Study

Slow responses of understory plants of maple-dominated forests to white-tailed deer experimental exclusion

  • Published source details Collard A., Lapointe L., Ouellet J., Crête M., Lussier A., Daigle C. & Côté S.D. (2010) Slow responses of understory plants of maple-dominated forests to white-tailed deer experimental exclusion. Forest Ecology and Management, 260, 649-662.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Use wire fencing to exclude large native herbivores

Action Link
Forest Conservation
  1. Use wire fencing to exclude large native herbivores

    A replicated, paired-sites, before-and-after trial study in 1998-2006 in temperate broadleaf forest in Quebec, Canada (Collard et al. 2010) found that excluding deer  increased the above ground biomass of spring-flowering herbaceous species, small seedlings and large shrubs and trees, but not of summer-flowering herbaceous species, grasses, ferns and small deciduous shrubs. Eight years after treatments, the above ground biomass of small and large spring-flowering herbaceous species had increased by 119% and -19% in grazed plots and 570% and 89% in ungrazed plots respectively. The biomass of small deciduous seedlings had decreased by 63% in grazed and 18% in ungrazed plots. The biomass of large deciduous shrubs and trees had increased by 99% in grazed and 418% in ungrazed plots. Excluding deer did not affect above ground biomass of summer-flowering herbaceous species, grasses, ferns and small deciduous shrubs. Six sites of two 625 m2 treatment plots: grazed (control) and ungrazed (deer exclosure) were established in 1998. Above ground biomass (g/m2) was estimated in 1998 and 2006 in twenty 2 × 0.1 m subplots in each plot.

     

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