Modelling white-tailed deer impacts on forest regeneration to inform deer management options at landscape scales

Lesser, Mark R.; Dovčiak, Martin; Wheat, Rachel E.; Curtis, Paul D.; Smallidge, Peter J.; Hurst, Jeremy E.; Kramer, David W.; Roberts, Margaret W.; Frair, Jaqueline

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2019.06.013

Cited by 24 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Relative to hunted areas, declines of native species densities were greater in areas without deer hunting in northern Wisconsin (Rooney et al 2004). The link between high cervid populations and inadequate or reduced regeneration levels has been reported for studies at various scales: exclosure–enclosure (McCormick et al 1993, Horsley et al 2003, Rooney 2009; but see Marquis 1981); statewide (Gubanyi et al 2008, Lesser et al 2019); regional (Russell et al 2017, McWilliams et al 2018, Miller and McGill 2019); and international (Putnam et al 1989, Akashi et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Influence of Deer Hunting and Residual Stand Structure on Tree Regeneration in Deciduous Forests

Ward

Williams

2020

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Chronically overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have made it difficult to regenerate desirable woody species throughout much of their range in the eastern United States and southern Canada. Neither silvicultural prescriptions nor deer management alone have resulted in successful forest regeneration. We tallied woody stems (≥1 m tall, <10 cm diameter) on 62 hunted and 46 nonhunted forest stands throughout Connecticut, USA, during autumn 2015 to spring 2018; all stands had a timber regeneration harvest from 2-12 years prior to our study (2003-2016). Our objective was to examine the influence of the combination of deer management and residual stand structure on woody regeneration diversity, density, and composition. After accounting for the influence of stand structures over a range of residual basal areas from 0-23 m 2 /ha, we found that deer had a negative effect on regeneration diversity, density, and species composition. Moreover, we found that the combination of state-regulated deer hunting and forest-overstory removal resulted in greater woody-plant regeneration rates with increased diversity. Stem densities of oak-hickory (Quercus spp.-Carya spp.), maple (Acer spp.), and minor species, as well as combined species, were greater in hunted versus nonhunted stands, and in clearcuts as opposed to 2-aged and shelterwood stands. American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and shrub species did not differ in stem density regardless of hunting or treatment prescription. Our study indicates that for properties where the management goal is to create dense vegetation with high tree, shrub, and herbaceous species diversity, managers should both encourage hunting to reduce pressure on browse-sensitive species and leave as few postharvest residual trees as possible to maximize growing space for regeneration. A lack of deer harvest and overstory removal in southern New England resulted in low diversity vegetation dominated by lesser preferred species such as birch (Betula spp.) or American beech. The use of hunting as a tool to relieve browsing pressure will improve both woody and herbaceous plant regeneration where light is not limited.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Influence of Deer Hunting and Residual Stand Structure on Tree Regeneration in Deciduous Forests

Ward

Williams

2020

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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“…As with woody understory species, aggregate height declined at a more rapid rate during the first year of grazing, again suggesting an initial preference for native species. Fraxinus americana is often an abundant species in forests with high deer abundances (Jenkins et al 2015; Lesser et al 2019), despite being a preferred browse species (Lesser et al 2019). Our results suggest that this species may be tolerant of browsing by both native and non‐native ungulates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of prescribed grazing by goats on non‐native invasive shrubs and native plant species in a mixed‐hardwood forest

Rathfon

Greenler

Jenkins

2021

Restoration Ecology

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Invasion of non-native shrubs comprises a serious economic and ecological problem in North American forests. Prescribed grazing by goats may offer an effective alternative to traditional methods of control, but has received little study in forest settings. In a 5-year field experiment, we varied the stocking of goats and number of grazing periods to determine effects of prescribed grazing on both invasive shrubs and native plant species. Specifically, we examined how varied stocking levels and grazing periods affect: (1) the cover and height of invasive shrub and native woody species (2) the cover and diversity of herbaceous species, and (3) the density of native tree seedlings. Data were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models. We found that prescribed grazing by goats significantly reduced the cover and height of invasive shrubs, regardless of goat stocking or duration. Generally, the greatest reductions in invasive shrub cover occurred in treatments with two grazing periods, regardless of goat stocking. While we observed mostly neutral or positive effects on the herbaceous layer, all grazing treatments reduced the cover and height of native understory woody species. While changes were not significant, we observed a general decline in the aggregate height of native tree species regeneration. Our results suggest that prescribed grazing by goats provides an effective and environmentally friendly treatment for heavy invasions of non-native shrubs such as Rosa multiflora, but grazing needs to be followed by focused mechanical or chemical treatments to maintain control while allowing the regeneration of native tree species.

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“…Although over-browsing by white-tailed deer was documented to reduce forest regeneration, sustainability, and health in the region [20,[70][71][72] and is a serious concern for wildlife managers, parasite-mediated competition between deer and moose is the primary concern in the Park [21]. For example, white-tailed deer density in areas of the Park's southeastern region approach or exceed the >4 deer/km 2 where meningeal worm is likely to pose as threat to moose [73,74] and in the northern region moose density approaches the lowest densities (range = 0.29-3.1 moose/km 2 ) reported for populations that experienced outbreaks in winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) [75][76][77].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Adirondack Park region (hereafter “the Park”) of northern New York, white-tailed deer and moose co-occur along an ecotonal temperate-boreal forest region where deer are expanding their range [ 20 ] and moose exist as a stable, low-density population [ 21 ]. Mild winters associated with climate change have allowed white-tailed deer to winter in land cover that formerly could only sustain them in the summer [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model-based estimate of winter distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer in the Adirondack Park

et al. 2022

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In the Adirondack Park region of northern New York, USA, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and moose (Alces alces) co-occur along a temperate-boreal forest ecotone. In this region, moose exist as a small and vulnerable low-density population and over-browsing by white-tailed deer is known to reduce regeneration, sustainability, and health of forests. Here, we assess the distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer at a broad spatial scale relevant for deer and moose management in northern New York. We used density surface modeling (DSM) under a conventional distance sampling framework, tied to a winter aerial survey, to create a spatially explicit estimate of white-tailed deer abundance and density across a vast, northern forest region. We estimated 16,352 white-tailed deer (95% CI 11,762–22,734) throughout the Adirondack Park with local density ranging between 0.00–5.73 deer/km2. Most of the Adirondack Park (91.2%) supported white-tailed deer densities of ≤2 individuals/km2. White-tailed deer density increased with increasing proximity to anthropogenic land cover such as timber cuts, roads, and agriculture and decreased in areas with increasing elevation and days with snow cover. We conclude that climate change will be more favorable for white-tailed deer than for moose because milder winters and increased growing seasons will likely have a pronounced influence on deer abundance and distribution across the Adirondack Park. Therefore, identifying specific environmental conditions facilitating the expansion of white-tailed deer into areas with low-density moose populations can assist managers in anticipating potential changes in ungulate distribution and abundance and to develop appropriate management actions to mitigate negative consequences such as disease spread and increased competition for limiting resources.

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Modelling white-tailed deer impacts on forest regeneration to inform deer management options at landscape scales

Cited by 24 publications

References 68 publications

Influence of Deer Hunting and Residual Stand Structure on Tree Regeneration in Deciduous Forests

Influence of Deer Hunting and Residual Stand Structure on Tree Regeneration in Deciduous Forests

Effects of prescribed grazing by goats on non‐native invasive shrubs and native plant species in a mixed‐hardwood forest

A model-based estimate of winter distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer in the Adirondack Park

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