the dominant vegetation ... Today, the realisation that biodiversity policy has been protecting the ecological impacts of historic extinctions ...
Chestnuts show promise (deer browsing not a problem) August 8, 2011 Tennessee, Knoxville News Sentinel
... Researchers so far have been pleased to discover that damage from browsing from mammals, especially whitetailed deer, has not been a major detriment to seedling survival. They also have been pleased to note that like the pure American chestnut,
Density-related effect of red deer browsing on palatable and unpalatable tree species and forest regeneration dynamics 2021 Forest Ecology and Management
... High species diversity of saplings in a patch increased the probability of browsing of the majority of species, except for sycamore and oak. This resulted in an increase in the occurrence of palatable species with increasing species diversity ... Contrary to our predictions, sapling density decreased browsing intensity...
New research into 400 years of change in Pennsylvania's forests November 21, 2019 PennLive.com
... That Penn State study suggests that while deer browsing has impacted tree regeneration in the understory, it has not had much of an impact on forest canopies, and in fact likely has slowed the forest densification process slightly. “Forests in the region are becoming increasingly dense, and that is a major ecological problem,” said Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology. “...
20-year effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on vegetation composition and structure 2023 Forest Ecology and Management
... three different ecoregions in Mississippi ... From May-June, vegetation structure and composition were measured among 10 systematic sampling points per plot during 2000, 2005, and 2021. While no treatment effects on vegetation composition and structure were observed, among-year differences suggested a shift in overstory canopy conditions between 2005 and 2021 towards greater basal area and canopy coverage resulting in a decrease in forbs, legumes, shade intolerant species, and high year-round deer-preferred forage species...
Deer and elk can help young Douglas-fir trees under some conditions December 4, 2019 Oregon, EurekAlert
... OSU College of Forestry scientists found that deer and elk can play a key role in controlling the broadleaf vegetation, such as alder and maple, that compete with the "crop trees" - the Douglas-fir seedlings - in the replanted clear-cuts deer and elk heavily rely on for forage... published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology ...
Deer Browsing Not Stopping Densification of Eastern Forests September 5, 2019 New York Ag Connection
... "The densification greatly threatens the sustainability of many historically important tree species, such as oak, pine and hickory ... the increase in trees has been mainly from less-desirable species, particularly red maple, at the expense of oak, hickory and pine." Red maple's success can be attributed more to its shade tolerance than it being a less-favored species for deer browsing, because its preference as food by deer varies by region. Therefore, the suppression of fire has been a more powerful driver of forest change on a landscape level than has deer browsing, Abrams explained...
Deer browsing is not stopping densification of Eastern forests September 3, 2019 Pennsylvania, Mirage News
... a new study led by a Penn State researcher suggests that while deer browsing has impacted tree regeneration in the understory, it has not had much of an impact on forest canopies – and in fact likely has slowed the forest densification process slightly. “Forests in the region are becoming increasingly dense, and that is a major ecological problem,” said Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology in the College of Agricultural Sciences. “Indeed, deer can be thought of as an agent slowing down the densification problem ...
Our forests are transforming right before us October 26, 2019 Rhode Island, The Independent
... I hadn’t seen in many years. Sunlight was streaming through the canopy and creating large bright patches on the forest floor... Trees die ... and when that happens, sunlight penetrates the forest floor ... such rapid growth of new plants that the abundant deer in the area ... hadn’t been able to keep up... waist-high shrubs of sweet pepperbush, spicebush and mountain laurel where only ferns and mushrooms had previously grown...
The paradox of long‐term ungulate impact: increase of plant species richness in a temperate forest O Vild, R Hédl, M Kopecký, P Szabó, S Suchánková… - Applied Vegetation Science, 2016
... Contrary to our expectations, our long-term data showed that artificially high ungulate densities substantially increased plant species richness. Apparently, the establishment of ruderal herbs was supported by frequent disturbances and ungulate-mediated dispersal. At the same time, species richness of non-ruderal plants did not change, probably because ungulates hindered the regeneration of woody species and maintained an open forest canopy. In conclusion, high ungulate density led to the spread of ruderal species, which in turn strongly contributed to the observed shift towards nutrient-richer conditions and taxonomically more homogenous communities...
Population Density, Managing deer herd is a daunting task October 21, 2018 Maine, Portland Press Herald
... Gerry Lavigne, Maine’s deer biologist at the time [about 20 years ago] said, “Populations in some of the problem areas are at, or approaching 30 to 40 deer per square mile.” ... this is still around 50 percent of K [the carrying capacity]. In other words, some areas (central and southern Maine) could support between 40 to 60 deer per square mile with no deleterious effects on the natural habitat ..,
Deer do not affect short‐term rates of vegetation recovery in overwash fans on Fire Island after Hurricane Sandy October, 2019 Ecology and Evolution
... The effect of deer on rates of vegetation recovery was negative, but not statistically significant nor biologically compelling. Although effects of deer trampling on beach grass are evident in classified imagery, deer foraging on beach grass had little effect on its rate of spread throughout overwash fans...
