Download or read book The Effects of Herbivory by White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus on the Survival and Distribution of Native Wildflowers written by Jack Darl Fletcher and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Impacts of White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus Herbivory on the Forage Quality of Forest Vegetation written by Jonathan David Becker and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are abundant across North America. Deer impact ecosystems, both directly and indirectly. These impacts are driven by the foraging preferences of deer. The energy, protein, mineral, fiber, and secondary metabolite content of plants are important factors that inform the selective herbivory of deer. I examined the interactions between forage quality and deer impacts in northern Wisconsin using deer exclosures. I examined the forage quality of four focal species (Acer saccharum, Maianthemum canadense, Dryopteris intermedia and Carex pensylvanica) in both control and exclosure plots. Forage quality parameters measured were energy, protein, ash, phosphorus, silica, fiber, and saponins. I found that deer herbivory did not uniformly decrease the forage quality within individual species. This study provides preliminary support for a predicted increase in low forage quality plants in response to heavy deer herbivory. Further research is necessary to support this trend, including a focus on defensive secondary metabolites.
Download or read book Effects of White tailed Deer Herbivory on a Tallgrass Prairie Remnant written by Scott Gooch and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Effects of White tailed Deer Herbivory on the Growth and Survival of Seedlings in a Coastal Wetland Forest written by Seth Taylor Bordelon and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Effects of Year round Supplemental Feeding of White tailed Deer on Plant Community Dynamics written by Beau Navarre and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Supplemental feeding is commonly practiced to enhance available nutrition for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). The effects of supplemental feeding on the surrounding vegetative community may be related to herbivory, trampling, and seed dispersal. I evaluated how these potential mechanisms affect vegetative communities using a matched-pair design (fed and ecologically equivalent unfed sites) during 2018-2020. In a short-term manipulative portion of the study, I sampled the vegetation prior to feeding and during two years of feeding. In a long-term retrospective study, I sampled feeders established 5-7 years previously. Feeders increased daily detection rate of deer and seed dispersing non-target wildlife, percentage of browsed plants, bare ground, and seed deposition. Plant communities diverged increasingly more from year 1 through years 5-7. Supplemental feeding directly affects local understory plant communities due to increased herbivory and trampling, while seed dispersal by non-target wildlife and increased bare ground may facilitate invasion of non-desirable plant species.
Download or read book The Influence of White tailed Deer and Landscape Composition and Structure on Exotic Plant Success written by Kristine Averill and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plant communities are shaped by a variety of interacting factors including geographic constraints, abiotic, and biotic factors. The research contained herein investigated how these factors interact to influence exotic plant invasions. In the Northeastern United States, the highly abundant native white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimm.), and landscape fragmentation are known to facilitate plant invasion independently. At the same time, biologically diverse native plant communities are broadly expected to limit invasion. In this work, primary producer-consumer interactions, plot-level native diversity, and surrounding landscape configuration were investigated to assess their association with exotic plant invasion across the region. Using floristic composition data from 24 deer exclusion research sites distributed across the Northeastern US, the effect of deer on exotic versus native plants was investigated at species and community levels. Results indicated that deer facilitate the abundance of some exotic plant species, but inhibit the presence and abundance of many natives. While deer did not alter absolute exotic plant richness or abundance, they increased the degree of plant invasion due to strong declines in native plant abundance. Deer altered species composition and lowered native plant richness and abundance, causing an overall reduction in Shannon diversity (H'). To understand why some exotic species increased and others decreased in response to deer across the region controlled multiple-choice deer preference trials were conducted. Using captive deer, relative preferences for eight invasive exotic plants and seven native plants that are currently widespread and occur frequently in the region were determined in spring, summer, and autumn. Even though deer consumed more native plant biomass overall, preferences varied strongly at the level of species. This suggests that deer facilitate the invasion of exotic plants that are relatively unpalatable due to preferential selection of palatable plants. Last, the relative importance of site-level white-tailed deer density, multiple landscape fragmentation metrics, and plot-level native plant diversity were tested for their roles in explaining plant invasion patterns in forest understory communities. The same pooled, floristic community data from 24 sites in the Northeastern US was analyzed using a series of nonparametric and parametric, multivariate and univariate statistics to illustrate the effects of multiple factors and their interactions on several measures of plant invasion. Deer, landscape structure and composition, and native species richness all affected patterns of exotic plant invasion. Results showed that deer density was highly correlated to landscape structure and that, as deer density increased, the percentage of exotic plant species also increased. Generally, landscape fragmentation was positively correlated with plant invasion. However, several interactions among deer presence, native plant diversity, and landscape attributes were identified. Exotic plant richness increased with native plant richness, but some evidence was found for native plant diversity limiting the degree of invasion in non-fragmented landscapes. Overall, to more fully understand the factors that influence plant invasion, the context of deer abundance, surrounding landscape structure and composition, and native plant species diversity must be considered.
