The impact of mast years on seedling recruitment following canopy thinning and deer fencing in contrasting northeastern U.S. coastal forests¹

Exclosures can favour natural regeneration of oak after conservation-oriented thinning in mixed forests in Sweden: A 10-year study

“…No tall oak saplings were recorded in controls. Our results are consistent with earlier studies of oak regeneration and effects of protection from browsing (Abrams, 2013;Bergquist et al, 2009;Jensen et al, 2012;Kelly, 2002;Pigott, 1983;Thomas-van Gundy et al, 2014). Exclosures were intentionally placed over relatively high density of oak seedlings and saplings; this was also true for controls, and the results of the BACI-test show that the density of oak seedlings and small oak saplings did not differ initially between controls and exclosures.…”

“…In exclosures, they were as predicted taller, although their density was low and varied between sites. Several authors reported reduced height of oak seedlings and saplings due to browsing (Abrams, 2013;Bergquist et al, 2009;Kullberg and Bergström, 2001) and that taller stems were browsed to a higher extent (Bergqvist et al, 2012;Götmark et al, 2005;Jensen et al, 2012;. For instance, roe deer feed on plants from the ground level up to about 120 cm, but prefer to feed around 75 cm (Duncan et al, 1998).…”

A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion

“…Many other researchers (e.g. Abrams and Johnson 2012 ; Bressette et al 2012 ; Nuttle et al 2013 ; Abrams 2013 ; Owings et al , this issue) also report negative impacts of abundant deer on native tree species, implying that forest regeneration could be at risk. Shrubs, including L. benzoin , R. periclymenoides and V. acerifolium , also appear negatively influenced by deer ( Tables 6 and 7 ), which jeopardizes organisms in other trophic levels that depend on forest understory shrub layers, e.g.…”

“…The selective browsing of cervids (e.g. deer, moose, elk) is considered one of the main determinants of forest understory plant species composition and structure ( Alverson et al 1988 ; Côté et al 2004 ; Abrams 2013 ). Herbivore-mediated shifts in plant communities can limit native plant regeneration, alter the abundance of small mammals, birds and insects, lower ecological stability (e.g.…”