NJ deer policy needs more honesty, less schtick February 9, 2018 New Jersey, NorthJersey.com
... Oswald Schmitz, Ph.D., the forest ecologist and director of Yale University’s Institute for Biospheric Studies, refuted a claimed need to kill deer in Rock Creek Park, Maryland. Adverse effects were “patently overstated,” wrote Schmitz. “The study shows the opposite, that deer eat tree seedlings in the Park, but that this particular reduction in the number of tree seedlings has no measurable effect on forest regeneration.” ...
Deer call over protected forests July 23, 2014 United Kingdom, MailOnline
... A decades-long study of national parks in Ireland .. Researcher Dr Miles Newman said deer grazing at the correct level is highly important for the conservation of native oak woodlands... Exclusion of large herbivores: Long-term changes within the plant community was published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management
Ravenous Deer Might Not Destroy Biodiversity After All April 9, 2014 Wired News
... “In a world where there were no deer at all, we might lose some our plant diversity,” said ecologist Susan Cook-Patton of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, co-author of an April 8 Proceedings of the Royal Society B study describing the findings ... they found that the high-diversity plots actually did much better when deer had grazed in them. According to Cook-Patton, that’s because deer appetites prevented hardy, fast-growing species from proliferating...
Positive interactions between herbivores and plant diversity shape forest regeneration SC Cook-Patton, M LaForgia, JD Parker - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: …, 2014
... One experiment factorially manipulated plant diversity (one versus 15 species) and the presence/absence of deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We found that mixtures outperformed monocultures only in the presence of deer. Selective browsing on competitive dominants and associational protection from less palatable species appear responsible for this herbivore-driven diversity effect....
Exclusion of large herbivores affects understorey shrub vegetation more than herb vegetation across 147 forest sites in three German regions D Schäfer, D Prati, P Schall, C Ammer, M Fischer - PloS one, 2019
... In forests with high relative conifer cover, large-herbivore exclusion decreased species richness and cover of herbs and increased Shannon diversity of herbs and shrubs, while in forests with low relative conifer cover large-herbivore exclusion increased species richness and cover of herbs, and decreased Shannon diversity of herbs and shrubs...
Wildlife Damage Management Conference: Effect of Deer Density on Breeding Birds in Delaware 2009 DigitalCommons@USU - Utah State University
... Previous research has suggested that high deer densities negatively impact bird communities. Most of this research was conducted using a very high deer density compared to no deer ... The species richness of ground gleaners was higher in high deer densities (F1.36 = 17.05, P = 0.0002). No other guilds' species richness was affected. The relative abundances of ground gleaners (F1.36 = 25.60, P = <0.0001) and tropical migrants (F1.36 = 4.11, P = 0.0501) were lowest in low deer densities. Relative abundance of wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) was also lowest in low deer densities (F1.36 = 21.60, P = <0.0001). Richness and abundance of all guilds were positively influenced by the percent forest cover within a 50 m buffer...
Collapse of the world’s largest herbivores 01 May 2015: Vol. 1, no. 4, e1400103, Science Advances
... “By altering the quantity and distribution of fuel supplies, large herbivores can shape the frequency, intensity, and spatial distribution of fires across a landscape. There are even unique interactions among large herbivore populations that can influence fire regimes. For example, facilitative interactions between white rhinoceros and mesoherbivores result in reduced fuel loads and fuel continuity, and consequently fewer large, intense fires (71). Other factors can influence the frequency and intensity of fires, particularly in locations where the total area burned is strongly related to ungulate population size. For example, Serengeti wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) populations irrupted after the rinderpest virus was eradicated in the 1960s, and the subsequent increase in grazing pressure led to a widespread reduction in the extent of fires and delayed recovery of tree populations (72). The removal of plant biomass by browsing also reduces fire fuel loads and decreases fire susceptibility. Thus, there is scant evidence of fire in much of Australia until the megafauna disappeared after humans arrived (5).."
Clear-cuttings effect in ecological restoration of the Norway spruce stands damaged by red deer R Vlad, CG Sidor - Eurasian Journal of Forest Science, 2018
... Norway spruce forests have been reported ecological imbalances caused by red
deer ... The progressive clear-strip cutting and clear cuttings on small areas, as part of the ecological restoration of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) damaged Norway spruce stands, showed good results, and could be considered as a tool for the ecological restoration of these stands...
