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- Title
Forests Too Deer: Edge Effects in Northern Wisconsin.
- Authors
Alverson, William S.; Waller, Donald M.; Solheim, Stephen L.
- Abstract
Browsing by white-tailed deer ('Odocoileus virginianus) can profoundly affect the abundance and population structure of several woody and herbaceous plant species. Enclosure studies and population surveys reveal that past and current deer densities as tow as 4 deer/km2 may prevent regeneration of the once common woody species, Canada yew (Taxus canadensis), eastern hemlock ('Tsuga canadensis), and white cedar (Thuga occidentalis), as well as several herbaceous species. Prior to European settlement, forests in northern Wisconsin contained relatively sparse deer populations (<4/km2), but extensive timber cutting in the late nineteenth century boosted deer populations. Continued habitat fragmentation resulting from scattered timber harvests and the creation of "wildlife openings" to improve deer forage maintain these high densities throughout much of the Northeast. Because deer wander widely, the effects of high deer densities penetrate deeply into remaining stands of old and mature forest, greatly modifying their composition. Thus, abundant early successional and "edge" habitat, and the high deer densities they engender, represent significant external threats to these plant communities. We hypothesize that establishing large (200-400 km2) continuotis areas of maturing forest, especially in conjunction with increased hunting could reduce local deer densities and so provide a simple and inexpensive method for retaining species sensitive to the deleterious effects of browsing.
- Subjects
WISCONSIN; WHITE-tailed deer; WOODY plants; BROWSING (Animal behavior); BIOTIC communities; HABITATS; POPULATION biology; ECOLOGY; BIOLOGY
- Publication
Conservation Biology, 1988, Vol 2, Issue 4, p348
- ISSN
0888-8892
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1523-1739.1988.tb00199.x