![]() occidentalis can be outcompeted by other non-palatable species such as balsam fir ( Abies balsamea Mill.), causing a decline in the recruitment of young T. occidentalis, which is also a slow growing, long-lived conifer, can survive in a suppressed state for many years. 1955 Anderson and Loucks 1979 Salk et al. canadensis seedlings and saplings cannot resprout as vigorously as their competitors, which limits recruitment into the mid- and overstory (Switzenberg et al. canadensis decline in the Porcupine Mountains of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and predicted a long-term decline in T. Frelich and Lorimer ( 1985) identified white-tailed deer as a major cause of T. In the US Lake States Region, eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis Carrière), northern white cedar ( Thuja occidentalis L.), yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis Britton), northern red oak ( Quercus rubra L.), and eastern white pine ( Pinus strobus L.) are all highly palatable species for deer (Dahlberg and Guettinger 1956 Bradshaw and Waller 2016). Selective browsing by ungulates can cause a reduction in regeneration success of desired tree species and/or an increase in abundance of non-palatable species by reducing competition (Côté et al. White-tailed deer are selective herbivores and will browse “preferred” tree species (Rawinski 2014). Suppression of tree species in these early stages of growth can alter the forest composition for decades (Anderson and Loucks 1979 Alverson et al. 2002 Bradshaw and Waller 2016 Ramirez et al. Once the terminal buds of trees grow beyond deer browsing height (~ 2.1-m tall), the severity of browsing is decreased, which makes seedlings and saplings the most vulnerable to damage and death (Anderson et al. ![]() White-tailed deer primarily consume herbaceous vegetation during the growing season and the buds and twigs of palatable trees during the winter months (Rogers et al. A historical effort to increase game populations and decrease predator populations (e.g., wolves, Canis lupus, Lewis and Murray 1993) has created a unique niche for white-tailed deer across the US Lake States. The fragmented landscape creates forest edges and gaps providing ideal habitat for deer. Human expansion, urbanization, and conversion to agriculture have largely pushed predators out of deer ranges. 2010 Bradshaw and Waller 2016 Miller and McGill 2019). 1988 Waller and Alverson 1997 Cornett et al. (Anderson and Loucks 1979 Alverson et al. The ecological effects of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) have been studied frequently, due to their overabundance – existing in greater abundance than the ecosystem can sustain – in many regions such as across the Northern United States (US i.e. Results support the importance of quantifying impacts of deer browsing for use in determining the survival and abundance of palatable species in the smallest size cohorts. Deer browsing affected seedling and sapling abundance differently across species, with the most palatable species showing lower stocking or negligible effects with browse. Overstory basal area was important in predicting seedling and sapling abundance for all species ( p < 0.05). Methodsĭeer browsing impact measurements from the tree regeneration indicator from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program were used to predict seedling and sapling abundance from overstory basal area and a deer browsing index in the Lake States Region. The objective of this work was to quantify the effects of deer browsing on tree seedling and sapling abundance and species richness of woody tree species which vary in deer browse palatability. Higher deer population densities present challenges to regeneration of tree species. ![]() Deer populations in the Lake States Region of the USA have increased over recent decades due to a decrease in predators and an increase in habitat fragmentation. ![]() White-tailed deer consume buds and twigs of tree seedlings and saplings as forage. across the Lake States Region of the USA. , Betula alleghaniensis Britton, and Pinus strobus L. ![]() White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginiana Zimmermann) browsing reduces seedling and sapling abundance of more palatable winter woody browse such as Tsuga canadensis L. ![]()
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