White-Tailed Deer and the Wild Places They Shape November, 2018 Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation
... “Quite a bit of research shows if done at the right level, their browsing creates more plant diversity in a natural community,” Keller [MDC cervid program supervisor] said. Deer promote plant diversity by spreading seeds. Undigested seeds in droppings can sprout in new places, and the feces provide fertility to boost growth. Plant seeds can stick to deer fur and be carried to new locations...
When ugly is beautiful August 2, 2019 Michigan, Petoskey News-Review
... a lack of adequate tree regeneration due to deer browsing. High slash piles may help protect those vulnerable seedlings and saplings... One approach is to flood an area with so much regeneration that enough desired trees make it to the overstory. The other approach is to use logging tops as barriers that restrict deer access...
Row after claim exotic trees threaten more ancient woodland than deer January 5, 2017 United Kingdom, Herald Scotland
... a new analysis of the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland, undertaken by Forestry Commission Scotland, shows deer are not the main problem and species like Sitka Spruce may be even more damaging...
Response of native versus exotic plant guilds to cattle and elk herbivory in forested rangeland BK Pekin, MJ Wisdom, CG Parks, BA Endress… - Applied Vegetation Science, 2015
... Cattle and elk have variable effects on different plant guilds at managed vs unmanaged forest stands. Overall, cattle grazing tends to have a larger impact on herbaceous plant guilds at managed stands, while elk grazing tends to have a larger impact on woody plant guilds at unmanaged stands. However, in contrast to findings from other ecosystems, grazing only has a minor impact on exotic plant dynamics in our study area, and cattle grazing does not favour exotic plants any more than grazing by elk or ungulate exclusion...
Setting the record straight on Alliance for the Wild Rockies September 13, 2015 Montana, Independent Record
... Appropriately sized logging projects with openings next to cover and with snags left in place benefit deer, elk, moose, birds, small mammals and other species. Logging today isn’t what it was in the 50s and 60s. Regulations limit the size and location of projects, mandate streamside buffer zones and require sufficient numbers of live and dead trees be left standing to augment regeneration and habitat...
Ungulates increase forest plant species richness to the benefit of non‐forest specialists V Boulanger, JL Dupouey, F Archaux, V Badeau… - Global Change Biology, 2017
... Outside the exclosures, forest ungulates maintained a higher species richness in the herbaceous layer (+15%), while the shrub layer was 17% less rich, and the plant communities became more light-demanding. Inside the exclosures, shrub cover increased, often to the benefit of bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.). Ungulates tend to favour ruderal, hemerobic, epizoochorous and non-forest species. Among plots, the magnitude of vegetation changes was proportional to deer abundance. We conclude that ungulates, through the control of the shrub layer, indirectly increase herbaceous plant species richness by increasing light reaching the ground.
Here's What Goes on Inside a Forest When a Massive Wildfire Hits September 15, 2015 Atlas Obscura
... grazers and foragers such as deer, elk, and bison have been evolving with fire for some 10,000 years. Long before there were such things as a logging industry, forest management plans, and fire science theory, fire was nature’s way of refreshing and regenerating forests. Fires were allowed to burn until the rains or snows snuffed them out ...
Influence of white‐tailed deer population density on vegetation standing crop in a semiarid environment BL Crider, TE Fulbright, DG Hewitt, CA Deyoung…Texas, - The Journal of Wildlife …, 2015...
Diet selection theory predicts that selective foraging by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) may reduce palatable and nutritious plants when high-quality food resources are available or deer densities are high... Variable and limited rainfall had a more pronounced effect on variation in vegetation standing crop than white-tailed deer foraging regardless of food resource availability or deer density. Vegetation responses were more complex than can be predicted by traditional theory on diet selection in part because of the pronounced effect of variation in rainfall on vegetation standing crop ...
Stockholms Universitet : Deer droppings good for biodiversity April 8, 2014 Traders
... "We found that deer disperse seeds to a much greater extent than we thought. This is good news, since many grassland plants are endangered when natural pastures disappear. Seed dispersal through deer could contribute to biodiversity in the Swedish agricultural landscape", says Alistair Auffret from the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology.
Prairie dogs and wildfires shape vegetation structure in a sagebrush grassland more than does rest from ungulate grazing [PDF] LC Connell, JD Scasta, LM Porensky - Ecosphere, 2018
... Our research has direct implications for wildlife conservation and rangeland
management by demonstrating that short-term (1–2 yr) rest from large ungulate grazing may not substantially alter vegetation structure in this system. Instead, structural variation is strongly driven by black-tailed prairie dog colonization and historical wildfire. Understanding and managing multiple, potentially interacting disturbances is critical for maximizing wildlife conservation and livestock production in heterogeneous landscapes.