Download or read book Impact of Disturbance and White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus Herbivory on Plant Community and Nutrient Dynamics in Northern Hardwood Forests of Northern New York State written by Karl A. Didier and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Multi taxonomic Approach to Assess the Impact of Overabundant White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus in Forest Ecosystems Across Northeast Ohio written by Sara A. Laux and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Browsing by white-tailed deer has alters plant species diversity of the forest understory across much of North America. A reduced understory may lead to the simplification of the forest-floor microhabitat, causing broad scale shifts in the community composition and abundance of litter-dwelling arthropods and small mammals. The objectives of this study were to 1) document changes in the forest-floor microhabitat as a result of over-browsing by deer and 2) determine if differential browsing pressures indirectly affect faunal biodiversity (litter-dwelling arthropods and small mammals) of forest ecosystems. I predicted that browsing within the understory will reduce structural complexity of the forest-floor microhabitat, and its dependent community. A combination of comparative (high vs. low deer impact) and exclosure studies were used to document the effects of herbivory on forest ecosystems. Fewer seedlings and less herbaceous and canopy cover occurred in areas outside exclosures and in areas heavily impacted by deer in contrast to those impacted less, and as percent herbaceous cover correlated strongly with leaf litter biomass and depth, browsing reduces structural complexity of the forest-floor microhabitat. More mesofauna, Coleoptera and Araneae, were present inside than outside deer exclosures. Non-native species (i.e., centipedes, gastropods, isopods and millipedes) were more abundant in areas of high deer impact compared to areas of lower impact. No differences in small mammal abundance were detected in response to the indirect effects of browsing; however, areas of low impact were more speciose and supported significantly more insectivorous small mammals (Soricidae). Soricids require moist habitats with adequate cover and ample invertebrate prey. Capture rates of the Masked Shrew, Sorex cinereus, were positively correlated with litter depth and invertebrate abundance of the preceding year. These findings suggest that even where total soricid and arthropod abundance did not vary in response to differential levels of deer impacts, simplification of the forest-floor microhabitat can reduce diversity and species composition of litter-dwelling animals. Deer may also facilitate the invasion of non-native species and alter trophic cascades within the forest-floor ecosystem.
Download or read book The Combined Effects of White tailed Deer and Exotic Earthworms on Understory Plant Communities in Northeast Ohio written by Ryan John Trimbath and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 47 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Temperate forests of North America are being altered by the combined effects of two ecosystem engineers: white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, and exotic earthworm species from Europe and Asia. The intense pressure of herbivory from white-tailed deer alters the structure, abundance and diversity of plants in the forest understory. Exotic earthworm invasion can dramatically change the physical and chemical attributes of forest soils, altering plant-soil interactions which can facilitate changes in understory plant communities. Here we have used a deer exclosure study to isolate the impacts of white-tailed deer from those of exotic earthworms in order to better understand how they interact in shaping temperate forest plant communities. Results confirm that deer can dramatically reduce the abundance, richness and diversity of native plants. Contrary to past studies we found no evidence that exotic earthworms themselves reduce native plant abundance or diversity. Exotic earthworms are shown to alter the plant community through the loss of specialist species which are replaced by generalist and exotic species. This is the first in situ study of exotic earthworms in temperate forests to account for deer impacts and identify the unique and aspects of exotic earthworm on forest plant communities. The combined effects of these engineering species can dramatically alter the forest plant community and pose a formidable threat to the conservation of biodiversity.
