Long-term biological legacies of herbivore density in a landscape-scale experiment: forest understories reflect past deer density treatments for at least 20 years

Tim Nuttle; Todd Ristau; Alejandro A. Royo

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12175

Treesearch

Long-term biological legacies of herbivore density in a landscape-scale experiment: forest understories reflect past deer density treatments for at least 20 years

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Tim Nuttle, Todd Ristau, Alejandro A. Royo

Year:

2014

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12175

Source:

Journal of Ecology. 102: 221-228.

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Abstract

Ungulate browsers, when at high densities, are major drivers of vegetation change in forests world-wide. Their effects operate via a variety of generalizable mechanisms related to plant palatability and relative growth rate with respect to browsing pressure. Though such impacts are obviously long-lasting when they determine composition of tree regeneration, we document in a unique long-term (30 year) experiment that biological legacies of initial deer density persist in the understorey herbaceous vegetation at least 20 years after deer densities were equalized.

Keywords

biological legacy, determinants of plant community diversity and structure, eastern deciduous forest, ferns, Odocoileus virginianus, Pennsylvania, plant–herbivore interactions, whitetailed deer

Citation

Nuttle, Tim; Ristau, Todd E.; Royo, Alejandro A. 2014. Long-term biological legacies of herbivore density in a landscape-scale experiment: forest understories reflect past deer density treatments for at least 20 years. Journal of Ecology. 102: 221-228.