Woody Plants Affected by Ungulates in Winter Period, Impacts and Bark Renewal
M Nevřelová, J Ružičková - Ekológia (Bratislava), 2015
... The main objective of this research was an assessment of ungulates, impact on woody species, evaluation of damage forms and bark renewal phases of affected woody plants. The study area is located in western Slovakia ... After the mild winter in 2014, the majority (93.7%) of previously affected Fraxinus excelsior trees in the forest locality had only old damages with renewed bark in different phases of regeneration. In the non-forest locality, 96% of young Fraxinus excelsior, damaged in the winter of 2013, shot up new sprouts. The mortality of affected trees was minimal (4−5%).
Earthworm invasion, white‐tailed deer and seedling establishment in deciduous forests of northeastern North America, New York A Dobson, B Blossey - Journal of Ecology, 2014
... survival of seedling transplants of 15 native understorey plants in 5 forests in New York State. Earthworm biomass was negatively correlated with survival of 12 of 15 species. We found no interactive effect of deer and earthworms, but did find a positive, non-consumptive effect of deer on Geranium maculatum and P. virginianum survival. Deer and earthworm presence/absence indirectly influenced other trophic levels: earthworm presence increased the likelihood of insect attack, and deer exclusion increased the likelihood of rodent attack disturbance of transplants...
Hunting and Forest Regeneration in State Parks July 7, 2014 Indiana, Purdue Agriculture News
...a Purdue Study ... a 17-year-long Indiana Department of Natural Resources policy of organizing hunts in state parks ... Herbs such as asters, violets and goldenrods increased from about 20 percent to 32 percent cover, and percent cover of grasses rose from 1 to 3 percent. Tree seedlings jumped from about 2 percent to about 13 percent of total plant cover ... research article ...
Impact on plant communities by white-tailed deer in Mississippi, USA
P Hanberry, BB Hanberry, S Demarais, BD Leopold… - Plant Ecology & Diversity, 2013
The abundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the eastern United States has escalated during the twentieth century, potentially impacting plant communities. Methods: We measured understorey plant cover and biomass five years after excluding deer from mature forests of three ecological regions in Mississippi, USA. We extended the significance of P values to 0.10 to detect developing impacts... Conclusions: Exclosure treatment effects on canopy cover and species richness in two regions indicated limited negative impacts from deer foraging. A time frame of more than five years may be required for exclusion to allow recovery of vegetation, even with relatively open canopies and a long growing season.
Effects of Deer Settling Stimulus and Deer Density on Regeneration in a Harvested Southern New England Forest [PDF] KJ Barrett, OJ Schmitz - International Journal of Forestry Research, 2013
... Deer density and browse impact had a relationship with thermal settling stimulus for summer and fall months, and deer density had a relationship with browse impact in the winter on woody plants. We conclude that thermal settling stimulus is an important predictor for deer density and browsing impact.
Old-growth forest floor richness increases with red deer herbivory intensity SJ Hegland, MS Lilleeng, SR Moe - Forest Ecology and Management, 2013
... We recorded the ungulate herbivory intensities on the island Svanøy in west Norway across 10 years and related this to the present plant richness of an old-growth pine-forest system ... Increasing herbivory intensity enhance richness except at artificially high herbivory levels. Low-growing species groups benefit at the expense of taller growing woody species. Boreal forest floor richness may benefit from relatively high red deer herbivory intensity.
The effects of deer herbivory and forest type on tree recruitment vary with plant growth stage MN Bugalho, I Ibáñez, JS Clark - Forest Ecology and Management, 2013
... We assessed how deer herbivory and forest-type affected the diversity of seedlings and saplings of dominant tree species in a temperate forest of Eastern USA, during four consecutive years. Fenced and unfenced plots were established .. The diversity of seedlings and saplings was significantly affected by inter-annual variation of tree recruitment but not by deer herbivory or forest type. Herb cover was reduced for more than fourfold in unfenced hardwood plots. Results show that inter-annual variation of recruitment, herbivory and forest type can combine to shape the composition of tree seedlings and saplings...
The Response of Tree Regeneration to Deer Management in
Southwestern CT: A 5 Year Update January 4, 2013 Connecticut, E. Faison. Highstead, Redding, CT
The towns of Redding and Ridgefield CT began deer hunting on several town preserves in 2006. In 2007 Highstead established forest monitoring plots in these preserves and nearby unhunted properties to document any changes to forest understories resulting from deer management. These plots were resampled for the first time in 2012, and the results are presented here.