Download or read book The Science of Overabundance written by William J. Mcshea and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2003-01-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Easily the most common of America’s large wildlife species, white-tailed deer are often referred to as "overabundant." But when does a species cross the threshold from common to overpopulated? This question has been the focus of debate in recent years among hunters, animal rights activists, and biologists. William McShea and his colleagues explore every aspect of the issue in The Science of Overabundance. Are there really too many deer? Do efforts to control deer populations really work? What broader lessons can we learn from efforts to understand deer population dynamics? Through twenty-three chapters, the editors and contributors dismiss widely held lore and provide solid information on this perplexing problem.
Download or read book Vegetation and Nutritional Changes Over 20 Years of White tailed Deer Exclusion written by Gabrielle Nicole Ripa and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowledge of the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter deer) as dominant herbivores throughout the Southeastern United States of America is lacking. To address this, three paired experimental units of exclosures and controls were constructed in 2000 on three Wildlife Management Areas across Mississippi within the ecoregions of the Upper Coastal Plain, Lower Coastal Plain, and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Vegetation was sampled in the summers of 2000, 2005, and 2021 including vegetation structure, canopy coverage, basal area, and species composition. Additionally, in 2005 and 2021, biomass was sampled to determine potential impacts on nutritional carrying capacity. Among the three study sites, vegetation metrics followed successional trends and were not influenced by herbivory or lack thereof. Additionally, regional differences in nutritional carrying capacity seemed to be of greater importance than herbivory. This research illustrates the difference in effects of deer by region and forest type.
Download or read book Interactions of White tailed Deer Abundance and Environment Affect Plant Community Composition in Northern Hardwood Forests written by Autumn E. Sabo and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ungulates are widely regarded as keystone herbivores and ecosystem engineers in ecosystems around the world. In forests of eastern North America, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can directly affect the presence, abundance, and reproductive success of many plant species via herbivory. Moreover, the direct effects of herbivory, along with the impacts of associated deer activities, may perturb the forest understory environment by altering the availability of understory light and soil resources. I used deer exclosures and motion-sensitive video cameras to explore the consequences of differing population densities of deer on understory environmental conditions, community composition, and interactions between deer, the environment and vegetation. I focused on several deer-mediated environmental factors including sapling abundance, light availability, soil compaction and thickness of the soil E horizon, in addition to other site characteristics including overstory cover and soil texture and chemistry. My three projects included a total of nine study sites that were scattered across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, primarily in northern hardwood forests dominated by Acer saccharum. Across my study areas, herbivory was concentrated on woody regeneration within easy reach of deer. Environmental modifications wrought by deer browsing, such as higher light availability, soil compaction and thickness of the soil E horizon layer, affected the richness and abundance of native tree seedlings, shrubs and herbs, often in species-specific manners, and encouraged invasion by exotic species. Thus, I suggest a reexamination of the common assumption that understory community shifts in response to changes in deer abundance stem primarily from tissue removal and encourage further investigation of indirect mechanisms mediated by deer. Direct and indirect effects of abundant deer appeared to act in concert to diminish the efficacy of environmental variation to drive community heterogeneity, or the realized niche. With reduced deer abundance, particularly where overstory basal area was low, tree species richness increased. Such results provide evidence that silvicultural treatments like gap creation, in conjunction with deer control, can help reverse biotic homogenization of forest communities.