From 2007 to 2012, tree seedling (≥30 cm<2.5 cm diameter) density increased in both hunted and unhunted properties (Fig. 1), whereas species richness of tree seedlings (the number of different tree seedlings per plot) changed little from 2007 to 2012 in either management category. [tree density increased more in unhunted properties]
Deer-Forest Study November 18, 2013 Pennsylvania, PGC News
... several deer in Pennsylvania are wearing GPS radio collars that can be controlled via text messages... the Game Commission has placed collars on thousands of Pennsylvania deer. Through such monitoring, researchers have learned things such as 70 percent of yearling bucks will disperse miles from where they were born, and have better understood harvest rates of antlered and antlerless deer during the hunting seasons... The study also looks at the impact deer have on forest regeneration, a phenomenon that has been studied for decades but now can be measured at a higher level of detail... their browsing in the forest understory often makes deer an easy target when it comes to assigning blame for lagging forest regeneration – even when other factors could be responsible. The new study will help ensure that, in cases where deer aren’t responsible for lagging regeneration, they won’t be blamed for it.
The effects of deer browsing on species richness and density of an exclosure. D Rodriguez, E Burns, J Greenfield, T Bulthuis - 2015
... The forested area we surveyed at the University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston, Michigan, had a deer exclosure built 17 years ago, which allowed us to compare the effects of deer browse over time with the exclosure area as a control. We recorded groundcover species, tree species density and tree diameter at breast height (DBH) both inside and outside of the deer exclosure. Trees that were browsed outside the exclosure were also identified and recorded. We did not find any statistical difference in woody or herbaceous ground cover species density and richness...
Deer-Forest Study September 20, 2013 Pennsylvania, PGC News
... Since 2006, when the Game Commission began using measures of forest regeneration, it has recognized that deer are not the only factor affecting regeneration. To better understand the effect of deer on the forest, these other factors must be investigated. Consequently, the Deer-Forest Study will explore how forest management activities (i.e., timber harvesting, prescribed fire, herbicide treatments, etc.) can influence deer impacts on the forest.
Forest begins to recover at Valley Forge National Historical Park May 17, 2013 Pennsylvania, The Mercury
...The estimated deer density in the park will be 49 deer per square mile (260 deer) after fawns are born this spring. Although still above the plan’s initial target level of 31-35 deer per square mile, this represents a significant reduction from the estimated 241 deer per square mile (1,277 deer) present in 2009... National Park Service staff has documented native species seedlings that had not been just a few years ago, including maple, ash, oak, black gum, hickory, cherry, and sassafras...
Are There Too Many Deer in a Large Private Park in West-central Indiana?
VL Fox, KR Frederick, RJ Kelly, EM Meadows - Natural Areas Journal, 2014
... We assessed the effects of deer on forest understory vegetation in the park using exclosures and control plots and estimated the size of the deer population in the park using infrared digital game cameras. There were almost no changes in forest understory vegetation during the first four years after the exclosures were established. The estimated population size of deer in the park ranged from 46 to 66 deer per km2... We conclude that deer are having minimal effects on forest understory vegetation in the park at this time ..
How to Obliterate Deer in Federal Parks October 15, 2013 Virginia, Counter Punch
... in Manassas, where more than 1,600 deer are targeted ... the Service is promoting a shooting-contraceptive “bundle”; methods ... By shooting most deer before they become mature, the government is creating groups of only very young animals... researchers at Ohio State University and the National Park Service itself are challenging the science that suggests deer ravage ecosystems. High deer populations promote biodiversity ... Evidence shows plants’ vital uptake of carbon increases where both herbivores and carnivores exist...
Extinction of giant herbivores changed global landscapes February 23, 2016 EarthSky
... This evidence comes from exclusion experiments where animals such as moose and deer were prevented from grazing on young trees. In exclusion zones, woody vegetation flourishes... herbivores, which fed on sprouting trees and shrubs, played a key role in maintaining open landscapes. Once they disappeared, dense woody vegetation became much more abundant ... [read the research article article, video below]
Increased Biodiversity in Grasslands
Herbivores + light = more plant biodiversity in fertilized grasslands March 10, 2014 National Science Foundation
... The scientists' hypothesis was that grassland plant species losses caused by eutrophication (overfertilization) could be offset by the increased light availability that results when taller plants are munched down by herbivores like deer and sheep. This "trimming" by herbivores ultimately lets in more light, fueling increased plant growth. The experiment, replicated in 40 grasslands on six continents, demonstrated that the researchers had it right...
Wild red deer contribute to the preservation of open landscapes May 9, 2019 Germany, EurekAlert!
... "Our results could give an impetus to ... enable red deer to use open landscapes all day for foraging ... n this way, a contribution can be made to the conservation of semi-natural open land habitats and at the same time the risk of damage from red deer in commercial forests can be reduced," ... [published in the Journal of Applied Ecology]
Regional-Scale Assessment of Deer
Impacts on Vegetation Within Western
Connecticut, USA August, 2010 The Journal of Wildlife Management
... We, therefore, conducted a survey in western Connecticut,USA, woodlots to examine how spatial variation in deer densities influences variation in impacts on plant species abundance, identity and diversity, and tree regeneration... Deer density was not correlated with any vegetation or land use variable. This suggests that deer density is not a leading factor determining variation in vegetation impacts across western Connecticut.
Very High Deer Density Can Negatively Affect Forest Regeneration, Increased Diversity
Deer Browsing Delays Succession by Altering Aboveground Vegetation and Belowground Seed Banks March, 2014 PLOS | One
... In 2005, we established six 15×15 m fenced enclosure ... Browsing resulted in significantly decreased overall species richness (but higher diversity), reduced seed bank abundance, relatively more short-lived species (annuals and biennials), and fewer native species... [The multiyear study was conducted on Cornell land near Freese Road in Ithaca, where the deer density is about 39 animals per square kilometer – about 100 deer per square mile]
Endozoochory by the Persian fallow deer reintroduced in Israel: species richness and germination success R Zidon, H Leschner, U Motro, D Saltz - Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution, 2016
... From fecal samples, we found that more than 30 species of plants germinated from the deer pellets. Four of the more common species are considered as ruderal. Of the trees, carob (Ceratonia siliqua) seeds were the only intact seeds found in the fecal samples. We found that ingestion by the deer has a positive effect on expediting the germination of carob seeds ...
Positive Impact of Deer Browsing on Soybean Crops
The impacts of white‐tailed deer browsing and distance from the forest edge on soybean yield JE Rogerson, JL Bowman, EL Tymkiw, GM Colligan… - Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2014
... During 2003–2006 in Delaware, USA, we investigated where and when browsing was most intense within crop fields and subsequently had the greatest effect on yield of soybeans at an estimated deer density of 21 deer/km2.... We found that deer browsing increased yield, possibly because browsing increases branching of individual plants, and thus the number of bean pods. We also found that the distance from the forest edge affected yield, but independently of deer browsing. Deer damage to soybeans, at a deer density of 21 deer/km2, may be more of a perceptual issue and the use of a chemical repellant would not be justified. ...
Measuring Regeneration
Can Cover Data Be Used as a Surrogate for Seedling Counts in Regeneration Stocking Evaluations in Northern Hardwood Forests? TE Ristau, SL Stout - Res. Note NRS-198. Newtown Square, PA: USDA, 2014
Assessment of regeneration can be time-consuming and costly. Often, foresters look for ways to minimize the cost of doing inventories. One potential method to reduce time required on a plot is use of percent cover data rather than seedling count data to determine stocking. Robust linear regression analysis was used in this report to predict seedling count data from percent cover data based on 3,800 plots on which both count and cover data were collected. Results showed very poor relationships of cover data to seedling counts overall. The weakest relationships were found in plots that had received a shelterwood seed cut without any other regeneration preparation in the past. The better relationship came from plots where competition was reduced through herbicide application and shelterwood seed cutting. Immediately following herbicide application, when total seedling numbers were lowest, the relationship of cover to counts was best, with r-squared values as high as 0.8 for black birch, and between 0.4 and 0.6 for the smallest black cherry and red maple. These numbers quickly declined as seedlings developed. Cover data cannot reliably serve as a surrogate for seedling counts.
Preliminary research of damages by red deer to forest trees in the area of Moslavačka gora (middle Croatia) N Nekvapil, S Ozimec, … of Sustainable Management …, 2014
... Damages in the forest stands are permanently present because man with its management practice changed and imposed living conditions for deer game. Occurrence and intensity of damages by red deer did not increase, but slightly declined for 0.4% in last twenty four years. Regulations in the hunting ground and proper management by creating surface convenient for pasture, sufficient and quality food and feeding sources, facilitate setting up a balance between forest management and size of red deer population in the hunting ground...
Analysis of the relationships between wild ungulates and forest in the Northern Apennines, Italy A Marcon - 2016
... to understand the effects of roe deer impact on the forest development, I used a forest development model (LANDIS-II) to simulate 200 years of forest development, considering harvesting and roe deer impact. I found that both disturbances influence species richness, abundance, and forest structure. Roe deer impact does not significantly affect harvesting yield, and the disturbances combined do not seem to represent an hazard for forest functionality.