Download or read book White tailed Deer in Eastern Ecosystems written by William F. Porter and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Direct and Indirect Effects of White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus Herbivory on Beetle and Spider Assemblages in Northern Wisconsin written by Elizabeth J. Sancomb and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: White-tailed deer directly impact vegetation structure and species composition through selective foraging, and indirectly impact other species by altering habitat, food-web interactions, and microclimate. I examined the direct effects of deer exclusion on vegetation communities, and indirect effects on beetle, spider, and web-building spider (WBS) assemblages. Forb and woody plant percent cover were higher in exclosures, while graminoid cover was higher in controls. There were no differences in beetle and spider assemblages between browsed and protected areas. The absence of differences could be attributed to legacy effects, or alternatively high vagility of individuals. WBS assemblages were more abundant and diverse in protected areas, reflecting differences in web site availability and litter depth. This suggests indirect effects of deer alter arthropod assemblages. Through selective feeding, deer act as ecosystem engineers. They are indirectly changing the WBS assemblages in this area, and may be changing beetle and spider assemblage composition.
Download or read book White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus Herbivory in Northeastern Ohio Riparian Zones written by Danielle M. Mutchler and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of this study was to determine white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing preferences for tree and shrub species in riparian zones of Northeastern Ohio. A total of five sites were selected along the Grand River and Pymatuning Creek in Trumbull County, and along the Cuyahoga River in Geauga County. In autumn of 2012, three to five 12 x 20 m quadrats were established in a stratified random fashion at each site, and the canopy species composition was surveyed for each quadrat. For individual tree species that had foliage accessible to white-tailed, deer the following data were recorded quantitatively and/or categorically: total available browse, type of available browse, and severity of browsing. The shrub and sapling layer was also surveyed within two randomly placed 4x4 m nested plots per 12x20 m overstory quadrat. The Jacob's Electivity Index was used to assess browsing preferences for tree and shrub species. As determined by the Jacob's Electivity Index various tree and shrub species: 1) were consistently avoided at all quadrats when present (bitternut and shagbark hickories, swamp and black ashes, black cherry, American basswood, and American elm), 2) were consistently selected in all quadrats where present (American hornbeam and black willow), or 3) varied widely in their selection by deer (silver and sugar maples). Quadrats containing sugar and, especially, silver maple with epicormic sprouts had greatest total browsing impact. Results suggest that white-tailed deer herbivory may actually reflect a Marginal Value Theorem model dictated by patches abundant in such sprouts. Further research is needed to determine potential effects of white-tailed deer in hindering the regeneration of such flood and/or beaver damaged vegetation in Northeastern Ohio riparian zones.
Download or read book White tailed Deer Habitat written by Timothy E. Fulbright and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For most of the last century, range management meant managing land for livestock. How well a landowner grew the grass that cattle ate was the best measure of success. In this century, landowners look to hunting and wildlife viewing for income; rangeland is now also wildlife habitat, and they are managing their land not just for cattle but also for wildlife, most notably deer and quail. Unlike other books on white-tailed deer in places where rainfall is relatively high and the environment stable, this book takes an ecological approach to deer management in the semiarid lands of Oklahoma, Texas, and northern Mexico. These are the least productive of white-tail habitats, where periodic drought punctuates long-term weather patterns. The book's focus on this landscape across political borders is one of its original and lasting contributions. Another is its contention that good management is based on ecological principles that guide the manager's thinking about: Habitat Requirements of White-Tailed Deer White-Tailed Deer Nutrition Carrying Capacity Habitat Manipulation Predators Hunting Timothy Edward Fulbright is a Regents Professor and the Meadows Professor in Semiarid Land Ecology at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville. J. Alfonso Ortega-S., is an associate professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Download or read book Topical Bibliography for the White tailed Deer Odocoileus Virginianus in Nine U S National Park Service Regions and Parts of Canada written by Jonathan E. Hoeldtke and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