Gulf Islands plant evolves to protect itself from deer May 27, 2015 British Columbia, news.ubc.ca
... seablush, a flowering plant native to the endangered Garry oak ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest, grows differently depending on the presence or absence of deer. On islands free of deer, seablush grows 70 to 120 centimetres tall with branches high off the ground. On islands where deer are present, seablush grows 10 to 20 cm tall with branches low to the ground, making it less visible to herbivores...
Management of forest regeneration in boreal and temperate deer–forest systems: challenges, guidelines, and research gaps [PDF] Quebec, Ecosphere, 2016
... forest management practices that address adequately this issue, however, remains scarce and challenging because (1) large herbivores are both a resource and a source of disturbance; (2) the management of forests and ungulate populations remains largely disconnected in practice; and (3) we still lack a good understanding of the role of critical factors, especially deer densities, vegetation attributes, and their interactions, on the magnitude of browsing damages on forest regeneration...
Although Deer Are Often Blamed for Problems in the Northeast Forests, This Article Discusses the Two Most Significant Factors Suspected by Ecologists: Climate Change and Land Use
What puts forests more at risk — climate change or attempts to counter it? November 7, 2014 Newsworks.org
... In Pennsylvania, as along the entire eastern seaboard, forests have been expanding. But eastern forests are also in trouble, showing signs of stress ... not everyone agrees with her that climate change is the real problem here. A recent report by a Penn State researcher says the stresses on eastern forests have more to do with 500 years of land use trauma inflicted by European settlers...
Other Results
Trade-off between deer herbivory and nitrogen competition alter grassland forb composition - Oecologia, 2023
... Deer presence was associated with only modest decreases in aboveground plant biomass ... There were weak increases in species richness associated with deer presence, but only for no or low added N (1 and 2 g N m−2 year−1). However, the presence of deer greatly impacted the abundances of some of the dominant perennial forb species, but not the dominant grasses...
Deer account for long-term forest change January 7,2015 Agri-View
... A research group led by Donald Waller, a professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, used a pair of strategies to look at the ecological impact of deer. First, in 2000-2001 he resurveyed 62 sites across northern Wisconsin and Michigan that were first studied by former UW-Madison Professor John Curtis and his students in the 1950s. [the study starts in a period of low deer population and ends when the deer population peaked] ...
Long-term variation in white-tailed deer abundance shapes landscape-scale population dynamics of forest-breeding birds CS Rushing, RW Rohrbaugh, CJ Fiss, CS Rosenberry… - Forest Ecology and …, 2020 Pennsylvania
... Given the diverse suite of spatio-temporal stressors impacting migratory songbirds throughout their annual cycle, it was not surprising that long-term population trends of focal species were not significantly associated with deer abundance...
Woody regeneration response to over a decade of deer population reductions in Indiana state parks LH Jenkins, BD Murray, MA Jenkins… - Journal of the Torrey …, 2015 - BioOne
... Species richness increased significantly in all three height classes in parks, but only in the > 200 cm class in reference areas. Density of Fraxinus americana and Acer saccharum increased greatly in the < 50 cm and 50–200 cm height classes in both state parks and reference areas. [not much change for 20 years of killing deer]
Understanding landowner intentions to create early successional forest habitat in the northeastern United States AA Dayer, RC Stedman, SB Allred, KV Rosenberg… - Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015
Early successional forest habitat (ESH) and associated wildlife species in the northeastern United States are in decline. One way to help create early successional forest conditions is engaging private forest landowners in even-aged forest management because their limited participation may have contributed to declines in ESH for wildlife species ...
Prof. Jake Bowman reflects on 17 years of deer research at UD September 10, 2018 Delaware, UDEL.edu
... even at a density of 60 deer per square mile — which is about average for this area — sometimes deer browsing increased soybean yield. “Generally, it was more positive than negative and that’s because when deer browse on soybeans, it makes them bushier and at the nodes of those is where the bean is produced,” said Bowman [University of Delaware].
Impacts of White-tailed Deer on Forests May, 2012 Ohio State University
The loss of plants and plant diversity due to over browsing by deer can reverberate up through the food chain, especially to insects and birds. ... It's important to note that while too many deer can be a problem, so can too few deer. Eastern forests have evolved with white-tailed deer and depend on their browsing as a disturbance, which can lead to an increased diversity of plant species. In Pennsylvania, researchers found an overabundance of pin cherry in areas of the forest with low deer numbers (10 deer per square mile). Pin cherry has the ability to out compete other tree seedlings when highly abundant, and deer browsing can effectively keep such species under control, allowing for more diversity.
The Fire Ecology
Researchers share findings on declining deer populations in Georgia July 8, 2022 UGA Today
... published by UGA researchers ... In just four decades, the deer population has dropped by almost two-thirds ... “These forests are now late-stage; they’re different than what we would have seen pre-settlement. There are accounts of agriculture by Native Americans, and low-growing vegetation with sparser, larger trees was maintained by fire ...
GLCC begins with tree-planting project May 28, 2018 Minnesota, Marquette Mining Journal
... the DNR’s focus for the tree project is primarily game species like white-tailed deer. However, other species could benefit from the habitat improvement.“... It’s all about enhancing wildlife habitat, so we’ve been planting trees and doing invasive work,” Debiak said. “In total, we’ll have about 15,000 hemlock in the ground by the time this year’s done.” ...
Court Rules in Favor of Active Forest Management May 30, 2018 Montana, AmmoLand Shooting Sports News
... Without forest management treatment in the near future, the forest floor will be covered with combustible material that will also impede the growth of shrubs and grasses needed by elk, deer and other wildlife. The project calls for the removal of pine beetle-killed timber, forest thinning to reduce conifer encroachment ...
Farewell, western juniper. Idaho, feds partner to yank the plant & let sagebrush return May 31, 2018 Idaho, Idaho Statesman
... Workers will remove juniper from 617,000 acres of Owyhee County... Removing the juniper not only benefits sage grouse, but also mule deer, elk, pronghorn and golden eagles...
Nearly 1K trees cut down in Richmond to foster growth June 7, 2018 Rhode Island, Turn to 10
... The whole trail used to be shaded and full of birds and deer ... What I tell people is think about it like a garden. You weed a garden once a week. You weed a forest every 20 years to make it productive,” ...
Burn projects aim to restore dwindling aspen trees in Gallatin Valley May 17, 2018 Montana, NBC Montana
... Montana has lost 64 percent of its aspen trees over the last century ... it’s common for deer, elk and moose to graze on aspen, and because of their high moisture content they can act as natural barriers during wildfires...
Effect on Grasslands
Effects of white‐tailed deer exclusion on the plant community composition of an upland tallgrass prairie ecosystem (2020). KJ Bloodworth, ME Ritchie, KJ Komatsu - Journal of Vegetation Science
... Contrary to the impact that deer have in other ecosystems (e.g. forests), our results indicate that deer do not affect the plant community of herbaceous‐dominated tallgrass prairies. These results indicate that while the loss of bison‐grazers have shifted tallgrass prairie plant communities to C4 grass dominated systems, the shift to browsing‐dominated herbivore pressure from deer has a minimal effect on the plant community...
Agroforestry
Agroforestry Can Combat Climate Change, But Is It Scalable? July 17, 2019 Portugal, TriplePundit
... trees planted amongst crops in a harmonious ecosystem ... A healthy montado takes years to build. As the forest grows, chickens are added, then pigs and sheep. Cows come last. In the midst of it all, wild animals—wild boar, lynx and deer—come and go...
Drones plant trees on burned lands August 20, 2019 Washington, The Columbian
... drones carrying hoppers full of seeds encapsulated within gel packets the size of a hockey puck. According to DroneSeed, “This medium provides an ideal growing condition for the seed, and even deters deer and elk from eating it.” ...
12,000 Years Ago, Extinction of Large Mammals in North America
Division by subtraction: Extinction of large mammal species likely drove survivors apart September 19, 2019 University of Nebraska, Science
... Mammoths toppled trees, compacted soil and, by eating and excreting masses of vegetation, transported nutrients around ecosystems ... The loss of the mammoth effectively doomed the mammoth steppe ... "If you're an open-habitat species [deer] that used to occupy the mammoth steppe ... you might inhabit, say, open grassland areas that are surrounded by forests," ... that meadow is much smaller ...
Abundance of Deer in Per-historic England
Stonehenge ‘was built on land inhabited by deer and wild boar 4,000 years earlier’ April 28, 2022 United Kingdom, YAHOO!News
... “Past theories suggest the area was thickly wooded and cleared in later periods for farming and monument building. “However, our research points to pre-Neolithic, hunting-gatherer inhabitants, living in open woodland which supported aurochs and other grazing herbivores.” ...
What Is High Deer Density?
Why the Texas Hill Country Will Remain a Whitetail Mecca June 28, 2022 North American Whitetail
... The Hill Country had nearly 50 deer per square mile. And that frankly was conservative... a deep and lengthy regional drought in the 1950s took a huge toll on all wildlife ... people just kept flooding into the Hill Country ... “Not all of the Hill Country has as many deer as it did back years ago,” ...
